UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The 2020 industryXchange, an annual University-wide event hosted by Penn State's College of Engineering and focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), is now soliciting interdisciplinary research seed grant proposals from across the University. The inaugural seed grant call, named Multi-Disciplinary Research Seed Grants, aims to promote application-specific technology development in AI and ML.
A total of five faculty research teams will be awarded up to $50,000 each.
The IndustryXchange event brings together industry, Penn State faculty and government agencies, to jointly explore collaboration opportunities for research and student engagement.
The 2020 industryXchange, which was originally scheduled for May 27-28, has been postponed to fall (exact dates to be announced) out of an abundance of caution, given the growing concerns about the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The University’s ultimate goal is to maintain the health and safety of the community. Please monitor Penn State’s COVID-19 website for the most recent updates.
The seed grants will fund research that stimulates application-specific development in AI and ML in five areas: cybersecurity, energy, health care, manufacturing and transportation. The goal of these grants is to increase the competitiveness of faculty in attracting high-impact funding from the state and federal government, industry, and/or foundations. The proposal cycle will fund the five seed grants with a start date of June 2020.
The one-year seed grants will help support research teams, with two or more faculty members from at least two colleges or campuses, in each of the five areas.
“We’re excited to offer a new pathway for interdisciplinary teams to further AI and machine learning research,” said Justin Schwartz, Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering. “We hope these seed grants will blossom into fruitful collaborations across academic fields while also pollinating partnerships with industry and government.”
Faculty members that are partnered with industrial researchers to conduct industry-relevant research that has a strong potential for direct funding from the company and/or for joint proposals to state or federal government agencies are eligible to apply for this seed grant.
The deadline for submission is 5 p.m. April 30. To submit your proposal, click here. Questions regarding this proposal solicitation may be directed to Priya Baboo, pzb104@psu.edu.