Artificial intelligence is changing how students learn, how faculty teach, and what employers expect of college graduates. Higher education has a responsibility to respond to this new environment thoughtfully, not by embracing AI at the expense of learning, but by ensuring that students graduate with both the technological fluency and the distinctly human capabilities they will need to thrive. Critical thinking, sound judgment, creativity, ethical reasoning, and independent problem-solving matter more than ever. Building an AI-aware campus means putting faculty expertise at the center of this effort and supporting creative, innovative approaches to teaching that continue to strengthen meaningful learning.
AI Catalyst
The AI Catalyst program consists of two initiatives. One is focused on teaching and the other on research. Both are meant to increase AI awareness at USU.
TEACHING:
Rethinking Assignments for an AI-Aware World
$1000 Faculty Stipends | Redesign One Core Assignment
How do we design assignments that preserve meaningful learning when AI is readily available to students? And where might AI itself become a useful tool for strengthening student learning?
We invite faculty to rethink one core assignment in one of their courses. Projects may focus on AI-proofing an assignment through creative pedagogy that achieves learning objectives in non-traditional ways that are less susceptible to AI-offloading. Alternatively, projects may emphasize AI integration, incorporating AI into assignments in ways that help students develop the skills to use these tools effectively, think critically about their outputs, and exercise sound ethical judgment. After redesigning and piloting their assignment with students, participating faculty will be invited to share their experiences in a library-hosted panel discussion: what worked, what didn't, and what they would do differently next time. These practical insights will help us identify promising practices, learn from one another, and build a stronger culture of teaching and learning at USU.
The goal is to draw on the collective expertise of USU faculty to discover and share effective approaches to teaching and learning in an AI-aware world. This transition presents real challenges, but also an opportunity to revisit familiar practices, experiment with new approaches, and strengthen student learning. Rather than prescribing solutions, we want to learn from the creativity, experience, and informed judgment of faculty across campus.
What does the application involve?
A short project description addressing four questions:
- The challenge: What learning objective challenge would you like to address?
- Your approach: How does AI-awareness feature in the proposed redesign? AI-proofing, AI-integration, or a combination of both?
- Student skills: Which durable skills will the redesigned assignment strengthen? Examples include critical thinking, independent problem-solving, communication, creativity, adaptability, and ethical judgment. Faculty may reference findings from USU Extension's survey of Utah employers regarding skills gaps among college graduates.
- Preferred semester for completion and panel presentation: Fall 2026, Spring 2027, or Summer 2027.
Commitments
Each recipient makes the following commitments as part of receiving the stipend:
- Thoughtful redesign of a core assignment in ways that demonstrate an investment in AI-awareness;
- Instructor assessment on the success of the new design in achieving learning objectives, including critical durable skills;
- An assessment of the impact of the change, including instructor-captured feedback from students on their experience with the new design; and
- Participation in a panel presentation hosted by the Library, in which findings and lessons learned are shared with fellow faculty members.
Teaching Proposal Rubric
| Evaluation Element | 0 - Weak | 1 - Adequate* | 2 - Strong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learning-Centered | Learning challenge and/or redesign plan is unclear. | Identifies a relevant challenge and a plausible redesign. | Clearly connects learning objectives, the challenge, and a redesign plan. |
| AI & Durable Skill Focus | AI approach or student skill development are vague. | Identifies specific skills students will develop. | Assignment redesign thoughtfully addresses AI’s role, how and where “AI-proofed” activities conducted, and ways in which clearly identified durable skills strengthened. |
| Assessment & Reflection | Little evidence of how success will be evaluated. | Proposes a reasonable way to assess the redesign. | Clear plan to assess learning outcomes, gather student feedback, and reflect on lessons learned. |
*May recommend revise and resubmit
RESEARCH:
Exploring AI in Research and Creative Work
$1000 Faculty Stipends | Explore One Research or Creative Application of AI
Where might AI meaningfully contribute to your research or creative work? Where does it fall short? And how might it change the methods, opportunities, or challenges within your discipline?
We invite faculty to explore one specific application of AI within their research or creative process. Projects might examine AI's usefulness in literature synthesis, data or text analysis, coding, modeling, research design, archival work, visualization, workflow automation, or elements of the creative process.
The goal is not to complete a research project or demonstrate that AI is always useful. Rather, it is to give faculty the opportunity to experiment with AI, evaluate results, and develop informed perspectives on AI's capabilities, limitations, and ethical implications within the research process of their fields.
What does the application involve?
A short project description addressing five questions:
- The opportunity: What specific research or creative problem, process, or opportunity would you like to explore?
- Your approach: How will AI be meaningfully incorporated into this activity?
- Your objectives: What do you hope to learn, test, develop, or produce through this exploration?
- Important considerations: What disciplinary, methodological, ethical, or other boundaries will need to be considered?
- Preferred semester for completion and panel presentation: Fall 2026, Spring 2027, or Summer 2027.
Commitments
Each recipient makes the following commitments as part of receiving the stipend:
- Thoughtful integration of AI into a specific aspect of research/creative workflow;
- Researcher assessment on the strengths and drawbacks of this approach, including methodological, ethical, or other boundaries that should be considered; and
- Participation in a panel presentation hosted by the Library, in which findings and lessons learned are shared with fellow faculty members.
Research Proposal Rubric
| Evaluation Element | 0 - Weak | 1 - Adequate* | 2 - Strong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opportunity-Centered | Describes a general interest in AI rather than a specific problem or process in the applicant’s own work. | Identifies a relevant problem, process or opportunity in the applicant’s research or creative work where an AI tool might be used. | Identifies a specific opportunity, grounds it in the practices of the applicant’s discipline, and scopes it to what is achievable in the timeframe selected. |
| AI Application & Objectives | How AI will be used is vague, or the proposal spreads across too many tools or areas. | Names a specific AI application or tool and a plausible way to carry it out. | Describes a well-chosen application, explains why it suits this problem, and states clearly what the applicant hopes to learn, test, develop, or produce. |
| Assessment & Sharing | Little evidence of how results will be evaluated. | Proposes a reasonable way to evaluate results. | Plans to report shortcomings as readily as successes, engages the methodological and ethical boundaries of the field. |
*May recommend revise and resubmit
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the deadline for submission?
The Catalyst program is accepting applications on a rolling basis while funds are available. There will be a second round of funding in FY2028.
When and how will the stipends be paid?
The stipends will preferably be paid as summer salary. If summer salary is not an option, the stipend will be paid as extra-service compensation.
Can I use the stipend for my research program or other pedagogical purposes and avoid being taxed?
No, the funds are only payable as salary.
How should joint applicants approach the application?
More than one person can be included on a proposal. However, each proposal will be funded at $1000, so applicants will split the funding.
Are all faculty eligible?
Yes.
Are only faculty eligible?
Yes, these funds from the Office of the Provost are geared toward professional development for faculty members as outlined in the USU Faculty Code 4000.2.3, Tenured and Tenure Eligible Faculty, and 4000.2.4, Faculty with Professional Appointments.
Can I apply for both a research and a teaching stipend?
Yes.
Can I receive both a research and a teaching stipend?
Yes, faculty can receive one of each type of stipend during each cycle.
Can I apply for more than one stipend in a single category?
Yes, it is permissible to apply for more than one stipend in a single category, but Catalyst will award applicants no more than one teaching and one research stipend in each cycle.
Additional Questions?
If you have questions about these opportunities, please email Jeannie Johnson and Jennifer Duncan.