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AIIM, AI Institutes at Michigan

Empowering Research with AI

The AI Institutes at Michigan (AIIM) is pleased to announce a Request for Submissions for the Empowering Research with AI Award. This Award aims to recognize individuals whose innovative and rigorous use and assessment of artificial intelligence (AI) advances knowledge or practice in their discipline. For the purpose of this award, AI is broadly defined, including long-standing methods such as Machine Learning, Computer Vision, and Natural Language Processing; as well as newer methods such as generative AI, language-based and multimodal AI, and AI agents. 

We invite submissions from researchers who have demonstrated innovative and rigorous adoption of AI in their work. Submissions should include publications, manuscripts, software products, or other credible accomplishments that illustrate their leadership in the evolving AI landscape. Through this award, AIIM seeks to celebrate individuals and teams who are shaping the future of research through the proactive integration and rigorous evaluation of AI.

Internal Submission Deadline: 2/06/2026

Award Amount: $1,000 – $3,000

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In conjunction with this award, the Michigan Institute for Data and AI in Society (MIDAS) will highlight some of the submissions in its annual AI in Research Symposium, to be held on March 30-31, 2026 in Ann Arbor. Applicants will have the opportunity to indicate in the submission form whether they would like to be considered for an oral or poster presentation at the MIDAS Symposium. These presentations, collectively called “the AI Journeys”, showcase how research teams identify key research questions, build expertise and collaboration, evaluate and/or adopt AI methods, address challenges and revise strategies, in order to achieve their research goals.

This call is open to all GSRAs (Graduate Student Research Assistants), postdoctoral fellows, non-faculty researchers, and U-M faculty (tenure-track, non-tenure track, clinical faculty, research faculty and librarians) from the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses. GSRAs are required to list their current research mentor. Applications may be submitted either individually or as a team.

For team submissions, you will be asked to list all co-applicants in your application. Additionally, the application includes a question requesting teams to designate one individual as the main contact person for all communications regarding the award. This process ensures that all team members are recognized and that important information is shared efficiently. The award amount will be granted to the entire team.

Award amounts will range from $1,000 to $3,000. We anticipate offering multiple awards this cycle to encourage broad participation.

Award Distribution

GSRAs, Postdoctoral Research Fellows and non-Faculty Researchers recipients will receive their award via the payroll system. Faculty recipients will have their award transferred to their discretionary research account in their primary unit.

Please note that notification of award status will be sent to applicants before the end of March. Acceptance of an application to the MIDAS AI Journeys presentation will be communicated before Feb. 27. A presentation invitation is not contingent upon receiving the Empowering Research with AI award.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated on:

  • Innovation: Novelty and creativity in the application, development, or assessment of AI.
  • Rigor and responsibility: The appropriateness of AI use within the specific research context.
  • Impact: Demonstrated and potential of the work to inform the use of AI in research broadly, advance research or solve significant problems.
  • Clarity: Well-organized, compelling narrative.
  • Alignment: Relevance to AI

Application Instructions

As part of your application, please upload a narrative of up to 1,000 words that highlights how you use  AI within your research project or how you evaluate its relevance to your research. Your narrative should clearly describe the role of AI in your work, whether you are using it to enhance research methods, analyze data, automate complex tasks, or as the central focus of your investigation (for example, developing new AI techniques, studying the impact or ethics of AI, or assessing AI’s opportunities and challenges within your field).

Your narrative should address the following points:

  • Project Overview: Briefly introduce your research project, outlining its aims, significance, and the broader context within your discipline.
  • Assessment and Integration of AI: Explain how AI is utilized or incorporated into your research. Specify the AI tools, models, processes, or methodologies you are employing, and clarify whether AI represents a new component of an ongoing project or is central to a new initiative.
  • Innovation and Impact: Highlight the innovative aspects of your project related to AI, and discuss the potential impact on your field, the university, or society at large.
  • Challenges and Opportunities: Discuss key challenges (technical, ethical, logistical) that you had to address in your adoption.
  • Interdisciplinary and Collaboration: You should list all personnel who have directly contributed to the project (anyone who you would list as a co-author in a publication). If applicable, describe how your project fosters interdisciplinary collaboration or engages with colleagues, labs, or departments across the university.
  • Foundational Role of AI: Projects should demonstrate that AI is not merely incidental but is foundational to the research objectives, outcomes, or processes. Proposals must clearly articulate how AI contributes meaningfully to the originality, rigor, and potential impact of the research.
  • Achievements: Highlight any significant achievements resulting from your project, such as publications, manuscripts, software products, or other notable outcomes.

For an application to be considered, it must meet the following criteria:

  • Relevance to Ongoing Research: The application must be directly related to an ongoing or finished project. This award is not for projects that are still in the planning stage.
  • Significant Use of AI: AI must be considered as part of the project in a meaningful way, either as a research tool or as the core focus of the investigation. This includes, but is not limited to, projects in which:
    • AI serves as a primary tool for data analysis, modeling, simulation, prediction, or experimental design.
      Examples include using machine learning algorithms to analyze large datasets, deploying AI-driven models for hypothesis testing, employing natural language processing for text analysis, or leveraging computer vision for interpreting image or video data.
    • AI technologies are integrated into the development or enhancement of research methodologies, instruments, or protocols.
      Examples include creating new AI-based analytical techniques, incorporating AI tools into laboratory workflows, or developing custom AI applications or pipelines to address domain-specific research challenges.
    • The research aims to investigate, develop, or critique AI itself.
      Examples include advancing the theoretical understanding of AI developing novel AI algorithms or architectures; assessing the ethical, social, or policy impacts of AI; studying AI safety or fairness, or exploring human-AI collaboration.
    • AI is used to generate new insights, automate complex tasks, or enable innovative approaches that would be otherwise impractical or impossible.
      Examples include automating repetitive or labor-intensive research tasks, uncovering patterns and relationships in data at an unprecedented scale, or facilitating cross-disciplinary research through intelligent systems.