Agoras' AI-Powered Research Management
Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Streamline Funding Opportunities and Collaborations for European Researchers
Conference
Format: Fifteen-Minute Discussion Tables
Topic: 6. Responsible Use of AI in Research Management
Abstract
The "IA Research Funding Support" initiative is focused on enhancing research management through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the agoras of the aUPaEU project. This initiative aims to create a personalised, AI-driven platform that identifies relevant funding opportunities and potential research collaborators for individual researchers. By streamlining the currently inefficient process of manually sifting through vast amounts of funding information, the system contributes to a more sustainable research environment.
The AI system integrates data from European platforms such as EU Funding & Tenders Portal, Zenodo, and Cordis, proactively suggesting the most suitable funding calls and collaborators for each researcher. This automation promotes a more efficient, sustainable approach to research funding management, reducing time and effort for researchers.
Driven by the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC), the initiative builds on existing collaborative support services for researchers, addressing the limitations of current matchmaking acceleration services for proposal submissions. The proposed AI solution alleviates the time burden on researchers by automating the search and matching process, making it more efficient and user-friendly.
Key objectives include developing the AI system for proposal suggestions and integrating it with European platforms. A pilot program will be launched to validate the platform with researchers at UPC, with plans to extend results to other alliances through their agoras, offered free of charge as part of the aUPaEU European project. Expected outcomes include improved data importation from research partners, the creation of a functioning AI mechanism, and increased adoption of AI tools in research management, fostering a more sustainable and efficient research ecosystem across Europe.
Takeaway Messages (Learning Outcomes):
Participants will understand how AI can streamline the identification of relevant funding opportunities and potential research collaborators, reducing manual effort and enhancing efficiency in research management. They will gain insights into the integration of European platforms such as EU Funding & Tenders Portal, Zenodo, and Cordis, and how these platforms can be leveraged within an AI-driven system to tailor funding calls and collaboration suggestions. The initiative emphasizes the sustainability benefits of automating research management tasks, addressing the limitations of existing matchmaking services for proposal submissions. Attendees will also learn about the practical implementation of the AI system through a pilot program with UPC researchers, as well as the broader impact of AI adoption on creating a more sustainable and efficient research ecosystem across Europe.