AI Initiatives | Center for Educational Innovation and Excellence

Overview

The Center for Educational Innovation and Excellence (CEIE) and Office of the Provost invite applications for our AI Curriculum Innovation Grants, designed to inspire faculty, departments, and programs to integrate AI in ways that transform teaching and learning at NJIT. Each grant tier targets different project scopes, from individual course enhancements to institution-wide initiatives, and encourages bold, forward-thinking approaches to reimagining teaching and learning through AI. In addition to fulfilling the criteria of their proposal, each winning applicant is required to participate in educational presentations on workshops coordinated through the CEIE to share their findings and experiences.

Tier 1: Learning with AI Spark Grants ($500) | Spring 2025 implementation

"Ignite small sparks of innovation"

Who should apply? Individual instructors of record looking to explore AI for the first time in their own course and/or with their students.

Purpose: This tier supports small, quick-win projects that can be implemented by the next semester, designed to encourage exploration and experimentation with AI in small but impactful ways. These projects should have clear, achievable outcomes for enhancing classroom experiences with AI that benefit both instructor and student understanding of AI.
Examples: Student use of AI to achieve course learning outcomes while learning about AI, evaluating different AI capabilities with students, exploring use-cases.
Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated by the CEIE Advisory board, and selections will be based on feasibility for next-semester rollout, impact on student engagement or learning, and minimal required resources. Projects should demonstrate measurable results with low setup time.

Timeline:

Submission period for Spring 2025 had ended.

Tier 2: AI Pilot Seed Grants ($2,000 - $10,000) | Fall 2025 Implementation

"Plant the seeds for scalable AI innovation"

Categories:

Instructor/Course Coordinator: For faculty looking to pilot innovative AI-driven tools or methods within a specific course or set of courses they oversee. Coordinators must provide a letter from the Chair indicating approval and support to implement the initiative across sections.
Department/Program: For departments or programs aiming to implement AI across multiple courses, programs, or centers, potentially impacting a broader student cohort. This category does not need to be tied to specific courses or for-credit experiences; anything that impacts students and their educational experience is applicable. If submitting on behalf of a department or program, a letter indicating Chair or Director approval is required.

Purpose: This tier supports projects with the potential to grow. The Pilot Seed Grants require thoughtful planning and provide a foundation for more expansive AI initiatives, allowing faculty and departments to pilot innovative ideas that could lead to major transformations with a larger reach and more extensive implementation.
Examples: These projects might involve: AI to personalize learning pathways, support collaborative student projects, develop assessment tools with adaptive feedback, piloting a peer feedback system powered by AI, or creating content delivery models tailored to student learning styles.
Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be reviewed by the CEIE Advisory Board, and selections will be made based on clear implementation steps and timeline in preparation for the Fall 2025 semester, scalability potential, and a detailed budget plan. This tier encourages interdisciplinary approaches and projects that could be refined and scaled across courses or departments.

Timeline:

Applications Due: February 14, 2025 (Extended!)

Decisions Announced: March 31, 2025

Implementation: Fall 2025 semester

Surveys: End of November, 2025

Tier 3: Transformative Innovation Grants (Rolling, No Funding Cap)

Categories:

Instructor/Course Coordinator: For faculty looking to pilot innovative AI-driven tools or methods within a specific course or set of courses they oversee. Coordinators must provide a letter from the Chair indicating approval and support to implement the initiative across sections.
Department/Program: For departments or programs aiming to implement AI across multiple courses, programs, or centers, potentially impacting a broader student cohort.This category does not need to be tied to specific courses or for-credit experiences; anything that impacts students and their educational experience is applicable. If submitting on behalf of a department or program, a letter indicating Chair or Director approval is required.

Purpose: This top-tier grant is for groundbreaking, forward-thinking projects that reimagine teaching and learning through AI. It is intended for complex, high-impact proposals that may need a longer development timeline or larger resource commitment. Rolling acceptance ensures flexibility for exceptionally innovative ideas that emerge throughout the year.
Examples: Developing an AI-enhanced, fully immersive learning environment, creating a virtual AI teaching assistant to support large-scale courses, or integrating AI to transform student-faculty interactions and collaborative projects.
Evaluation Criteria: Applicants interested in submitting a Tier 3 proposal must meet prerequisite requirements, including attending the AI Innovation workshop during the SP25 semester, as well as scheduling a pitch meeting with the CEIE and Office of the Provost. Proposals must demonstrate transformative potential for AI’s role in education, detailed rollout plans, and well-defined metrics for success. Evaluation will also consider cross-disciplinary impact, sustainability, and innovative use of resources that could set a new standard in teaching and learning practices. This tier of proposals will be evaluated by the CEIE Director and Provost, with input from the CEIE Advisory Board.

Timeline and submission guidelines for Tier 3 grants will be announced in the Spring 2025 semester.