The University of Colorado System Office of Academic Affairs, in partnership with the Office of the President, announced on March 19 that it is accepting submissions for three new systemwide awards and grants to support innovative uses of artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching, learning, and scholarly work across all CU campuses.
These opportunities are intended to encourage faculty and staff to develop creative applications of AI that improve student outcomes and advance impactful research. The university said these awards are not limited to any specific AI platform or tool.
The three initiatives include the CU System AI Recognition Award: AI for Teaching & Learning, the CU System AI Recognition Award: AI for Scholarly & Creative Work, and the CU System AI Sprint Grant: AI for Teaching & Learning. Faculty and staff are encouraged to submit nominations or proposals by March 30, 2026, and share information about these opportunities with colleagues involved in innovative AI projects at CU campuses.
The first recognition award honors faculty who use AI in their teaching to achieve measurable improvements in student learning aligned with course goals. The second award recognizes faculty whose use of artificial intelligence leads to significant outcomes in their scholarly or creative work. Both awards aim to foster a culture of innovation among faculty members.
The Sprint Grant is designed to provide resources and time for faculty developing new pedagogical strategies using AI within a single course. According to the announcement, this grant’s ‘sprint’ structure is meant to keep pace with rapid developments in artificial intelligence while supporting experimentation aimed at improving student performance.
Eligible applicants include tenure or tenure-track faculty as well as full-time instructional series or research professor track faculty. Questions about these opportunities can be directed to the Office of Academic Affairs.
