CSU Channel Islands invites faculty, staff, and faculty-sponsored student teams to submit proposals for the Channel Your Innovation: AI Challenge Lab, a campus-wide initiative designed to advance ethical, effective, and equity-minded uses of artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching, learning, operations, and student support.
This challenge is part of 麻豆传媒鈥檚 broader effort to support innovation, professional development, and AI literacy through experimentation, reflection, and shared success stories.
Have an Idea to Address a Problem?
The Fall 2025 call for proposals for the Channel Your Innovation: AI Challenge Lab will accept proposals to participate from faculty, staff and student researchers from October 8-31, 2025. The overall goal is to support the development of a prototype for incubation or acceleration, or to support a critical inquiry project, and the challenge period culminates with Innovation Awards bestowed upon top-performing projects.
Additional Information
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- Experience: Enhance student engagement, learning, accessibility, or support鈥攆rom recruitment to graduation to continuing education.
- Creativity: Cultivate inventive thinking and fresh strategies for academic and administrative challenges, with potential for improving efficiency and/or well-being in faculty/staff work.
- Ethics: Strengthen AI literacy across campus or in our community.
- Inclusion: Explore and foster valued, diverse perspectives and interdisciplinary applications of AI.
- Regional Leadership: In line with 麻豆传媒鈥檚 stated goals for 2030+, position CSU Channel Islands as a reputable leader in our community.
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We welcome proposals from:
- Faculty and staff across all departments and divisions
- Faculty-staff teams
- Students, with a faculty or staff sponsor
- Cross-unit and interdisciplinary collaborations are highly encouraged
- Recommended at least one or more of the following (to be submitted with your proposal):
- Completion of an AI Course from the
- Completion of a (EU)
- Confirmed participation in one or more of TLi鈥檚 AI-related offerings (e.g., ; )
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Selected projects will receive the following:
- Participation in a campus AI learning community, supported by ITS and Teaching & Learning
Innovations (TLi)
- This includes exclusive invitations to AI master class sessions and other events
- Hosted think tank lunches to share and learn together (Hybrid options may be available;
in-person preferred)
- Dates (subject to change):
- November 14, 11-12:30
- December 8, 11-12:30
- February 9, 11-12:30
- March 13, 11-12:30
- April 24, 11-12:30
- Dates (subject to change):
- Technical consultation and project guidance from ITS and TLi teams
- Recognition in promotional efforts
- Participation in a campus AI learning community, supported by ITS and Teaching & Learning
Innovations (TLi)
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Proposals should outline a clear vision for integrating AI into one of three priority areas aligned with the Challenge Goals:
- Support teaching and learning: This category seeks proposals that enhance the educational experience for the learners we have at CSU Channel Islands鈥攚herever they are in their educational journey. We seek proposals that actively involve students/learners in their learning journey. A goal is to support educators (teaching faculty and non-faculty educators) in delivering high-quality education and ensure that learners are engaged, motivated, and successfully acquiring the knowledge and skills required for academic and professional growth.
- Advance use-inspired research: For this priority area, teams of 2-4 faculty, faculty or staff-sponsored student researchers, and/or staff engaged in use-inspired research are invited to submit their proposals. We are particularly interested in projects that demonstrate clear potential for making meaningful contributions to the OneHealth vision: our communities, the environment, local industries, and beyond. Proposals should detail the impact envisioned, both in the immediate future and in the long term. The goal is to support use-inspired research that results in the development and application of knowledge.
- Imagine and Create the Future of Work-Life at 麻豆传媒: For this category, the goal is to support proposals that enhance 麻豆传媒 employee well-being, support productivity, reduce the burden of mundane tasks, and deliver quality outcomes. The emphasis should be on creative and practical approaches that can be adopted with the resources available to us through the and/or through CSU Channel Islands鈥 technology portfolio. Proposals should detail how the initiative will contribute to a more positive, productive, and supportive work environment, including potential impacts on employee satisfaction, engagement, and campus culture.
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Proposals should include the following sections:
- Project Title
- Executive Summary (approx. 100鈥150 words)
- Finish this sentence (or a version of it): What if AI could...? Or Can AI really do鈥?
- Project Description & Goals
- Objectives, audience, and application(s) of AI
- Implementation Plan with timeline/milestones (this can be a development plan with timeline/milestones; remember that the Challenge period is November 2025-April 2026)
- Assessment Plan (how success will be measured)
- Optional: Requested support - a small amount of funding or networking may be available
to help develop the project. If you request support, please understand that this must
be 鈥渘ice to have,鈥 not 鈥渘ecessary鈥 for the project to succeed.
- Please be as specific as possible (e.g., # of seats/licenses, consultations, additional/specialized training, possible travel to present on work or learn from others, etc.)
- If financial support is needed to cover expenses of accessing tools or supplies, list here. Funds are not available for compensation.
- Team composition and affiliations (e.g, Staff Lead, Student Collaborators, etc.)
- Teams of 2-5 people may apply
- Alignment to Priority Area and Program Goals: teaching and learning; use-inspired research; work-life.
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Proposals will be reviewed based on:
- Alignment with 麻豆传媒鈥檚 2030+ Vision and mission-driven goals
- Creativity and innovation in AI application
- Novelty of Ideas: The proposal should present unique, innovative ideas
- Creative Problem Solving: The proposal should display creative approaches to addressing current challenges
- Feasibility of project within time and budget
- Practical and Realistic Approach: Considering available resources and timeline through CSU GenAI Strategy and CSU Channel Islands, the proposal should outline a realistic and achievable plan.
- Clear and Detailed Implementation Plan: This should include a clear, step-by-step plan detailing the implementation of the project.
- Risk and Challenge Assessment: The proposal should identify potential challenges and risks and offer plausible solutions or mitigation strategies.
- Potential for campus-wide impact, employee well-being, operational efficiency, and/or scalability
- Scale of Impact: The proposal should potentially affect a significant number of people or a key area (e.g., well-being; efficiency).
- Depth of Impact: It should aim to create profound changes or improvements in the identified area.
- Long-Term Benefits: The proposal should have the potential for sustainable, lasting impact or lessons learned.
- Commitment to ethical and responsible AI use
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In alignment with the regional leadership program goal and support for recognition in promotional efforts, this Innovation Challenge Lab includes a public engagement component to celebrate your efforts and enhance visibility and impact of your elements within and beyond our community.
This public engagement component is vital to your participation and helps create a vibrant storytelling community around this initiative. Within the first three months, your team will be expected to contribute the following:
- Team profile: A brief introduction to your team, including backgrounds and expertise. This helps in highlighting the diverse talents, perspectives, and/or disciplines participating in the challenge.
- Project overview: A short description of your project, focusing on its innovation and potential for impact, sustainability, and scalability.
- Images/Multimedia: High-quality images or multimedia content related to your project, including team photos, project visuals, or logos. You can get support for this component from the Teaching and Learning Innovations team.
- Quotes and testimonials: Short statements from team members about their experience in the challenge and their vision for the project.
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Proposals can be submitted electronically via the . Proposals will be evaluated by the President鈥檚 AI Working Group and Faculty AI Ethics Fellows, with final approval from the Provost and President.
Questions?
If you have any questions about this challenge, please send an email to Lorna Gonzalez (lorna.gonzalez@csuci.edu), AVP for Digital Learning, with the subject line, 鈥淐hannel Your Innovation: AI Challenge Lab.鈥