September 17, 2020

VUMC Limited Submission Opportunity: NSF National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes; applications due Sept. 24

VUMC: These instructions are for VUMC investigators. VU investigators should apply through InfoReady and address any questions to VU-LSO@vanderbilt.edu.

Overview:

VUMC may submit only 2 applications as the Lead for the NSF National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Institutes: Accelerating Research, Transforming Society, and Growing the American Workforce program.

 Artificial Intelligence (AI) has advanced tremendously and today promises personalized healthcare; enhanced national security; improved transportation; and more effective education, to name just a few benefits. Increased computing power, the availability of large datasets and streaming data, and algorithmic advances in machine learning (ML) have made it possible for AI research and development to create new sectors of the economy and revitalize industries.

The National AI Research Institutes program enables longer-term research and U.S. leadership in AI through the creation of AI Research Institutes. AI Research Institutes are coherent multidisciplinary groups of scientists, engineers and educators appropriate for a large-scale, long-term research agenda for the advancement of AI and the fielding of AI-powered innovation in application sectors of national importance. The multidisciplinary nature of these Institutes will catalyze foresight and adaptability beyond what is possible in single research projects.

Each Institute will be comprised of multiple organizations working together to create significant new research capabilities. AIl Institutes are nexus points for collaborative efforts, creating an organization that encourages the continuing growth of collaborations with external partners to bring together people, ideas, problems, and technical approaches for maximum impact.

This program solicitation invites proposals for full institutes that have a principal focus in one or more of the following themes:

  • Theme 1: Human-AI Interaction and Collaboration
  • Theme 2: AI Institute for Advances in Optimization
  • Theme 3: AI and Advanced Cyberinfrastructure
  • Theme 4: Advances in AI and Computer and Network Systems
  • Theme 5: AI Institute in Dynamic Systems
  • Theme 6: AI-Augmented Learning
  • Theme 7: AI to Advance Biology
  • Theme 8: AI-Driven Innovation in Agriculture and the Food System 

AI Research Institutes will:

  • Advance foundational AI research that will have broad and lasting impact, adding significant new knowledge and understanding to the disciplinary areas associated with the definition of AI specified above.
  • Conduct use-inspired research that both informs foundational AI advances and drives innovations in related sectors of science and engineering, segments of the economy, or societal needs.
  • Actively build the next generation of talent for a diverse, well-trained workforce.

Eligibility

·      An organization may submit no more than two proposals to this solicitation as lead institution. However, participating as a non-lead organization in an Institute proposal does not count toward this limit.

·      An individual may be designated as senior personnel (which includes but is not limited to PI or co-PI) on at most one project team submitting to this solicitation. In the event that an individual exceeds this limit, proposals will be accepted based on earliest date and time of proposal submission, i.e., the first proposal will be accepted, and the remainder will be returned without review.

 Award Information

This solicitation will support cooperative agreements of between $16,000,000 and $20,000,000 for between four and five years ($4,000,000 per year on average). Proposals outside this range may be returned without review. Institute proposals must convey clear and concrete plans for foundational AI research, use-inspired motivation and technology transition opportunities, the education and workforce development activities to be undertaken, and plans for multidisciplinary research community building appropriate to the proposed Institute's vision and mission.

 In this round of Institutes, proposals are being solicited in the 8 high-priority areas. Submissions MUST have as a principal focus one or more of the listed themes. It is advisable that a proposal address multiple themes only in cases where significant activity is planned in the six desiderata for Institutes for each theme addressed. See the solicitation for more information.

Internal Application Process:

Eligible faculty interested in being one of VUMC’s nominees must submit the following (in a single PDF) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu  by 5 p.m. on September 24: 

 1.     Brief (2-page maximum) research plan including summary budget;

2.     Letter of support from department chair/center director;

3.     NIH Biosketch or 5-page CV

 Submissions should reference the program name in the subject line of the email. Any questions about this opportunity or the LSO process may be directed to LSO@vanderbilt.edu.