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Home Division of Research & Innovation News & Impact TNAIR Call for Proposals

TNAIR Call for Proposals

UofM, with support from NSF, Issues Tennessee Applied Artificial Intelligence Research (TNAIR) Call for Proposals

 

The University of Memphis, with support from the National Science Foundation, has established a new GPU supercomputer cluster focused on AI-driven and data-intensive research. This infusion of resources continues the long research track record of the University of Memphis as an applied AI research leader and will open new pathways for the City of Memphis. New developments like xAI’s decision to locate in Memphis represent a new chapter in the University’s role as a national leader in artificial intelligence research.

To foster the next generation of work, the Division of Research and Innovation is inviting proposals that leverage this exciting new resource to advance research across disciplines. The GPU Cluster includes over 100 NVIDIA GPUs and is working to advance inclusive and equitable research that moves key concepts forward.

 

Proposal Submission Requirements
Topics: Proposals may be submitted for any topics but must require computational infrastructure to support the pursuit of research questions. Emphasis is given to projects which conduct preliminary data analysis necessary for the pursuit of federal grant proposals. We encourage projects that can advance critical AI research questions or develop diverse AI applications.

 

Proposals must include:

  • Project Narrative (Up to 2 pages). Project narratives outlining the nature of the research must include the following sections:
    • Innovation
    • Education Plan
    • Broader Impacts
      • Interdisciplinary Engagement and Partnership Strategy
    • External Funding Strategy and Dissemination Plan
  • Budget Narrative (1 page): A brief summary of planned use of funds.
    • Budget narrative categories should confirm to federal budget categories (personnel, fringe, travel, equipment, etc.). Note that indirect costs are not required for internal dollars.
  • Team Member Biographies (a SciENcv NSF / NIH Biosketch of the PI is required)
    • Principal Investigator must be a UofM faculty member. A multidisciplinary team is particularly encouraged.
  • GPU Cluster Utilization Plan (1 page)      
    • Purpose of GPU Usage: Explain why the cluster resources are essential to achieve your research objectives.
    • Technical Requirements: Justifications for the anticipated scale of computing resources (e.g., GPU numbers and hours) needed and any specialized software, or libraries necessary for your project.
    • Data Management Plan: how data will be managed through the project.
 
Budget
Allowable budget expenditure only includes computational computing costs. Costs per hour of use is $0.5 per GPU hour and $0.01 per CPU hour. 

 

Performance Period
Projects should be completed, and all funds expended within 18 months of award. Midterm reports will be due at six months and final reports due within 30 days of end of performance period. Reasonable allowances may be made for job scheduling conflicts that prevent timely completion of the work.

 

Review Criteria
Proposals will be reviewed by university leadership with input from domain experts. Proposals that are successful will be able to both conduct research effectively and build wider momentum for the University as a national leader in the applied AI research space. Proposals should align with the National Science Foundation’s Artificial Intelligence focus area (https://new.nsf.gov/focus-areas/artificial-intelligence) and agency mission.
 
 
Participation and Reporting
Funded projects will work with the Division of Research and Innovation to cultivate a research ecosystem that embraces advanced supply chain. A midterm and final report will be requested which details the nature of the collaborative work being conducted with an emphasis on grant funding pursuit and relationship development to enable network growth. Project teams will be expected to participate in ecosystem development activities during the course of the funding period.

 

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: Jan. 31, 2025

SUBMISSION PORTAL >>

 

Kickoff Workshop
On Dec. 6 from 11:30am – 1:00pm at the FedEx Institute of Technology Room 225, the Division of Research and Innovation will launch the Call for Proposals with Lightning Talks from the researchers who participated in the NSF MRI proposal that funded the GPU. A brief presentation on the call for proposals followed by a question-and-answer session will be included. Please register for the Kickoff here.