UTK announces seed fund for partnerships in AI
Known as AI TechX, the initiative is seeking proposals that will advance partnerships between researchers and industry.
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) has launched a new initiative known as AI TechX. It is the latest offering from AI Tennessee, an interdisciplinary initiative aimed at fostering collaboration between academia and industry to drive innovation in artificial intelligence (AI).
As an AI technology and innovation consortium, AI TechX seeks to bridge the gap between foundational research and real-world applications, catalyzing advancements in AI-driven solutions for industry, workforce development, and economic growth. By integrating expertise across multiple domains, AI TechX enables cutting-edge research, promotes industry engagement, and enhances AI understanding and workforce development.
A central part of the strategy, known as the AI TechX Seed Fund, is soliciting proposals that build collaborative research partnerships between principal investigators from UTK and industry partners. These partnerships should focus on developing AI-driven solutions for industrial challenges while enhancing UTK’s research capabilities and external engagement. Industry partners will also become members of the AI TechX consortium, fostering new opportunities for engagement and gaining access to a broader network of researchers, expertise, and future partnership opportunities.
The applications are open to full-time tenure or tenure-track faculty, or full-time research faculty, with a primary appointment at UTK, the UT Institute of Agriculture, or the UT Space Institute. Exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Up to $60,000 in funding is available for each one-year project that advances research collaborations between UT faculty and industry partners.
Funding may be used for activities such as:
- Facilitating meetings, workshops, and networking events between UT researchers and
industry stakeholders. - Supporting logistics for scheduling, travel, and organization of collaborative discussions.
- Conducting preliminary research to define and scope industry-relevant AI challenges.
- Developing joint proposals for external funding opportunities.
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