Chapman University, the Leatherby Libraries and IS&T are taking leadership roles in a forward-thinking new effort to help Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs) like Chapman, responsibly and effectively adopt generative AI. With funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Advancing AI Governance and Implementation at Emerging Research Institutions project will explore how smaller universities – which can have resource constraints not found at larger, R1 research universities – can build the technical infrastructure, staffing, and ethical oversight necessary to leverage AI tools for scientific discovery.
While generative AI holds incredible promise for accelerating research and improving communication, many ERIs face significant challenges such as limited budgets, staffing constraints, and a lack of institutional guidance for ethical and secure AI use. This planning grant aims to identify practical, scalable strategies to overcome those challenges.
In partnership with Montclair State University and ITHAKA S+R, a nonprofit research and consulting organization that helps higher education institutions address strategic challenges through data-driven insights and policy guidance, the project will host two regional workshops, one in New Jersey, and the second hosted here at Chapman University. These workshops will bring together administrators, researchers, librarians, and IT professionals from ERIs and focus on:
- Shared investments in AI software and computing infrastructure
- Collaborative professional development for researchers and support staff
- Innovative staffing models and cross-campus service-sharing
- Development of regional research incubation hubs to foster long-term collaboration
The goal is to lay the foundation for long-term capacity-building and to produce actionable recommendations that ERIs nationwide can use to accelerate their research capabilities.
“We’re very excited to be a part of this NSF-funded collaboration to grapple with the range of challenges and opportunities presented by generative AI technologies,” said Doug Dechow, assistant dean for Library Research and Data Services. “By bringing together other regional ERIs for a meaningful discussion about how to best integrate generative AI into the research enterprise, we can learn from like-minded institutions, and forge a more efficient and effective roadmap for all ERIs to move forward with AI.”
The Chapman University workshop is being planned by Dechow and his IS&T colleague, Jana Remy, assistant vice president, Educational Technology. As a host site and thought partner, Chapman is helping shape the conversation on equitable access to AI tools and infrastructure across higher education. The project aims to deliver a set of actionable recommendations that can empower ERIs nationwide to build lasting research capacity through responsible AI integration.
For more on this initiative, click here.
