AI funding boosts Cornell CALS research projects

By Blake Jackson

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University is inviting faculty members to apply for funding to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) in their research and innovation projects.

The funding, offered through the college's Research and Innovation Office (RIO) in partnership with the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station, will support faculty in various stages of AI development, from grant proposal writing to product commercialization and community engagement.

“This is a unique seed grant, spanning basic research to translational research to product development, and from natural sciences to social sciences,” said Xingen Lei, professor of animal science and nutritional sciences and associate dean of RIO. “Our strategic focus on AI in this seed grant supports the CALS Roadmap to 2050 moonshot priorities and involves areas where we have strong faculty expertise and interest.”

Funded projects will leverage AI to address key areas such as controlled-environment agriculture, sustainable protein production, improving health and preventing disease, circular economy, and empowering society for information acquisition and filtering.

RIO, established one year ago, aims to empower faculty to compete for large grants and support innovation and commercialization of their discoveries.

In 2023, RIO awarded over $400,000 in seed grant funding to 16 faculty-led projects.

Marius Weigert, director of innovation and engagement at RIO, emphasizes the importance of bridging the gap between academia and business. He provides faculty with concrete tools for commercialization, including connections with investors and industry.

Weigert has extensive experience in fostering collaborations and securing research funding, as demonstrated by his role in establishing the Hemp Research Consortium.

Tiffany Fleming, director of research development for RIO, works with faculty to identify and compete for large federal and private funding opportunities. She emphasizes the importance of combining individual research projects into larger, interdisciplinary initiatives to attract funding from agencies like the USDA and NIH.

Proposal submissions for this year's seed grants are due September 30. Awardees will be notified in mid-October, and funding will be available November 1.

Photo Credit: cornell-university