UMass Amherst IT, in partnership with the UMass Amherst’s Center for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence and the Public Interest Technology Initiative, are pleased to announce a new opportunity for all faculty and staff to propose generative AI focused projects to be included in the 2025 AI for the Commonwealth Internship Program.
UMass Amherst faculty and staff are invited to submit proposals for projects that will harness generative AI to solve everyday challenges and enhance the functioning of our campus to improve teaching, administration, research, service delivery, or other aspects of university functions.
Project Focus Areas
Proposals may include, but are not limited to:
- Automating repetitive or time-consuming administrative processes
- Improving workflows for teaching, research, or campus operations
- Developing or integrating AI-driven agents
Two to three projects will be selected to be incorporated into the UMass AI for the Commonwealth Internship Program. This program is jointly managed by the Center for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence and the Public Interest Technology Initiative. Under the supervision of CDS-AI and PIT staff, student interns will work ten hours per week during the spring semester and 32 hours per week during the summer.
Projects will be divided into phases including problem definition, human centered design and requirements gathering, initial product development, iterative development, and handoff. GenAI solution prototypes will be delivered to stakeholders at the end of the summer.
- Submit your proposal through the Proposal Submission Form.
Project Criteria
Successful proposals will:
- Address Real-World Needs: Target concrete university issues and deliver tangible improvements in efficiency, access, or quality of service.
- Promote Responsible AI Use: Consider privacy, security, ethics, and inclusivity when designing and deploying Generative AI solutions.
- Demonstrate Impact & Sustainability: Show potential for long-term benefit and capacity-building within the campus community.
Successful project sponsors agree to:
- Define a project challenge
- Meet with students weekly
- Provide necessary information, data, and resources to complete the project
About the Program
The AI for the Commonwealth Internship Program is an undergraduate internship program jointly managed by the Center for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence in the Manning College of Information and Computer Science (CICS) and the Public Interest Technology Initiative (PIT@UMass) at UMass Amherst. The on-campus program is integral to the Healey-Driscoll administration’s partnership with UMass Amherst to recruit a cohort of students to work full-time in collaboration with Massachusetts state agencies on experiential AI projects for social good.