aiX Faculty Fellowship Program
Call for applications for the aiX Faculty Fellowship Program, supporting faculty in exploring and critically examining what the rise of AI means for their own fields and professional practices, and developing an AI Education project contextualized within their own discipline. This program is a faculty-led initiative in the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement.
aiX Faculty Fellowship Program
- Application Deadline: November 24, 2025 5:00 PM ET.
- Notification: December 15, 2025.
- Bootcamp and Program Kick-Off: mid-late January (TBD), 2026.
Apply Now » · Chair/Division Head Survey »
Table of Contents
Why aiX?
Funded by a grant from Google, co-sponsored by the Data Science Institute and the Center for Teaching and Learning, the aiX Faculty Fellowship Program supports faculty across disciplines (arts, natural and social sciences, engineering, humanities, medicine and health, business, climate, journalism, law, social work, etc) in exploring and examining what AI means for the scholarship and professional practices within their discipline, and developing an AI Education project contextualized within their own discipline. Led by a devoted team, the program creates space for inquiry, experimentation, and collaboration around AI’s implications for teaching, research, and knowledge creation.
Through aiX, also a cross-disciplinary eXchange, faculty fellows share ideas, learn from one another, and collectively address opportunities and challenges that AI presents within and across disciplines. The program will connect with other AI education efforts on campus, including the work of DSI’s education working group, the Collaboratory Program, CTL’s teaching with AI intiative, and many more.
What Fellows Will Do
aiX Fellows will:
- Organize and lead discussions, planning, experiments, and projects that explore and address AI’s impact in their discipline from the perspective of AI education.
- Engage in cross-disciplinary exchange, collectively evaluate and develop tools, case studies, and ethical frameworks.
- Participate in a kick-off bootcamp on AI literacy and curricular reform design, followed by bi-weekly check-ins and collaborative sessions with other fellows.
- Present outcomes through a public share event and submit a final report for leadership.
What Fellows Receive
Each fellow will receive:
- One student AI education development intern (recruited from data-science disciplines) for 10 hours/week and 24 weeks during Spring and Summer.
- $1,000 project grant for research or implementation expenses.
- Centralized consultation and office hours with the aiX team.
- Peer collaboration with other fellows and emerging project clusters.
- Option to assemble a small team of colleagues/peers from their department or neighboring disciplines to extend impact.
Program Deliverables
- A defined AI Education project or pilot addressing AI’s implications for teaching, research, or professional practice.
- Participation in the aiX Bootcamp on AI literacy and program design (January 2026).
- Public share event (presentation/demo; May 2026) near program end.
- Final report with outcomes, lessons learned, and recommended next steps.
Program Timeline
| Important Dates | Key Activities |
|---|---|
| November 3, 2025 | Application opens. |
| November 24, 2025 | Application and Chair Survey due 5 PM ET. |
| December 15, 2025 | Fellow selection notifications sent with instructions on bootcamp preparation. |
| Mid-late January, 2026 | Bootcamp + onboarding |
| Jan–Feb | Fellowship design and bi-weekly check-ins. |
| Feb–Apr | Fellowship implementation and bi-weekly check-ins. |
| Apr–May | Evaluation; public share event; final report(s). |
| June–August | Second Iteration. |
Application
Eligibility
All full-time officers of instruction are welcome to apply. The program welcomes proposals from any department, division, or school whose work intersects with, and/or is impacted by, AI.
Application Materials
1. Online Application Form
- Applicant information.
- Current curriculum vitae
- Prior experiences with AI and curricular update/reform
- A short statement on why you are interested in this fellowship program and what you would like to learn, build, and design as a fellowship project.
- Team members and any neighboring disciplines that would benefit from the fellowship project.
- Resource needs and how the intern will be utilized.
2. Support Letter
Upload a standard support letter from your department chair/division head confirming:
- The unit supports your application, and
- The unit will implement the proposed project if you are selected as a fellow.
(A simple one-page PDF following this template on department letterhead is sufficient.)
3. Chair/Division Head Survey (Unit-level)
Your chair or division head must complete one brief survey covering all applicants from the unit.
- The survey captures unit priorities, anticipated supports/constraints, and alignment with broader curricular or research goals.
Important Application Links
Review & Selection
- Applications are reviewed for disciplinary impact, cross-disciplinary connections, feasibility, and long-term value beyond the fellowship period.
- Disciplines relevant to ensuring the responsible and ethical development and deployment of AI (e.g, AI ethics, trustworthiness principles, fairness, governance, and risk management) are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Priority may be given to applications from units with limited resources, urgent needs for curricular reform, and strong leadership buy-in for scaling a pilot.
Expectations & Participation
- Attend the Bootcamp (mid-late January) and bi-weekly check-ins through the term (Spring 2026).
- Collaborate with your assigned student intern and the aiX team.
- Share progress at the public share event and submit the final report.
Questions
For questions about scope, fit, or logistics, contact tian.zheng@columbia.edu or sign up for advisory meetings during the application period.
Quick Links
