The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to lead the new Air Transportation Centre of Excellence (COE) for technical training and human performance. The Centre will conduct research needed to transform training for the FAA’s 22,000 employee air traffic organization workforce.

The FAA is expected to invest at least $5 million over the next five years in this public-private partnership, with Embry-Riddle heading a team of academic research institutions and more than 20 industry partners, including the FAA’s NextGen Florida Test Bed at Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach.

The consortium, called AERIS, is headed by Dr. Alan Stolzer of the College of Aviation in Daytona Beach.

Embry-Riddle will lead research and development on technical training for air traffic controllers, aviation safety inspectors, engineers, pilots and technicians that focuses on human performance, using part-task trainers, modeling, immersive human-in-the-loop simulation, and adaptive learning technologies that are found in other technical workforces. This includes new technologies such as mobile learning and new ways of collecting and managing training data. 

The FAA expects the COE will be operational and engaged in a robust research agenda within the next few months.