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The University of Maryland (UMD) MATRIX Lab team is taking new steps toward safely incorporating reliable autonomy into our everyday lives.
The lab has been awarded a grant from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) that will help fund a workshop focused on ensuring autonomous systems will work as expected through test and evaluation, as well as a graduate education program for the Development, Test & Evaluation, Verification & Validation (DTEVV) of autonomy.
DTEVV Workshop
Every emergent system with intelligent/autonomous capabilities requires some form of assessment to ensure it will do what it’s intended to do, but current test and evaluation practices cannot keep up with how rapidly technology is advancing. This reality slows down the development, assessment, certification, and adoption of new systems.
The ONR grant will help fund a DTEVV Workshop that will map out the priority research and workforce challenges that need to be addressed to allow the DTEVV process to keep up with advancing technology. Participants will hear lessons learned and best practices from DTEVV practitioners through insightful keynotes from government and industry leaders. They will also have the chance to provide input toward both DTEVV of autonomy research opportunities and the curriculum that will shape the future workforce through panels and discussions.
The workshop will be November 17-18, 2025, at the USMSM SMART Building in California, Maryland. It is offered in partnership with the UMD Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS).
“The DTEVV Workshop presents a timely opportunity for academia, industry, and government to discuss critical challenges and needs in effectively developing and assessing emerging, intelligent systems. This event will prioritize understanding the respective influences the research and workforce landscapes have on the maturation and adoption of these advanced systems. The intended outcome is that participants have greater awareness of research and workforce opportunities to accelerate their DTEVV efforts,” notes Dr. Brian A. Weiss, an ARLIS Research Engineer who is co-organizing the DTEVV Workshop.
Professionals from all sectors all welcome to register to attend the workshop and contribute to the conversation that will help shape the future of autonomy.
DTEVV Curriculum
DTEVV is used in many disciplines, but the average DTEVV professional has little or no experience with autonomous systems, and any education in autonomy is often in the form of on-the-job training.
A new DTEVV of Autonomous Systems program in Southern Maryland will provide graduate-level education on how to evaluate autonomy using an engineering-based risk management process. The ONR grant will help fund curriculum/course development and cover other expenses. The effort is being spearheaded by the MATRIX Lab’s Director of Test and Evaluation of Autonomous Systems Dr. Donald “Bucket” Costello, who examines T&E-focused frameworks, methodologies, and approaches in his research.
“With the help of ONR, UMD is able to move quickly for the establishment of this first of its kind graduate program,” Dr. Costello said. “The DTEVV workforce is ready to field these systems. We are excited to give them the skillset that they will need to make them a reality.”
Through the MATRIX Lab’s graduate program, both students and working professionals will gain the necessary knowledge to create new standards and methods of compliance for properly assessing the risk of removing humans from a system’s decision-making process.
To determine the education needed to fill this gap in the workforce, the MATRIX Lab is working with the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) to develop the curriculum. This will ensure students learn the most relevant, up-to-date skills.
Once approved, participants can get a DTEVV of Autonomous Systems certification after four courses, and a professional master’s degree after ten courses. The first course focuses on the fundamentals of DTEVV, including its various forms and roles. The second course focuses on the fundamentals of autonomy and artificial intelligence. The subsequent courses will include hands-on experience with programming and additional knowledge in areas such as human-autonomous systems teaming. To increase accessibility, the program is hybrid, with both in-person instruction and the capability for remote learning.
If you are interested in joining the DTEVV of Autonomous Systems education program, email Dr. Costello at dhcost@umd.edu.
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October 8, 2025
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