The Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland (AIM) invites applications for its 2026-2027 AIM Fellows Program. The AIM Fellows program is designed to support senior scholars across fields who are interested in the intersection of their work and AI. The program aims to foster projects that consider the applications of AI in alignment with AIM’s four key areas of focus: accessibility, sustainability, justice, and learning. 

AIM Fellows are accomplished researchers, scholars, creatives, intellectuals, and practitioners whose work advances AI knowledge, practice, and public understanding. AIM Fellows will participate in an interdisciplinary community that values collaboration, experimentation, and impact and that pushes intellectual and creative boundaries. Fellows projects will draw upon their own backgrounds and consider innovative approaches to AI by introducing and reimagining systems, methods, frameworks while also offering fresh perspectives on contemporary and historical challenges. We invite applications from scholars and practitioners across disciplines and fields, pursuing bold original projects that address urgent social and policy questions around AI that resonate with audiences both in and out of academic settings, with a particular focus on AIM’s four pillars.

Applications should include:

1. Online Application Form (Applications will be available in early January)
2. A Project Proposal containing the following information (no more than 2 pages):
   1. Project Title
   2. Primary Investigator Contact Information. Name, title, affiliation, email address
   3. Name of potential sponsors/collaborators at the University of Maryland (minimum of 2)
   4. Project Motivation: Describe why this project is important to the field and society, explaining the challenges it seeks to address and the broader impact.
   5. Project details, methods, and contribution: Provide details about the specific project the Fellow will work on during their time at UMD. Describe the methods, approach, and timeline for each phase of the project.
   6. Fellow Contributions: Detail the specific expertise and role of the proposed Fellow in advancing the project. Highlight how their background and experience will uniquely contribute to the success of the initiative and how hosting the AIM Fellow aligns with AIM’s mission and focus areas.
   7. Interdisciplinary Engagement: Outline how the Fellow will engage with faculty, students, and departments across the university to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and introduce diverse perspectives to the project.
   8. Expected Outcomes: Describe the anticipated results of the project, including advancements in AI teaching and research, research publications, new courses, community/industry partnerships, and measurable impacts on students, faculty, and the broader UMD community.
   9. Sustainability and Long-Term Vision: Provide a plan for sustaining the project’s momentum beyond the fellowship period, including potential sources of external funding, collaborations, and future initiatives inspired by the Fellow’s work.
   10. Institutional Impact: Outline the anticipated contributions of the Fellow to UMD’s AI ecosystem, including how their work will enhance AI teaching, research, or innovation at UMD and advance AIM’s broader goals.
3. Curriculum Vitae highlighting relevant experience, accomplishments, and prior work.
4. Budget and Resource Allocation. Provide a detailed budget outlining how funds will be utilized to support the fellow’s residency, including salary, relocation, travel, and any additional resources required for their work. AIM will provide a maximum of $50,000.
5. Impact and Engagement Statement describing how the project addresses pressing AI-related issues that relates to at least one of AIM’s four pillars and how the applicant plans to engage audiences beyond traditional academic or professional settings.
6. Representative Work Samples (no more than 2) that demonstrate the quality and originality of the applicant’s AI-related work. This could include articles, book chapters, conference papers, creative work (e.g., graphic art, photography, creative non-fiction, or other artistic projects). Works-in-progress are encouraged.
7. Information for 3 References who can speak to the applicant’s qualifications and the promise of the proposed project.