The University of Maryland on Friday announced a new startup awards program designed to support the development of cutting-edge research projects and interdisciplinary courses related to artificial intelligence.
The $1.3 million in grants will be administered by the Maryland Interdisciplinary Artificial Intelligence Institute (AIM), a collaborative hub launched last spring to conduct research, provide innovative and experiential learning opportunities for students, and focus on responsible and ethical AI technology to advance the public good. UMD and its philanthropic and industry partners plan to invest more than $100 million in the institute over the next 10 years.
Members of the UMD community are invited to submit proposals in two categories:
The research awards will prioritize academic and scientific projects that align with AIM’s four focus areas (accessibility, sustainability, justice, learning and creativity), as well as fundamental computing advances in areas such as speech , language, robotics, multimodality and advanced computing for AI. . The maximum amount awarded for a research grant will be $300,000.
“These awards demonstrate AIM’s commitment to supporting innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to AI research and education,” said Sheena Erete, associate director of research at AIM and associate professor at the College. of Information. “By supporting projects that prioritize collaboration and societal impact, we are not only advancing AI research at UMD, but we are also redefining what it means to engage in AI research. ‘AI that creates meaningful change for communities in Maryland and beyond. »
The Program Development Awards encourage applications for courses that are interdisciplinary in their approach to AI, cut across AIM’s four focus areas, and introduce AI-focused courses to existing majors or minors on campus. The maximum amount awarded for a course development grant will be $25,000.
“These course development grants underscore AIM’s commitment to fostering the development of innovative courses, community-based and experiential learning opportunities, and interdisciplinary AI educational programs across all colleges and departments,” said Neda Atanasoski, associate director of education and professor and president of AIM. from the Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. “Our educational mission to address the grand challenges posed by the development of AI across diverse sectors of society is one of the defining characteristics of our institute. »
The deadline to submit a proposal is February 17 and recipients will be announced in late spring 2025.