By Scott Kemps
Office of the Vice President for Research
Topics: Campus News, Global Engagement, Research
The University of Michigan’s Michigan Institute for Data and AI in Society (MIDAS) has announced the launch of a new global initiative: the Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science African Faculty Fellows Program. With a budget of nearly $6 million, the program seeks to enlist African faculty and researchers who are excellent domain scientists and support them in incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) methods. A number of research organizations based in Africa and at U-M are partnering with MIDAS to help recruit candidates to the program and to connect this program with similar efforts to enable AI for research by Africans and for Africans. The U-M African Studies Center will be the residential host of the African Faculty Fellows and support their professional development in many ways.
MIDAS started the Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science postdoctoral training program in 2022, which has already become a leading program in the world for supporting young researchers applying AI methodologies to tackle significant scientific challenges. This new program underscores the University of Michigan’s commitment to advancing AI research and building global partnerships that drive innovation and address critical scientific challenges, particularly those relevant to Africa. MIDAS has earned a reputation as a leading hub for data science and AI research, fostering innovation and addressing societal challenges. The Institute’s robust portfolio of research, training programs, and partnerships across academia, government, and industry make it an ideal home for this new program.
The African Faculty Fellows program is a sister of the postdoctoral training program and will welcome African researchers, including university faculty or individuals in equivalent roles in African research organizations. Fellows will participate in a two-year program, spending 12 months at the University of Michigan to develop AI skills and research collaboration, and 12 months in Africa to develop AI-enabled research projects and build such research capacity locally.
The African Faculty Fellows will join a collaborative and close-knit research community composed of their hosts, other MIDAS postdoctoral fellows, faculty mentors, and the MIDAS program team. While they are at U-M, the program will also support them to build collaboration with U-M researchers and connect research organizations at U-M and in Africa. The program will also offer AI training opportunities, including summer academies, not just to the Faculty Fellows in the program, but also to African researchers through program partners and the Faculty Fellows’ home institutions. These organizations will also be represented at the AI in Science and Engineering symposium in March 2025.
“MIDAS has earned a reputation as a leading hub for data science and AI research, fostering innovation and addressing societal challenges. ” said H.V. Jagadish, MIDAS director. “The enthusiasm for this program that we have already seen from our faculty, campus units, and our collaborators in Africa is also a great asset for this program. We have every bit of confidence in the program’s success.”
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