AI Research Assistance Program

The AI Research Assistance Program (AIRAP) connects IU Indianapolis faculty, including School of Medicine faculty, with Luddy Indianapolis master’s students to support AI-enabled research projects.

AIRAP serves as a faculty–student matching program. Faculty submit requests for AI research assistance, AIRAP facilitates the matching process.  Faculty will have an opportunity to interview the candidate students and make the final selection. 

Faculty applicants are responsible for providing financial support for the selected student’s work. AIRAP does not provide direct financial support to faculty or students.

Areas of assistance 

AIRAP supports research projects involving, but not limited to: 

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning 
• Generative AI and large language models 
• Natural language processing 
• Computer vision and imaging 
• Data mining and predictive modeling 
• AI-enabled software, web, or application development 
• Human-centered AI and human-AI interactions 

Project expectations 

• Projects should provide a sustained research experience rather than short-term or ad hoc assistance and are expected to span multiple months.
• Faculty and students are expected to establish project expectations, work schedule, communication expectations, project goals, and anticipated deliverables before the project begins.
• Faculty are expected to commit funding for the agreed project duration, and students are expected to fulfill the agreed project responsibilities in a timely and professional manner.
• If a project cannot continue as planned, or if either party believes that it should be discontinued, the AIRAP program office should be notified before changes to student appointment, or compensation are implemented.

Faculty eligibility 

Eligible faculty must:

• Have an active IU appointment; research and clinical faculty are eligible 
• Lead or support a faculty research project.
• Have an eligible funding source for student hourly wages.
• Pay the selected student a minimum of $15/hour.

Student eligibility

Eligible students must: 

• Be enrolled in a Luddy Indianapolis master’s program and remain enrolled throughout the project period.
• Have knowledge, skills and interests aligned with the faculty project.
• Be eligible for student employment under applicable university and immigration policies.

Student employment

Student work schedules are determined jointly by the faculty member and student.

Students must remain within applicable university employment and immigration limits. Weekly project hours will depend on each student’s existing work commitments. Luddy HR will manage student employment procedures. Each participating faculty member must provide the IU account number that will fund the student’s wages before work begins.

How AIRAP works

1. Faculty submits a request for research assistance through an online form.
2. AIRAP reviews the request for readiness and suitability.
3. AIRAP circulates eligible opportunities to students.
4. Students submit applications through AIRAP.
5. AIRAP identifies applicants for faculty interview based on project fit and interest. 
6. Faculty interviews applicants and make the final selection.
7. AIRAP confirms project details before work begins.