Deadline: 31-Jan-2025
The Geneva AI Initiative is open to support international organizations and NGOs based in Geneva in developing projects that leverage the full potential of AI to tackle global challenges.
The Geneva AI Initiative by the EPFL AI Center aims to strengthen the AI capabilities of international organizations and NGOs based in Geneva. It seeks to provide these organizations with access to cutting-edge AI expertise and resources from EPFL and its partner institutions, in order to enhance their operational effectiveness and mission impact.
This call for proposals invites innovative AI projects that address the challenges faced by these organizations in their operations and missions. Projects can benefit from cutting-edge AI expertise from EPFL and its partner institutions to create innovative, AI-driven solutions that deliver real, measurable impact.
Scope
- Proposals from all sectors relevant to international cooperation and governance are welcome, but each project should clearly demonstrate how AI technology will be applied to address specific challenges faced by the applying organization.
- Given the urgency of the challenges and the rapid pace of AI developments, particular interest is placed on projects that can demonstrate a short time to impact. Proposals should clearly define their AI needs and outline an expedited path from development to implementation, emphasizing both responsible AI practices and rapid, tangible results.
Thematic Areas
- The call will support projects in any thematic areas that the organization specializes in, including (but not limited to):
- Humanitarian aid and crisis response
- Human rights and social justice
- Environmental protection and climate change
- Public health and well-being
- Economic and social development
- Peace and security
- Education and capacity building
Funding Information
- Funding is available for short-term projects with a maximum budget of 300,000 CHF each.
- The duration of funded projects should not exceed 12 months.
Eligible Costs
- Funding will be provided for the following direct costs related to the project:
- Personnel: Salaries for project-specific staff, including researchers, data scientists, and technical support.
- Equipment: Project-specific equipment costs linked to the development and implementation of AI solutions. This may include specialized hardware or software necessary for the project.
- Research expenses: Costs directly associated with conducting the research, such as data acquisition, cloud computing resources, or specialized AI tools.
- Travel and meetings: Essential travel costs for project-related meetings, workshops, or field work.
- Dissemination: Costs related to sharing project results, such as publications or presentations at relevant conferences.
- Partners (AI experts): Cost related to AI expertise, such as salaries of the partner’s employees, research expenses, travel and meetings, and dissemination.
- The grant cannot be used to cover existing administrative services or the salary of the applicant(s) of the applying organization(s) and partners.
- Subcontracting expenses are not eligible under this grant. All work should be carried out by the applying organization(s) in collaboration with EPFL or other partners facilitated by the Geneva AI Initiative.
- All expenses must be directly related to the proposed AI project and incurred within the 12-month project duration.
Eligibility Criteria
- This call is open exclusively to international organizations (IO) and NGOs based in Geneva. The main applicant is therefore from an NGO or IO. The main applicant bears the main scientific and administrative responsibility for the project.
- The main applicant must be employed by the applying organization for the entire duration of the project. The main applicant should hold a senior position within the organization, such as Head of Unit, Director, or member of the Direction.
- Each proposal submission requires the designation of a main applicant who will be responsible for the scientific and administrative management of the project.
- Consortia of multiple Geneva-based international organizations or NGOs are welcome to apply, but a single organization must be designated as the lead applicant. Co-applicant(s) are jointly with the main applicant responsible for the project.
- Applicants may submit only one project as the main applicant but can be involved as co- applicants in up to two additional projects.
- The main applicant does not need to have a technical background in AI. However, the proposal must demonstrate access to AI expertise through a letter of support from a partner (either EPFL or another recognized AI expert). This letter should outline the planned collaboration and available AI expertise. (The role of the partner is to contribute to the project but not to bear responsibility for the project.) The Geneva AI Initiative can facilitate matchmaking between applicants and appropriate AI expertise from EPFL or its partners as needed.
Application Requirements
- The application file must include the following:
- A 5-page project proposal including the background and motivation for the project, the research plan, and the implementation strategy and expected results. Please use the template that is provided on the programme webpage for your project proposal.
- Budget. Please use the budget template that is provided on the call webpage.
- Letters of support of the partner(s) with AI expertise.
- CV of all involved applicants and partners (max. 2 pages).
- List of relevant publications (if any) of all applicants and partners involved in the project, with no restrictions in terms of dates.
- Applicants will be required to fill out an ethical issue form via the online submission platform.
- All required documents must be submitted in English.
For more information, visit École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne.