In a move that will enhance its capabilities as a leader in AI research and application, Stony Brook University is launching the AI Innovation Institute (AI3), which will expand the Institute for AI-driven Discovery and Innovation established in 2018 from a department-level institute within the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences to the university-wide AI3, reporting to the provost.
Stony Brook University Provost and Executive Vice President Carl Lejuez made the announcement September 5 in an email to the university community.
Last spring, the Office of the Provost led a group of more than 30 faculty, staff, and administrators to consider how to expand and leverage SBU’s strengths in AI research and discovery. The resulting recommendation was to launch AI3, which follows recent investments by New York State and SUNY with initiatives like Empire AI, SUNY STRIVE for AI, and the SUNY IBM Alliance.
Carl Lejuez
“As a university-wide enterprise, the AI Innovation Institute (AI3) is intended to accelerate, coordinate and organize AI innovation and education across Stony Brook,” Lejuez said. “The institute will serve to empower the entire university community and beyond, catalyzing core AI research, curriculum innovation, and societal change in the ever-evolving landscape of knowledge work.”
A national search will be launched to identify the inaugural director. The search will be co-chaired by Steve Skiena, distinguished professor in the Department of Computer Science and director of the Institute for AI-driven Discovery and Innovation, and Robert Harrison, professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics and director of the Institute for Advanced Computational Science (IACS).
The broader search committee membership draws from diverse departments and disciplines across Stony Brook, with a representative from Brookhaven National Laboratory, to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive search process. The full search committee membership can be viewed on the Provost’s Office website. National search firm Opus Partners will support the committee in this search.
Steve Skiena
Skiena will also serve as the interim director of the university-wide institute. “As interim director, Dr. Skiena will focus on efforts that will establish a basic framework for the institute’s operations so the inaugural director will be able to begin immediately with implementing vision and strategy to elevate the institute,” Lejuez said. “Interim Director Skiena will begin hiring staff support for the institute, as well as oversee internal funding to support projects developed by teams of faculty/staff.”
An AI Seed Grant opportunity will soon be announced, designed to support collaborative AI projects across three tracks: Collaboratory Research in AI, Technical Support for Discipline-Centric Research, and Seed Grants for AI Education and Service. The grant will provide funding to facilitate innovative projects and further integrate AI into research and education. An official announcement will follow, with detailed guidelines regarding the seed grant application process.
Additionally, an AI Town Hall will be held Wednesday, September 11, from 1 pm to 2 pm in New Computer Science, Room 120, and via Zoom. Led by Skiena, the event will provide an overview of the major AI initiatives on campus, including the new AI Seed Grant program and Stony Brook’s role in New York State’s Empire AI program. The session will include time for questions and discussion about the future of AI at Stony Brook.
Read more on SBU News.