Discovering the Future of AI Grant Program

Discovering the Future of AI Grant Program is a grant from the Office of the Vice Provost for Research at the University of Pennsylvania that funds faculty pursuing paradigm-shifting research and education in artificial intelligence and its applications. The program supports one-year projects aligned with PennAI's strategic thrusts: AI Foundations, AI and Business, AI and Education, AI and Health, AI and Science, and AI and Society.

Proposals from joint teams of two co-principal investigators from different schools are especially encouraged, pairing core AI/ML experts with domain specialists. Eligible applicants are University of Pennsylvania faculty. Successful projects demonstrating broader university impact may be eligible for additional funding in subsequent years.

Discovering the Future of AI Grant Program - Office of the Vice Provost for Research Discovering the Future of AI Grant Program The Discovering the Future of AI grants program provides faculty with critical resources to pursue paradigm-shifting research and education in AI and its applications.

The goal is to foster synergies that pair the latest advances in AI with novel applications across disciplines to unlock new frontiers of discovery. This call will provide funding for one year (see below for details) but proposals that lead to successful outcomes, especially ones with broader impact at Penn, will be eligible for additional funding in subsequent years.

A key goal of this program is to foster genuine collaboration between AI experts and domain experts. We strongly encourage proposals from all disciplines and schools. Proposals led jointly by two Co-Principal Investigators (Co-PIs) from different schools are particularly encouraged: one should be a core AI/ML faculty member, and the other a faculty expert in the relevant application domain.

Proposals must be aligned with one or more of the strategic research thrusts of PennAI: AI Foundations: Understanding the fundamental principles behind existing AI algorithms and developing the next generation of AI algorithms. AI + Business: Exploring how AI will reshape industries, economies, and the future of work itself.

AI + Education : Developing educational programs or innovative in-class teaching (undergraduate or graduate) that leverage AI tools to transform the educational experience and/or advance Penn’s leadership in AI education. AI + Health: Revolutionizing healthcare through AI-driven diagnostics, personalized medicine, computational biology, and optimization of clinical care.

AI + Science: Applying AI to accelerate discovery in the natural sciences, from discovering new materials and modeling climate change to unraveling the mysteries of the human mind. AI + Society: Investigating the societal impact of AI, building trustworthy and ethical algorithms, or using AI to create new knowledge in the humanities and social sciences.

Examples of support include, but are not limited to: Funding for the development of novel AI models and experiments. Funding for acquiring or creating unique datasets necessary for transformative research. Funding for graduate students or postdoctoral fellows for complex data analysis and model development.

Applied research that tackles real-world problems, or develops new products, technologies, or policies, especially research that incorporates community partnerships. Funding for the development of educational programs or innovative in-class teaching. One (1) application per faculty member An unrestricted research award of up to $200,000 for one (1) year.

Awards are for direct costs only. Appointment : The applicant must currently hold a faculty position at the University of Pennsylvania.

Educational Program: For any educational program or course, applicants must provide a course syllabus and a detailed explanation of how the AI educational funding will enhance the course, impact students, and advance Penn’s leadership in AI/ML education ( please indicate whether the course is undergraduate or graduate ).

For any sponsored research projects, the applicant must be eligible to serve as Principal Investigator for the project, unless otherwise noted in this opportunity. Please see Penn’s PI Eligibility requirements to ensure you are eligible. Internal Selection Process: The Office of the Vice Provost for Research and the Penn AI Council invite Penn Faculty to submit one (1) application for consideration.

Applications must include the following: Cover Page (InfoReady will autogenerate) including: Candidate’s name, academic rank, department, email address, phone number, and campus address. Research projects specify one of the following categories (refer to the Penn AI website for details at: https://ai. upenn.

edu/ai-penn ) Abstract (maximum 1 page) Project description: ( maximum 4 pages, not including references; single-spaced, 12-point font with one-inch margins ) All projects must identify a second audience outside of the academic community. Who are the primary and secondary audiences of this project, and how will the research or new educational methods benefit them?

Brief Project Budget (maximum 1 page) Course syllabus: ( Optional, if not relevant to proposal ) Provide the course syllabus and/or a detailed explanation of how the AI educational funding will change the course, impact students, or broaden Penn as the leader in AI/ML education. Curriculum Vitae (CV) (maximum 2 pages) Limited Submission Opportunities Protocol What is a Limited Submission Opportunity?

When a funding agency or foundation limits the number of applications Penn can submit, the OVPR manages a two-part internal review process to select the proposal that advances to the funder. What is the Review Process for Limited Submissions? The selection process begins at the school level, where candidates are vetted to choose a finalist for the OVPR round.

Applicants must follow their home school’s deadlines and submission instructions, and get approval from their research dean’s office before submitting proposals. A committee of reviewers then recommends candidates to the Senior Vice Provost, who selects the final nominee. Where do I find out about limited submission opportunities on the OVPR website?

The newly designed website lists LSOs . Use the filters on the left to refine your search. Opportunities are listed in summary form.

Click on the title of an opportunity to see the full details.