CALL FOR PROPOSALS 2026-27 Cohort

The College of Lifetime Learning is pleased to issue this call for proposals for the Bill Kent Family Foundation AI in Higher Education Fellowship (hereafter, the BKFF AI Fellowship). The BKFF AI Fellowship aims to empower educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) tools into their teaching practices. This fellowship will focus on three key areas: developing class materials, implementing AI in the classroom, and ensuring students learn to use AI responsibly. By participating in this fellowship, educators will enhance their teaching methodologies and contribute to a forward-thinking educational environment at Georgia Tech.

Fellows will work with AI mentors (from previous cohorts or selected AI experts on campus) throughout their fellowship. We anticipate that Fellowship awardees will serve as instructional AI Ambassadors for the Institute, working with colleagues at Georgia Tech and select partner institutions to serve as subject-matter experts and to enhance their capacity to leverage AI in their classrooms.

All submitted fellowship proposals will be reviewed by a selection committee comprising Institute faculty for funding considerations.

Fellowship Activities and Timeline

Fall 2026

• Attend kickoff.
• Begin development of classroom materials.
• Meet with Bill Kent.
• Presenting a Learning Lab session.

Spring 2027

• Begin implementation of AI materials in classes.
• Present at the College of Lifetime Learning symposium.
• Present experiences and outcomes to Fellows.

Summer 2027

• Submit report on outcomes/experiences.

Fall 2027

• Mentor next cohort of Fellows.

Important Details

Eligibility: The fellowship is open to all Academic Professionals and Lecturers (APLs), Professors of Practice, and Tenure-Track Faculty interested in advancing their understanding and application of AI in higher education.

Funding amount: Each fellowship awardee will receive $10,000 to support instructional AI usage and related activities. A subset of funding is explicitly reserved to support administrative Fellowship operations, logistics, and support.

Limitations: Investigators can be PI on only one proposal, but may serve as co-PIs or team members on up to two other proposals.

Salary: Faculty salary support is not encouraged, but will be considered under exceptional circumstances.

Indirect: No indirect costs should be included in budgets. 

Important dates: The submission period runs from May 1 through June 1, 2026. The nominations review period will be June 1, 2026, through June 26, 2026. We anticipate fellowship selection to be announced around July 1, 2026. The performance period for selected fellows will be August 1, 2026, until July 31, 2027.

Proposals: To be eligible for consideration for funding for the BKFF AI Fellowship, applicants must utilize the Institute’s internal competition system (InfoReady) and:

1. Submit a fellowship proposal narrative (2 page maximum) as a PDF file. The proposal narrative must provide a proposed utilization or value-add of AI technologies in instruction, course design, and/or pedagogy, and a proposed approach to student/learner ethical and responsible AI usage.
2. Submit a proposed budget.
3. Upload a current CV.

Please send any requests for additional information to Eric Sembrat.