Thirteen projects will propel the use of AI in academic research, education, and service.
Stony Brook, NY, Feb 21, 2025 - Thirteen teams of Stony Brook faculty will receive funds this semester from Stony Brook University’s AI Seed Grant Program.
The winning proposals were selected from nearly 50 applications. They will expand Stony Brook’s interdisciplinary work in artificial intelligence, support technical integration of AI into new research projects, and help faculty explore how to continue to integrate AI into education and service.
“Almost every day, we see a new headline about how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing society, and I'm proud to see Stony Brook taking a leadership role in helping guide and shape these developments in powerful, creative, and thoughtful ways,” said Carl W. Lejuez, executive vice president and provost. “We received an astounding variety of proposals that seek to answer deep, multifaceted questions. These projects truly demonstrate how engaged and curious Stony Brook is in the challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence, and I'm eager to see where these new collaborations and explorations lead.”
“It was great to see so many exciting proposals from across the university–my only regret is that we couldn’t fund more of them,” said Steve Skeina, interim AI3 director and SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor.
Launched in October 2024, the program was developed and funded by the Provost’s Office. The Office for Research and Innovation supported the application process and oversaw the committee that reviewed and selected winning proposals.
The grant program, which distributed more than $500,000 across the 13 projects, aims to inspire interdisciplinary collaborations that seek to integrate AI systems to help solve complex societal problems and explore new areas of study.
The winning proposals are:
Collaborative Research in AI
The projects in this track focus on addressing some of the most pressing AI challenges that impact a wide range of industries. By combining the expertise of computational science faculty with specialists from diverse fields such as social and natural sciences, humanities, and engineering, these projects foster interdisciplinary collaborations to develop innovative solutions that can make a real-world impact.
- A Pragmatic Approach to AI for Digital Media Integrity: Combating Complex Misinformation Through Fallacies and Propaganda
Principal Investigator:
Ritwik Banerjee, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS)
Co-Principal Investigator:
Ruobing Li, Associate Professor, School of Communication and Journalism (SoCJ)
- Molecular Foundations for Sustainability: Data Analytics for Sustainable Cellulose Scaffolding Modifications to Remediate Diverse Water Contamination Challenges
Principal Investigator:
Benjamin Hsiao, SUNY Distinguished Professor, Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
Co-Principal Investigators:
Niranjan Balasubramanian, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, CEAS
I. V. Ramakrishnan, Professor and Associate Dean for Research, Department of Computer Science, CEAS
- Novel Clinical Applications of Deep Image Prior-based CT Image Reconstruction
Principal Investigator:
Xin Qian, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Renaissance School of Medicine (RSoM)
Co-Principal Investigators:
Tiezhi Zhang, Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, RSoM
Ziyu Shu, Senior Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Radiation Oncology, RSoM
Zhaozheng Yin, SUNY Empire Innovation Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, CEAS
- Achieving Common Ground Through Language and Vision in Mixed-Initiative Human-Machine Communication
Principal Investigator:
Owen Rambow, Professor, Department of Linguistics, CAS
Co-Principal Investigator:
Susan Brennan, SUNY Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychology, CAS
- An Artificial Intelligence-Driven Clinical Decision Support Tool for the Management of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Principal Investigator:
Apostolos Tassiopoulos, Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery, RSoM
Co-Principal Investigators:
Prateek Prasanna, Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Informatics, RSoM and CEAS
Mary Saltz, Clinical Associate Professor of Radiology, Department of Biomedical Informatics, RSoM and CEAS
Janos Hajagos, Research Assistant Professor and Chief of Data Analytics, Department of Biomedical Informatics, RSoM and CEAS
Tahsin Kurc, Research Associate Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Biomedical Informatics, RSoM and CEAS
Technical Support for Discipline-Centric Research
Faculty who want to use AI in their research but need technical support to get started, will collaborate with an experienced AI consultant to develop and begin a project.
