Open Call for projects

Open Call

Accelerating Responsible, Acceptable Applied AI

The Applied AI Institute (AI2) at Concordia University is coordinating a Mitacs Umbrella program to support collaborative research projects in applied AI involving Concordia faculty, industry partners incorporated in Canada, and Concordia students, postdocs, or recent graduates. 

Applications are evaluated on a rolling basis based on project alignment with the Mitacs Umbrella Program: Accelerating Responsible, Acceptable Applied AI.  

Our program has three main areas of focus:

1. Barriers to AI acceptability including sustainability, bias, safety, and disparate impacts as well as solutions for change management;
2. Responsible AI adoption that produces meaningful policies and best practices in AI design, development, and deployment;
3. Public-benefit applications of AI in key sectors (e.g., civil service, health, construction, finance, education, sustainability, entertainment) that enhance public trust, scale up productivity gains, and deliver palpable benefits to society.

Projects funded through Accelerating Responsible, Acceptable Applied AI receive stackable Mitacs Accelerate internship units, valued at $15,000 each, supporting a 4-month student internship. Of this, $7,500 is contributed by the industry partner and matched by Mitacs. $10,000 must be directed toward the student stipend. Post-docs can be hired at a rate of $20,000 per unit. 

Multiple units can be requested depending on scope, duration, and number of students involved.   

The partner contribution must be secured in advance. Indigenous-led organizations may qualify for a reduced contribution, subject to Mitacs approval. 

To be eligible, projects must: 

• Align with the areas of focus of this initiative
• Include a confirmed Canadian-incorporated industry partner who contributes 50% of the funds.  
• Support undergraduate or graduate student training, or training of recent graduates
• Demonstrate clear outcomes and feasibility

• 2 weeks - AI2 pre-screening: Applications are reviewed internally to ensure alignment with areas of focus and eligibility. Successful candidates advance to the next stage.
• 2-4 weeks - Mitacs review and full application: Selected applicants are invited to complete the full Mitacs application. The application is reviewed internally by Mitacs. The industry partner is contacted to confirm participation and submit their contribution.

Professors or industry partners can request funding through this form. AI2 can assist with the search for subject matter experts. Applications are evaluated on a rolling basis.