Seed Grants - One-U Responsible AI Initiative

Seed Grants - One-U Responsible AI Initiative is sponsored by The University of Utah. The Responsible AI Initiative funds seed grant projects to catalyze new collaborations and innovative research that advances AI and its applications for societal good, focusing on privacy, civil rights, liberties, accountability, transparency, and fairness.

Seed Grants – One-U Responsible AI Initiative Opportunities at a Glance Graduate Student Fellowships Scientific Computing & Imaging (SCI) Institute Vice President for Research Powered by the University of Utah Applications due January 15, 2026 The Responsible AI Initiative aims to advance AI and its applications in ways that achieve societal good while also protecting privacy, civil rights, and liberties, and promoting principles of accountability, transparency, and fairness.

To advance this mission, each year One-U RAI will fund multiple seed grant projects aimed at catalyzing new collaborations, innovative research, and mission-driven activities that advance the goals of the One-U RAI and are aligned with one or more of its thematic areas: environment , health care and wellness , and teaching and learning .

University of Utah Awards Nearly $400K for First-Ever Responsible AI Seed Grants Abstract (250 words): Abstract should consist of an accessible summary of the project and its potential impact. This may be shared with non-scientists, scientists of different disciplines, and the greater UofU and Utah communities. Please ensure it is written for a general audience, and no confidential information is provided.

Proposal Narrative (3-page maximum, including figures): Please address specific aims, significance, innovation, approach, timeline, clear deliverables, data sharing plan, and plans to acquire extramural funding, including specific agencies and funding mechanisms/calls that the research group plans to apply for in the next 1-3 years. Include a description of how the project or activity will advance the mission of the One-U RAI.

References (no page limit) Budget (must use provided template) Biographical sketches or brief CVs for all investigators (5-page maximum per investigator) Current and pending support for all investigators (no page limit) Application Deadline and Review Process Applications will be reviewed annually with a submission deadline of January 15. Final award decisions can be expected within 4-6 weeks of the submission deadline.

Proposals will be reviewed by members of the One-U RAI Faculty Engagement Committee to assess innovation, scholarly merit, likelihood for success, impact, and external funding, and alignment with the mission of the One-U RAI. If human participants or animal research are involved, one copy of the IRB or IACUC approval will be required prior to release of funds.

Successful projects and activities are expected to: Have significant scholarly merit and demonstrate innovation in responsible AI, Have high potential for future extramural funding from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, or foundations dedicated to research, Not be currently supported by extramural funding, and Involve new collaborative teams (either cross-campus or including industry or other community-based partners) and/or support the career development of junior faculty.

Faculty and staff interested in establishing new relationships for collaboration are invited to email Madeline Burton for ideas on potential collaborators. Eligibility to submit a proposal is defined by the following criteria: Only one proposal per principal investigator (PI) will be reviewed. Faculty members (either tenure- or career-line) may serve as co-PIs on multiple proposals.

PIs must not have a current or recent (past two cycles) One-U RAI seed grant award. PIs and Co-PIs must be University of Utah faculty or staff. Teams must include an RAI affiliate (i.e., current committee member, faculty fellow, and postdoctoral fellow mentor).

The following reports are required from all awarded PIs. Templates will be provided. Progress report will be required for review by the research committee to assure adequate progress.

Progress report describing the results and deliverables of the research, future directions, and plans to secure additional funding. Report of outcomes, impact, publications, or extramural funding stemming from the work. PIs may also be asked to participate in the preparation of additional reports or presentations.

We anticipate funding up to $225,000 in awards per year and encourage proposals with modest funding requests and high potential impact to maximize the number of projects that can be supported. Typical funding is expected to be less than $50,000 for one year. There will be an opportunity for a one-year no-cost extension.

Seed grant funds may be used for salaries and benefits of non-faculty project personnel, supplies, miscellaneous expenses, and services. Funds cannot be used for faculty salaries, tuition, travel that is not directly related to project research (e.g., conferences cannot be supported by this grant), consultants, or office equipment, including computers (unless specifically justified).

Budgets must be submitted using our SeedGrantBudgetTemplate . Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Can non-faculty staff, such as postdocs, research assistants, or associate directors serve as PIs or Co-PIs? Yes.

In addition to faculty, University of Utah staff can apply as a PI or Co-PI. One-U RAI Affiliation Questions Who is considered a current RAI affiliate? The following are considered RAI affiliates: faculty fellows, mentors of postdoctoral fellows, and members of the RAI Executive and RAI Faculty Engagement Committees.

Must teams include a current RAI affiliate to apply? Yes. RAI affiliates do not necessarily need to play a prominent role on the team applying, but should be included as a PI or Co-PI on a team.

Applications will be reviewed based on the review criteria as stated in the Overview of the Program section of this page, and not the level of engagement of an RAI affiliate. View a list current RAI Affiliates. Do former RAI affiliates count toward the affiliation requirement?

Only current RAI affiliates count toward the affiliation requirement. How do I become an RAI affiliate? A faculty member can become an affiliate by becoming a faculty fellow , mentoring a postdoctoral fellow , or joining a committee (2-year service period).

Faculty fellow applications are due annually on October 1; postdoctoral fellow applications every six months on April and October 1; faculty engagement committee membership rotates annually each Spring, and executive committee membership rotates annually each Fall. Can seed grant funds be used for faculty course buyouts? One-U RAI Seed Grant funds are eligible to cover faculty course buyouts.

However, it is the responsibility of faculty members to acquire formal approval from their home departments. Does having a data sharing plan mean that data generated by these projects are required to be shared? Your plan should justify your decisions about data sharing, whether you do it or not, and any opportunities you have to share your data.

Where can I see the previous awarded projects for this program? Seed grant awards will take place annually, beginning in January 2026. One-U RAI programs in operation prior to January 2026 include the faculty fellow, postdoctoral fellow , and distinguished visitor programs.

See past One-U RAI news for information about past awardees. How important is it to outline plans for attaining external funding? A successful proposal will show a clear path forward for reviewers to see if it’s likely to receive extramural funding while expanding the reach of the One-U RAI across campus.

Unique to this seed grant program, certain activities may not be well aligned with future extramural funding but could still be good candidates to receive funding. Are collaborations across campus and disciplines valued? Yes.

Collaborative teams, especially new collaborations across departments, are highly valued. A team of four scholars from different departments or colleges may be valued higher than a team of two people within the same field, though this factor is not independent from the rest of the review criteria. Seed Grant Program Application The next application deadline is January 15, 2027 (end of day, anywhere on earth).

This form is currently closed for submissions.