Led by the University of Cincinnati, CHEST also involves Northeastern University; University of California, Davis; University of Connecticut; and the University of Virginia. CHEST is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) that serves as a hub for industry-focused research and currently comprises 23 members across industry and governmental laboratories. The center also provides opportunities for University faculty and students to conduct research for other federal agencies. “Increasingly, hardware can be the entry point for a cyberattack,” said Makris, who directs the UT Dallas CHEST effort. Semiconductor chips — often referred to as simply semiconductors — make it possible for electronic devices to process, store and transmit data.