Friday, Aug. 23, 2024—The University of Utah’s One-U Responsible Artificial Intelligence Initiative (One-U RAI) this week launched two programs to drive progress in its thematic areas. The faculty fellows and distinguished visitors programs will fund experts working to harness AI for the betterment of the environment, healthcare and wellness, and teaching and learning—areas where the U has deep research strengths.

“These programs will bring together the best talent and build strong, cross-disciplinary teams of responsible AI researchers to advance initiative goals,” said Manish Parashar, director of One-U RAI and the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute.

The programs represent an important next step for One-U RAI, said Mitzi Montoya, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. "Awardees' ideas and real-world solutions will help make the U a regional and national leader in responsible AI," Montoya said.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to attend the One-U RAI Inaugural Symposium on Sept. 23 to learn more about the initiative. “The symposium is the perfect chance for applicants to meet the researchers and professionals steering the initiative and understand what we’re looking for,” Parashar said.

Faculty Fellows

Each year, One-U RAI will name three to five faculty fellows representing some of the U’s top talent in responsible AI from across disciplines. The fellows will receive an annual stipend to pursue responsible AI research tied to one or more of the thematic areas. Projects, for example, could foster sustainable development, use de-identified biomedical data to improve patient care, or develop virtual teaching assistants to enhance student learning. Awards last three years with opportunity for renewal.

Read more and apply by Oct. 1

Distinguished Visitors

One-U RAI will invite one to five prominent visitors from academia, government, or industry each year to stimulate discussion, build collaborations, and advance research around responsible AI. “We’re asking faculty members and the greater community to share this program with their networks—we want to host the leading responsible AI voices from across the world,” Parashar said. Activities and honorarium are tied to visit length, which could range from a few days to a year. Applications will be reviewed quarterly, starting in October.

Read more and apply by Oct. 1

About One-U RAI Efforts So Far

President Taylor Randall announced the $100 million One-U RAI in October 2023. “We hope to continue the U’s pioneering legacy by investing to become a national leader in responsible artificial intelligence,” he said last fall. “This research has the potential to unlock solutions to issues that affect Utah, the nation, and the world.” Since then, initiative leaders have defined initial goals and engaged the broader community:

• In February, the One-U RAI appointed a team of nine faculty members from across campus to serve on the executive committee and provide guidance on the initiative’s key components of research expertise, advanced cyber infrastructure, and services and support.
• On May 10, One-U RAI hosted Julia Lane to discuss measuring AI’s impact on the U.S. workforce and economy.
• On June 10, the One-U RAI Industry Partnership Summit convened over 100 people from business, government, and academia to discuss how to develop an AI-ready workforce, provide the data and cyberinfrastructure needed to advance responsible AI projects, create AI policy that safeguards the public without stifling innovation, and more.
• In July, working groups of academics from across campus finalized their multi-month goal of defining the mission and priorities for the initiative’s three thematic areas: environment, healthcare and wellness, and teaching and learning. These reports provided the foundation for the calls for faculty fellows and distinguished visitors.
• On Sept. 23, the One-U RAI Inaugural Symposium will update the U community on initiative progress and provide opportunities to engage with local and national responsible AI experts.