Overview
The Michigan Institute for Data and AI in Society (MIDAS) invites U-M researchers to kick off the 2026-27 academic year at our annual Welcome-Back Social and Faculty Research Pitch, bringing together researchers, students and collaborators from across the university to connect, share ideas and explore new opportunities in data science and AI.
The event will feature short faculty research pitches, with a special focus on researchers who are new to U-M or have joined the MIDAS community within the past year. This is an opportunity to introduce your work, connect with a diverse network of researchers and spark new collaborations across disciplines.
With more than 750 MIDAS faculty affiliates representing schools, colleges and research areas across U-M, this event helps build connections that can lead to new partnerships, funding opportunities and interdisciplinary research. Previous research pitches have helped inspire collaborations supported through initiatives such as MIDAS’s Propelling Original Data Science (PODS) grants.
Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with MIDAS faculty affiliates, researchers and students, learn about upcoming MIDAS programs and initiatives, and discover opportunities for collaboration, funding and training.
All U-M researchers are welcome to attend.
To give a research pitch, presenters must be MIDAS-affiliated faculty members. Register for the event to submit a pitch.
Researchers interested in joining MIDAS can complete the affiliate application form.
Schedule
The annual Welcome back Social and Faculty Research Pitch will be held on Monday, September 14, from 2:00-4:00 PM in Palmer Commons, Great Lakes Room, 100 Washtenaw Ave, Ann Arbor, MI.
Anyone who plans to attend the event (as an audience member or a speaker) should please register.
2026 Speakers
Check back to see who will be presenting!
FAQ
Anyone interested in learning more about, becoming involved in, or meeting new people in the U-M data science and AI research ecosystem, but especially MIDAS-affiliate faculty members, new U-M faculty members and those new to MIDAS, students or postdocs seeking faculty mentors and projects.
Presenters will give a three-minute research pitch, with up to three slides, followed by one question.
Audience members will vote for the “Best Research Pitch” after the presentations.
Attendees will have ample time to network with fellow U-M researchers who share common research interests.
You can present anything you’d like people to know about your research. It could be an overview of your research, or a specific project that needs collaboration or students, or bold ideas that you want feedback about.
Consider the following:
- How do you tell a compelling and clear story?
- What do you want the audience to learn from your pitch?
- How does your story help you achieve your goal of giving a pitch?
Audience members will select the “Best Research Pitch” awards.
Following the event, we will publish all research pitch videos to the MIDAS YouTube channel and website.
Contact Us
We are excited to showcase your research and to help you make connections in our community and across other institutions.
For questions, please contact Nathan Fox, MIDAS AI Scientist, [email protected].