Notre Dame's Data, AI, and Computing (DAC) Initiative, housed under the University's Strategic Initiatives, is soliciting proposals for faculty-led Working Groups that will explore emerging research areas in data, AI, and computing that bring together interdisciplinary teams of faculty and resources to identify promising directions for future research, recruitment, team science, and translational impact in DAC.
From the Call for Proposals:
Through the insights and recommendations generated, DAC aims to:
- Identify areas where Notre Dame can differentiate itself and lead through distinctive strengths and values.
- Create opportunities for building interdisciplinary bridges across colleges, schools, centers, and institutes to amplify collective impact.
- Position Notre Dame to attract external partnerships, funding, and top talent aligned with the Initiative.
Each working group will ideally focus on a specific thematic area (which may be methodological, domain-driven, or societal impact in focus) with the goal of assessing opportunities for institutional leadership and growth. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following key research areas:
- Foundational AI & Next-Generation Computing
- Data-Driven Computational Social Science & Digital Humanities
- Interface of DAC with other Strategic Initiatives
- Health Data & AI
- AI-Enabled Science and Engineering
- RISE (Responsible, Inclusive, Safe and Ethical) AI
All full-time ND faculty are eligible to apply. Each Working Group may have 1–2 faculty leads. Each applicant may serve as a lead on only one working group proposal. Leads of funded Working Groups will nominate 3-6 additional faculty or staff as members of the group. (Only leadership will be considered during proposal review.) Proposed working group members are not required to be affiliates.
The DAC is offering up to $10,000 in funding to support their activities. Proposals are due December 1st, 2025, at 5 PM ET and should be submitted through this form.
Full applications require the following:
- Cover Sheet (1 page)
- Title of working group.
- Working group leads (1-2), including name(s) and department / affiliation.
- Proposed team members (3-6), including name(s) and department / affiliation.
- Working Group Description (2 pages max, single-spaced, 11 pt font)
Please see the CFP for detailed Proposal Requirements and Evaluation Criteria.
Funded working groups will be announced on December 18, 2025.
If you have any questions about this opportunity, you are encouraged to reach out to DAC Research Associate Alexander Thomas (athoma43@nd.edu) or Kevin Gallin (kgallin@nd.edu).