Empowering Research with AI Award FAQ

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Eligibility & Scope

1. Who is eligible to apply for this award?
   This award is open to active University of Michigan researchers across the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses, including faculty, non-faculty researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate student researchers, including GSRAs. Graduate students must list their primary U-M faculty research mentor on the application.
   
2. Can external non-U-M collaborators be included on an application?
   While external collaborators may be listed as co-applicants, including former U-M faculty and students, this award primarily recognizes U-M researchers and U-M-led scholarship. The Primary Applicant must be a current U-M affiliate, and award funds can only be disbursed directly to active U-M personnel.
   
3. Are early-stage research proposals eligible for this award?
   No. This award celebrates completed or ongoing scholarly research projects with demonstrated evidence of outcomes and achievements. It is not designed to seed early-stage ideas or proposals.
   
4. Are administrative or classroom AI projects eligible?
   No. Applications must represent a scholarly research project. General educational applications, classroom instruction, or operational and administrative workflow automations are not eligible.
   
5. How many applications can one individual submit?
   An applicant may submit an unlimited number of applications, provided that each application represents a distinctly different research project. If an applicant submits multiple distinct projects, each project will be evaluated independently on its own merits, and all applications will be eligible to receive an award. Only one application may be submitted per overall project (sub-teams or individual members cannot submit separate applications for different portions of the same project).
6. Can previous applicants reapply for this cycle?
   Projects awarded during the 2026 cycle are ineligible. Unawarded 2026 submissions may reapply, provided the research team has made significant progress since the last application. Individuals or teams who were awarded during the 2026 cycle are welcome to submit new projects for consideration.

Application Process

7. Are figures, charts, or PDF attachments allowed in the application?
   No. All applications must be submitted online through the InfoReady Portal using plain text fields. Figures, images, charts, tables, and PDF uploads are prohibited, and the Project Narrative is capped at 7,000 characters (~1,000 words).
8. How should citations or references be included in the narrative?
   A formal reference list is not required. If you choose to reference prior work, please use short in-text citations directly within your narrative (e.g., [Smith et al., 2024]).
9. Can I use AI tools to help write my application?
   While you may use generative AI tools to assist with brainstorming, proofreading, or editing your narrative, we strongly encourage you to write in your own authentic voice. Your application will be evaluated based on its use of a compelling, clear narrative. 
10. What is the “AI Journeys” presentation option at the MIDAS Symposium?
    Applicants can opt-in on their form to be considered for an “AI Journeys” presentation at the annual MIDAS AI in Research Symposium in March 2027. Consideration for a presentation is managed independently by the MIDAS Program Committee, and selection for a presentation does not impact your award evaluation or guarantee winning an award.

Award Announcements

11. When and how will award winners be announced?
    Award winners will be officially announced during the Awards Ceremony at the MIDAS AI in Research Symposium on March 16–17, 2027, with decision emails sent out that same week. Notifications will not be released prior to the event.
12. Is attendance at the Awards Ceremony required to receive the award?
    No. While all applicants are warmly invited to attend the ceremony and join the research community, attendance is not required to receive an award.

Funds Disbursement & Administration

13. Do recipients need to submit a project budget?
    No. Because this award honors completed or ongoing contributions rather than funding a prospective project, recipients are not required to submit a budget or account for expenditures.
14. How are award funds disbursed to recipients?
    Faculty awards are issued as a shortcode transfer of discretionary research funds directly to the designated faculty member’s home department (requiring a Fund 40000 shortcode), whereas non-faculty awards (graduate students, postdocs, and staff) are processed through U-M Payroll with standard taxes withheld.
15. How do team submissions handle award fund distribution?
    Teams must select a primary designated recipient (or one faculty and one non-faculty lead for mixed teams) to receive the funds on behalf of the project. The primary recipient’s department shortcode or paycheck receives the lump sum, and the primary designated recipient is responsible for distributing agreed-upon portions to other team members.