A call for proposals out of the Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS) seeks to provide University faculty members with the opportunities to learn new skills and make use of available resources in the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum sciences.
The Faculty Upskilling Fellowships program will provide Penn State tenure-track and tenured faculty members with the opportunity to focus on professional development in areas of AI and quantum by learning the fundamental concepts of each discipline; gaining proficiency with software and hardware; mastering specific algorithms or models; and exploring applications of these disciplines to novel research questions.
Faculty do not have to be within the AI or quantum sciences disciplines to apply.
“This call is open to all Penn State faculty members, including both those with experience in AI and quantum science and those looking to get started incorporating them into their research programs,” said Eric Ford, distinguished professor in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics in the Eberly College of Science and ICDS co-hire. “The program seeks to give faculty members the space to develop new skills in AI or quantum sciences that will add new capabilities to their research programs. Faculty will propose learning plans designed to enable their research groups to harness AI or quantum sciences and become more competitive for future external funding calls.”
Faculty are encouraged to apply by the deadline of 5 p.m. EDT on Monday, July 28. Faculty can submit applications via InfoReady.
Faculty could also request a one-course teaching buyout that will provide the time needed for skill development and intensive learning. The teaching buyout can be used during spring or fall 2026, or spring 2027, contingent upon support from their unit leadership.
Selected faculty can also request funds for activities that contribute to their goals and learning plan such as attending an AI or quantum conference or workshops and training using specific tools, techniques or software. Faculty may also request compute resource credits on ICDS’ Roar Collab cluster, funds for accessing commercial AI tools, or consulting time with the ICDS Research Innovations with Scientists and Engineers (RISE) team.
More information and frequently asked questions can be found on the ICDS website.