Generative AI

Those interested in experimenting with OpenAI but not yet ready to submit a proposal may reach out to ai-ucla@it.ucla.edu to discuss further.

The following information below outlines the requirements for the initial phase of the Call for OpenAI Project Proposals. Detailed requirements for Phase 2 will become available on November 1st. To stay updated and receive announcements, we encourage you to subscribe to our AI mailing list.

Phase 1 Proposal Requirements

Eligibility

This initial phase focuses on proposals from within UCLA Information Technology Services (ITS) and IT Strategic Partners (ITSPs) across the campus. Each proposal requires a Principal Investigatorⁱ and may include up to three additional project team members. Each selected proposal will include up to 10% of the person’s time allowed to be used to work on the selected project along with their provisioned OpenAI license. PIs and project team members are responsible for confirming manager support, including any anticipated additional time that may require workload modification or other adjustments to address any potential operational impact. 

Alignment Areas

While we welcome proposals that focus on a diversity of possible experiments, priority will be given to projects that align with the UCLA and ITS Strategic Goals. In particular, we encourage proposals that seek to make a meaningful impact in the following areas:

1. Enhance Teaching and Learning: Examples include but are not limited to leveraging AI to personalize the academic journey and successfully meet the needs of our students in new ways, provide support to faculty and teaching staff, enable innovative approaches to using data for decision-making, and enable additional guidance for students throughout their academic experience. 
2. Activate AI Research & Product Development: Proposals in this area may range from developing new code and algorithms, to prototyping novel AI applications and conducting research on AI use in discipline-specific and interdisciplinary fields. 
3. Boost Institutional Effectiveness: Projects may address process automation, data-driven strategic planning and decision-making, resource optimization, and campus services enhancement. 

These pathways are designed to encourage exploration and innovation, ensuring you have the support needed to get started. 

Important:

• Data classification: Only proposals that utilize P1 and P2 data will be considered at this time.
• API usage: The institution has a limited allocation of ChatGPT Enterprise API usage and will consider allocation of this resource on a proposal-by-proposal basis. 
• Age requirement: Project participants must be ages 18 and above due to OpenAI's ChatGPT Enterprise license requirements.

Proposal Submission 

Interested participants must fill out the proposal submission form located at the bottom of this page by October 15 to submit their proposals. Please prepare the following information to fill out the form:

• Proposal Title
• Alignment Area 
  • If multiple areas apply, please select the primary one and use the Project Scope & Goals section to outline alignment with any additional areas.
• Project Start and End Dates 
• Abstract (up to 200 words)
  • A one-paragraph executive summary of the work to be performed using the OpenAI licenses. 
• Your Affiliation & Contact Information (PI and optional team)
• Project Scope & Goals (up to 150 words)
  • The scope of the experiment you envision and how the OpenAI licenses will be used.
  • The project objectives.
  • The outcomes and results that this project will accomplish if successful.
• Project Implementation & Technical Approach (up to 100 words per section)
  • Timeline and Activities, including a brief rationale for the duration of access to OpenAI licenses, key project milestones that you anticipate at this time, and key dates associated with each milestone or activity (we understand that some of these will be estimates and that additional details may emerge during the project planning phase).
  • Intellectual Merit, including operational impact and accessibility 
  • Business Value
  • Number of Requested Licenses (up to 10)
  • Audience Impact, including which ITS stakeholders or ITS teams will benefit from this experiment
  • Risks & Challenges, if any can be anticipated at this time
• Success Metrics and Evaluation (up to 150 words)
  • Key indicators and a brief description of the approach that will be used to track progress toward the envisioned outcomes and project impact.
• Sustainability and Scalability (up to 150 words) 
  • Brief outline of the project’s potential for future evolution, if successful, including any opportunities for follow-up work.

Please note that figures, charts, diagrams and other visuals are encouraged, including architectural/dataflow and process diagrams.

For questions about the proposals, you are welcome to reach out to ai-ucla@it.ucla.edu in advance of the October 15 deadline.

Proposal Evaluation 

Proposals will be evaluated based on alignment with UCLA’s strategic goals and ethical considerations, innovative approaches to education and research, and the originality of ideas. They should demonstrate potential for significant and lasting impact, along with feasible implementation and evaluation plans. 

Evaluation and selection will be conducted by a committee that will appropriately coordinate the proposals with representatives from the Teaching and Learning Center, Research, and Administration. During the evaluation process, the committee may contact you should there be a need for additional clarifications regarding the proposal. 

Everyone who submitted a proposal will be notified of the decision on October 30. All decisions are final. 

Access to OpenAI licenses will begin on November 1st, 2024 and may continue until June 1, 2025 or an earlier date, depending on project needs. 

Requirements

Please note several expected activities for the PIs and teams who will be notified that their proposals are selected. These include:

• Attending an ignite session in early November to kick off the projects and set expectations, regular coaching sessions, as well as ad hoc and scheduled progress check-ins with the AI @ UCLA program team. These will be conducted remotely.
• Providing the program team with relevant information to showcase the project work and achievements (e.g., interim and final progress reports, testimonials, presentation materials, etc.).
• Promoting the project within UCLA and beyond, in consultation with the program team (e.g., at events and conferences, via newsletters and other communication outlets, etc.).

ⁱ This is the role of the Project Leader – the primary individual responsible for monitoring project progress and milestones, as well as ensuring that the licenses are being used appropriately and reporting on accomplishments.