Call for Proposals: MIT Generative AI Impact Consortium

The MIT Generative AI Impact Consortium invites Principal Investigators (faculty, PRS, SRS) from across MIT to submit proposals for innovative projects proposing to study high impact uses of generative AI models.

The goal of the consortium is to enable deep engagement with leading companies across a range of industry sectors to produce results of both practical and fundamental relevance focused on uses, benefits, and challenges of Generative AI. Current founding consortium member companies include: Analog Devices, Coca-Cola, Open AI, SK Telecom, Tata, and TWG Global Holdings.

This call seeks to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, accelerate impactful research, and advance our understanding of generative AI’s transformative potential across diverse domains.

Eligibility
This call is open to all MIT Principal Investigators (PIs). Proposals from multidisciplinary teams spanning multiple schools are highly encouraged.

Submission Guidelines

Proposal Requirements

Each submission must be one PDF, which includes:

Cover page (1 page)

  • Project Title
  • Applicant Information: Names, department affiliations, and contact details of PIs and team members
  • Area (AI for Science, AI for Engineering and Design, AI for Business, AI for Education, AI for Society, other)
  • Summary/Abstract

Proposal Body (up to 5 pages)

  • Objective and Scope: Clear articulation of the problem and relevance to generative AI
  • Methodology: Approach, tools, and techniques to be developed and employed
  • Anticipated Outcomes: Expected results and their implications for the field
  • Broader Impacts: Potential societal, ethical, and industry benefits

Budget (up to 1 page)

  • Short Budget (preferred as table) and Justification

PI/Team qualification for the proposed project (up to 1 page)

  • Experience in similar projects or areas that align with the proposal requirements; required technical, professional, and administrative skills to successfully execute the proposed work or demonstrated record of successful project completions.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be assessed based on:

  • Relevance to the GenAI Consortium’s goals, including innovation, interdisciplinarity, and societal impact
  • Feasibility: Clarity of objectives, achievable milestones, and cost-effectiveness
  • Broader Impact: Potential to address urgent challenges or create transformative opportunities in generative AI

Funding Details

The program has four project classes:

  • Exploratory projects: up to $50,000 focused for example individual PI work
  • Innovation projects: up to $150,000 with student/postdoc focused engagement with one or more PIs
  • Flagship projects: up to $300,000 with multiple students/postdocs and at least two PIs
  • Company directed projects: member companies have the opportunity to directly fund selected projects from above or make special arrangements with the PIs. We highly encourage PIs to attend the info session on Monday, February 10, 4-5 pm in 45-801 to learn about the company interests and make direct connections.

Duration: 12 months, with the possibility of renewal based on project outcomes and impact

Anticipated number of funded projects: For this round, we anticipate funding up to 40 projects and encourage submissions from PIs who have smaller projects. This is in addition to directed projects by the companies.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: an individual may not participate as PI, co-PI, or Senior/Key Personnel in more than two proposals across all project classes

Important Dates

  • Info Session: February 10, 2025, 4-5 pm in 45-801
    Register to attend the info session
  • Full Proposal Submission Deadline: February 28, 2025, 5 pm ET
  • Award Notification: April 14, 2025
  • Project Start Date: June 1, 2025

How to Apply

  • Each proposal should be one PDF file with the name: “GIC Proposal – [Your Project Title] – [PI Last names]”
  • Proposal must be submitted by February 28, 2025, 5 pm ET
submit proposal

Focus Areas

Illustrative topic areas include, but are not limited to:

  • Generative AI in scientific discovery and design
  • Generative AI for engineering (manufacturing, design, food and agriculture, etc.)
  • Applications of Generative AI for business and workforce transformation including manufacturing, finance, software engineering, sports, and creative industries (art, music, design)
  • Generative AI in health and healthcare
  • Generative AI for climate change and the environment
  • Ensuring safety, privacy and equity in Generative AI applications
  • Generative AI in education (e.g., personalized learning and class/teaching support)
  • Generative AI and global policy challenges

Requirements for Funded Projects

  • Attend an inaugural meeting at the project start (tentatively, mid-April)
  • Participate in quarterly check-ins and an annual consortium symposium
  • Engagement with member companies on projects of interest
  • Submit a final report (3-5 pages) outlining results, impacts, and next steps
  • Please note in addition to the budget, projects can request OpenAI API credits and should specify the model(s) that will be used (eg. `gpt-4o-mini’); as well as an estimate of the total number of input tokens and output tokens anticipated in usage of these models towards the research
  • All research results and outcomes produced as part of this project will be made openly available, including through open access and open source licenses, as defined by the Open Source Initiative. Projects with potential subject matter overlap with any other PI grants or commitments will be deemed ineligible. PIs with questions about overlapping grants or commitments or background IP that may be incorporated into the project should direct them to support_genai@mit.edu.

For questions or additional information, contact support_genai@mit.edu.