- Using AI to Investigate National Literatures: Italy, France, Spain 1733- 1794
Principal Investigator:
Giuseppe Gazzola, Associate Professor, Department of Languages and Cultural Studies, CAS
Consultant:
Jayesh Rathi, Graduate AI Consultant, The Research Foundation for SUNY (RF SUNY)
- Learning Design Rules to Personalize Precision CRISPR Gene Therapies with Interpretable AI
Principal Investigator:
Eric Josephs, Empire Innovation Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, CEAS
Consultant:
Deboparna Banerjee, Graduate AI Consultant, RF SUNY
- Machine Learning for the Analysis of Single-Cell Multiomics Data
Principal Investigator:
David McKinnon, Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, CAS
Co-Principal Investigators:
Barbara Rosati, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, RSoM
Joshua Dubnau, Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, RSoM
Grigori Enikolopov, Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, RSoM
Chi-Kuo Hu, Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, CAS
Consultant:
Deboparna Banerjee, Graduate AI Consultant, RF SUNY
- Developing Machine Learning Approaches to Classify Internal Waves
Principal Investigator:
Jack McSweeney, Assistant Professor, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS)
Consultant:
Vismay Vora, Graduate AI Consultant, RF SUNY
- AI-Assisted Analysis of Materials in Recycling Streams
Principal Investigator:
Ruwen Qin, Associate Professor and Graduate Director, Department of Civil Engineering, CEAS
Consultant: Vismay Vora, Graduate AI Consultant, RF SUNY
- Introducing the AI Techniques in Assessing the Future Changes of Extreme Precipitation and Associated Flood Risks
Principal Investigator:
Kevin Reed, Associate Provost for Climate and Sustainability Programming, Professor, SoMAS
Co-Principal Investigators:
Tangnyu Song, Postdoctoral Researcher, SoMAS
Ishrat Dollan, Postdoctoral Researcher, SoMAS
Consultant:
Jayesh Rathi, Graduate AI Consultant, RF SUNY
AI Education and Service
These projects apply AI systems to help teach various disciplines offered at Stony Brook (including core AI technologies). Some of the selected proposals also use AI technologies to advance the efficiency and quality of educational and administrative services on campus.
- IAE2^3: AI Ecologies
Principal Investigator:
Joseph Lemelin, Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, CAS
Co-Principal Investigators:
Katherine Johnston, Assistant Professor, Department of English, CAS
Aruna Balasubramanian, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, CEAS
Matthew Salzano, IDEA Fellow in Ethical AI, Information Systems, and Data Science and Literacy, Program in Writing and Rhetoric, CAS, and Alda Center for Communicating Science, SoCJ
- Fostering Writing-to-Learn Skills through Critical AI Literacy: A Faculty Development and Student Support Program
Principal Investigator:
Shyam Sharma, Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director, Program in Writing and Rhetoric, CAS
Co-Principal Investigators:
Rose Tirotta-Esposito, Director, Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching
Christine Fena, Undergraduate Success Librarian, Stony Brook University Libraries
Xin Qian, PI of the research project on Novel Clinical Applications of Deep Image Prior-based CT Image Reconstruction, said, “Our work focuses on creating and analyzing ultra-compact 3D imaging technology, to help with imaging in radiotherapy applications.”
He added, “By enabling 3D imaging in confined spaces where conventional systems cannot operate, this technology would be a transformative advancement in medical imaging. Our system’s compact design and innovative approach will significantly expand the accessibility and functionality of 3D imaging across various clinical, industrial, and military settings.
“The seed grant from the AI Innovation Institute at Stony Brook University will help accelerate the development process by establishing a strong partnership between Radiation Oncology, Computer Science, and Radiology, ensuring efficient progress toward a functional prototype.”
“We are currently developing an AI solution for improving the care of patients with aortic aneurysms using a number of different AI elements,” said Tassiopoulous, a principal investigator of one of the collaborative AI grants. “Combining these entities with clinical data, we hope to develop a solution that will provide an individualized, more efficient management plan to patients with that pathology.”
“Thanks to the seed grant, we can build a dedicated team to help capture sustainable funding opportunities for a wide range of AI-driven applications of our technology and help combat climate change through upcycling diverse organic wastes into valued products for water purification and food security," said Hsiao, another PI on a collaborative grant.
Communications Assistant
Ankita Nagpal