AIM Course Development Grants

General Information

In Spring 2024, UMD launched the Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland (AIM), bringing together AI experts across campus to focus on responsible, ethical development and use of the technology to advance public good in industry, government and society. Given the rapid pace of AI development, a core part of AIM’s mission is to reimagine learning in the face of these drastic changes through the introduction of four new interdisciplinary programs, including Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Artificial Intelligence. Students across all majors will learn the principles of AI and how they apply to their field of study.

To continue to build our programs and offer a rich array of courses to University of Maryland students, AIM is pleased to announce the availability of course development funds for courses that fit into one of three tracks: AI + X; New AI Course Development; and Pathway to AI. Each track this year has different requirements and we encourage those interested to read carefully each of the track requirements to see which best fits their idea.

  • December 1, 2025: Course Development Grant Application Opens
  • February 16, 2026: Course Development Grant Applications Due
  • On or around April 28, 2026: Recipients notified of decisions
  • May 29, 2026: Deadline for recipients to send their USource number and Business Manager contact to aim@umd.edu and Alyssa Ryan at aneuner@umd.edu
  • Funds will be disbursed prior to July 1, 2026.

Interested faculty may only be PI or co-PI on one course development grant.

  • Track 1: AI + X (Total Award up to $10,000) The intention of an AI + X course is to develop a catalog of courses that demonstrate a tangible application of AI within specific major, disciplines, and interdisciplines; build a spectrum of courses allowing students to develop progressively deeper AI skills within their major(s); and equip students with hands-on skills or critical understanding to use AI tools for data analysis, modeling, or creation of artifacts relevant to their educational and career paths.
  • Track 2: New AI Course Development (Total Award up to $10,000). This track would support the development of new courses that directly align with and strengthen one of the Institute's existing pillars (accessibility, sustainability, learning, and social justice). The course should address an identified gap in the current curriculum. The New AI Course Development grant is different from AI + X in that it centers a societal problem and draws from multiple disciplines, theories, methodologies, etc. to address it.
  • Track 3: Pathway to AI (Total Award up to $50,000). The Pathway to AI course would broaden the university-wide understanding of what AI is, how it works, and its past, present and future (potential) impact; create an accessible AI “on-ramp” for all students regardless of discipline; and be suitable for a broad undergraduate audience with potential eligibility for general education credit. We are looking for a team of 3 faculty (at least 1 PTK faculty member and 1 TTK faculty member) to develop such a foundational interdisciplinary AI course.

Course development grant awardees will receive notification of their award on or around April 28, 2026. Each awardee will receive an official letter indicating the award amount and disbursement timeline. Different from last year, awards will be disbursed prior to June, 2026.

Awardees are required to submit a syllabus no later than December 2026 and participate in a Spring 2027 Research and Learning Showcase. By accepting the course development grant award, recipients acknowledge and accept the submission of their materials by December 2026.

Use of funds: Funds may be used for faculty summer salary, graduate student support, course material acquisition, software licensing, development of open educational resources (OER), or stipends for guest speakers. Funds may not be used for faculty academic year salary or course buyouts. If you have any questions about how funds can be used, please email aim@umd.edu.

In their second year, 15 proposals for AI-focused courses were awarded grants for the 2026-2027 academic year.

In the inaugural year, 7 proposals for AI-focused courses were awarded grants for the 2025-2026 academic year. Though the tracks changed for the second year of the grant cycle, these courses still embody AIM's interdisciplinary mission and vision.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I submit a proposal for a Course Development Grant and a Research SEED Award?

Absolutely! We strongly encourage people to submit proposals for both.

Can proposals be for co-taught courses?

Yes. If you are applying for a co-taught course, indicate the reasons for doing so as well as how the department offering the course will support the collaboration.

Does the PI need to be the instructor of record for the course the proposal is for?

No. If there is a strong rationale for the PI to be another person, the proposal will still be considered.

Are you open to funding courses that do not intersect with AIM focus areas or General Education requirements?

We would consider strong proposals for courses that are interdisciplinary in their approach but do not intersect with AIM focus areas or general education requirements; however, we are interested in courses that do.

Am I required to have a guarantee for matching funds to be considered for a course development grant?

No. Course development grant applicants are not required to submit a guarantee of matching funds or have matching funds to be considered.

If I need to adjust my budget after my course development grant application is accepted, am I able to do so?

Yes. If the course development grant required a budget and was accepted, you are able to submit a readjustment to the budget as long as the fundamental premise of the proposal does not change. We understand planned expenses change and are committed to working with awardees should unexpected circumstances occur.

What is the deadline for deliverables and what are they?

The only deliverable for the course development grant is the course syllabus. The syllabus for the course is due no later than the last day of the fall semester in December of 2026 (Friday, December 11th).

Are there any reporting requirements?

We do not request course development grant recipients to submit any reports between the course being awarded a grant and the semester the course is offered. We also do not require budgetary expense reports.

How am I able to use the course development grant funds?

Funds may be used for faculty summer salary, graduate student support, course material acquisition, software licensing, development of open educational resources (OER), or stipends for guest speakers. Funds may not be used for faculty academic year salary or course buyouts.

When do funds need to be expended?

We ask that funds be expended no later than the last day of the semester in which the course is being offered.

When is the Spring 2027 Research and Learning Symposium?

AIM is spending the summer developing our academic year 2026-2027 calendar of events and when we have more information about the date of the spring 2027 research and learning symposium, we will notify all recipients. What we have done in the past, in addition to a formal email, is send a calendar invitation via Google calendar to recipients so the date is held. We then follow up with the course development grant recipients directly about the style of presentation. This past symposium we did a panel specifically for course development grant recipients but, with 15 recipients this year, we are going to be rethinking the structure and format.

Questions?