Limited Submission Opportunity: 2024 NEH Humanities Research Centers on Artificial Intelligence

Applications due September 19, 2024

Vanderbilt University may submit one application to the NEH Humanities Research Centers on Artificial Intelligence opportunity.

Overview

The Humanities Research Centers on Artificial Intelligence program aims to support a more holistic understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) in the modern world through the creation of new humanities research centers on artificial intelligence at eligible institutions. Centers must focus their scholarly activities on exploring the ethical, legal, or societal implications of AI. NEH is particularly interested in projects that explore the risks of AI-related technologies on truth, trust, and democracy; safety and security; and privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.

Applications must propose to create a Center with a specific research focus related to the ethical, legal, or societal implications of AI. A Center is a sustained collaboration among multiple scholars focused on exploring the humanities implications of AI through two or more related scholarly activities. Appropriate activities may include, but are not limited to:

• collaborative research and writing efforts
• workshops or lecture series
• education and mentoring
• the creation of digital tools to increase or advance scholarly discourse about AI

Competitive Centers typically identify a specific topical, methodological, or disciplinary lens through which to focus their efforts. NEH particularly encourages Centers interested in equity, privacy, and civil-rights topics. Centers should aim to advance humanities research on their chosen topic beyond the period of the grant

Centers should leverage the visionary nature of their research to promote a more informed public discourse about AI through education and outreach efforts and to actively build the next generation of scholars. Centers are encouraged to include educational and public programming to increase AI literacy at the K-12 as well as college and university levels. Centers are also encouraged to enhance public awareness of humanities perspectives on AI.

Existing AI research centers are not eligible in this competition. NEH welcomes international collaboration, but scholars at U.S. institutions must contribute significantly to the project.

Outcomes and performance indicators

Applications must propose outcomes that contribute to the creation and long-term development and sustainability of the Humanities Research Center, as well as its research profile. All project outcomes must address the Center’s chosen thematic focus and convey interpretive humanities work.

Projects must result in a leadership structure, a mission statement, and an institutional plan for long-term sustainability by the end of the first year of the period of performance. In addition to establishing the Center, projects must produce at least two deliverables during the grant period. Additional deliverables may include, but are not limited to:

• a lecture series, workshops, colloquia, summer institutes, or similar convenings
• digital infrastructure for enabling multi-disciplinary or multi-institutional research about the humanistic implications of AI
• curriculum development or training courses for AI literacy in the humanities
• multi-authored books, peer-reviewed articles in academic journals, educational materials, or articles for the general public

Award Information

Proposals may request up to $500,000, (with a maximum of $200,000 per year) plus an additional $250,000 in federal matching funds. This includes the sum of direct and indirect costs.

Allowable costs include, but are not limited to, salary replacement; compensation of collaborators, post-doctoral students, consultants, and research assistants; fringe benefits; the purchase of computing equipment or software; and travel, lodging, and per diem costs for lecturers or convening participants.

Proposals may request a period of performance up to 36 months with a start date between October 1, 2025, and September 1, 2026.

See the full NOFO for more information.

Internal Application Instructions

Interested faculty should visit https://vanderbilt.infoready4.com/#freeformCompetitionDetail/1950594  to submit an application for the internal LSO competition and to find additional information about the opportunity.  The deadline for the internal competition is September 19, 2024.

**Please Note*** The required application materials below closely match those required by NEH for the optional draft due to the sponsor by Oct. 2, 2024. Although there are more required responses here than the typical LSO application, the total ~1000 word max on the application materials is very similar in length to a standard internal LSO application.

Required internal submission materials include:

1. Letter of support from department chair/center director/other
2. CV/Resume
3. Project Description

Project descriptions should include the following:

1. 1. Thematic Focus (50 words max): Describe the theme or themes your center will focus on. Competitive Centers typically have a topical, methodological, or disciplinary focus.
   2. Project Director: Name, title, institution
   3. Institutional Context and Collaboration (400 words max): Describe how the Center will fit with its home institution’s mission, culture, and community. Describe any key partnerships with other institutions, communities, or companies. Mention specifically any partnership with or participants from minority-serving institutions, tribal groups, or underserved communities, and the current state of discussions with those groups.
      Provide name, title, institution, and specialties of each key contributor to the setting up and running the Center. Describe the leadership structure and the contributions of the team, with an estimate of how much time they will spend on these activities.
   4. Significance (300 words max): Why does your project need to be a Center, and not (for example) a collaborative research project or curriculum project? State the overall vision and long-range research goals of your Center. Frame the project in the context of existing research on AI and connect it to larger topics in the humanities. Describe the anticipated impact of your Center on the thematic focus and future scholarship.
   5. Proposed Activities (200 words max): Describe your Center’s two or more planned activities (in addition to launching the Center) during the period of performance and who will be responsible for their successful completion. Explain your rationale for choosing these activities
   6. Project Outcomes (100 words max): What are the deliverables your Center will produce? List all anticipated products (essay collections, workshop series, curricular development, etc.) and plans for completion, whether during or after the period of performance. For serial offerings like workshops and lecture series, indicate how many times they will occur. For any digital products, include information on maintenance and sustainability. Please submit this in a bulleted list.
   7. Budget: Briefly summarize the key planned budget line items, for example: Salary offset for Center directors and key personnel; travel and honoraria for speakers in a lecture series; workshop/conference venue costs; administrative support (beyond IDC); fees for technical consultants; equipment and materials.

Any questions about this opportunity or the LSO process may be directed to VU-LSO@vanderbilt.edu.