Stony Brook University and Redshred have received a Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to develop an artificial intelligence-powered platform for radiation safety. The system, called Radiation AI Decision and Information Assistant for Nuclear Tasks (RADIANT), aims to provide real-time guidance on radiological hazards in military operations and nuclear safety.
Manoj Mahajan of Stony Brook leads the project, which seeks to combine advanced AI with health physics expertise. The goal is to create an AI health physicist companion that can deliver on-demand insights for tactical units, strategic planning, and nuclear inspection activities.
“RADIANT exemplifies the kind of high-impact innovation that emerges when academic research aligns with real-world operational needs,” said Michael Kinch, chief innovation officer at Stony Brook University. “Projects like this reflect our commitment to expanding both the breadth and depth of industry partnerships, particularly with Long Island and New York-based companies, to help accelerate their success while applying trusted AI and deep scientific expertise to complex, high-risk challenges.”
This marks Stony Brook’s first award from DTRA in more than ten years. Redshred operates out of Stony Brook’s Center of Excellence in Wireless Information and Technology (CEWIT) and is CEWIT’s first expansion into nuclear and radiation health research.
Previously, Mahajan and Redshred secured a $1.8 million STTR Phase II contract from the U.S. Air Force for developing the AIRworthiness Model Automation for cerTification Evaluations (AIRMATE) system. That project supports CEWIT’s focus areas in medical technology and defense research.
The RADIANT platform stands out by extracting and interpreting complex data from nuclear and health physics documents, allowing it to mimic human specialists’ understanding. This capability is intended to improve response times and accuracy during critical situations.
By integrating advanced computing technologies, human-machine interfaces, and reliable AI tools, RADIANT addresses several DTRA strategic initiatives. It is designed for use on small local devices so it can be deployed easily in field conditions where quick access to technical data is crucial.
“CEWIT is looking forward to collaborating with Redshred on RADIANT and providing our expertise in health physics, large language models and AI to contribute to the safety of military personnel and civilians,” said Mahajan, CEWIT director of special programs. “Our relationship and success with Redshred continues to grow with this additional project for DTRA and they have been an outstanding and model partner to the university.”
DTRA will be the initial user of RADIANT; however, its potential applications extend beyond defense. The platform could assist military personnel by recommending safe exposure times based on dose thresholds or help forecast long-term impacts on veteran health—an area being developed further at CEWIT and Stony Brook Medicine.
“This touches on three of our strategic focus areas: Defense, Health, and Energy and leverages AI expertise and resources at Stony Brook University,” said CEWIT Director Rong Zhao. “We’re continuing to grow this partnership to create more commercialization opportunities with defense technology into both military and civilian sectors in the region.”
RADIANT may also serve commercial sectors such as nuclear power generation, emergency response operations, special forces missions, or international treaty monitoring efforts by organizations like the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency.
Stony Brook’s work with Redshred highlights its commitment to advancing technologies that address broad societal issues through research-driven innovation.
“We’re creating an innovative solution that transforms complex radiation data into actionable insights for non-experts in the field with our partners at Stony Brook University,” said Jim Kukla of Redshred.
