The CU System Artificial Intelligence (AI) Recognition Award: AI for Scholarly and Creative Work honors faculty whose innovative use of artificial intelligence leads to compelling outcomes in their scholarly and creative work and demonstrates meaningful impact on their field. By acknowledging and rewarding impactful applications of AI in scholarship and creative practice, the University of Colorado System aims to cultivate a culture of innovation among its faculty.
Eligibility
Eligible nominees include full-time CU tenured or tenure-track faculty and full-time research professor track faculty. Any member of the university community may submit a nomination, and self-nominations are allowed.
Award Amount
Recipients will receive a one-time honorarium of $4,000. If a pair or team of faculty receive an award, the amount would be shared among the team members.
Number of Awards
Up to twelve awards can be given each year.
Nomination Requirements
Nominations must contain the following information and adhere to the following format.
- Cover Sheet, which includes (one page):
- project title;
- nominee’s name, position title, campus, department, phone number, and email address (If more than one nominee, include information for each);
- indicate faculty title (only full-time CU tenured or tenure-track faculty or full-time research professor track faculty are eligible to apply);
- indicate whether this is a nomination or self-nomination; and,
- brief description of the work being recognized
- Nomination Narrative, which includes (three pages or less):
- a description of how AI was used in the nominee’s scholarly and creative work that is being recognized;
- the measure(s) of the impact AI had on the scholarly and creative work outcomes;
- the impact of the specific AI application beyond the specific work of the nominee; and,
- a description of how the AI use opens new opportunities for scholarly or creative work by the nominee,
- CV (abbreviated, no more than two pages)
- Supporting Letters
- There must be at least one supporting letter from a scholar in the field (not a co-investigator) and one from a department/school/college leader.
- No more than three supporting letters are allowed.
Selection Process
A system-wide advisory committee, comprised of accomplished scholars from across the campuses, will review proposals and submit its recommendation to the president. The committee will convene in April and award notifications will be emailed by April 17, 2026.
Post Award Reporting
Recipients will be required to generate a poster describing their work and present it at an in-person celebration of the honorees, and the poster will be digitally hosted on the CU System Office of Academic Affairs website. Additionally, recipients will be required to present a seminar on their work for their campus.
Recognition Event
An in-person celebration of the honorees and a sharing of their work will take place in early May 2026.
Nomination Form
Nominate by March 30, 2026