The Illinois Innovation Network has awarded over $160,000 to two new social innovation seed grant projects. These two newly funded projects bring the total recipients of the IIN’s Social Innovation and Impact Seed Grant program to seven.
Provided by the University of Illinois System, the funding is designed to translate research into projects that directly affect lives, address critical social problems and build trusted partnerships in communities across Illinois.
The funded projects reflect the widespread interest in discovering new applications for artificial intelligence, with one project using AI to develop individualized educational plans for neurodivergent students and the other project providing personalized support to enhance AI-human interaction, digital literacy and social connectivity among older adults.
“These projects showcase the power of collaboration and innovation across Illinois,” U of I System Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation Jay Walsh said. “Through seed funding, we have a history of sparking partnerships that drive real impact in communities statewide. We fully expect that these two new projects will have community impact.”
IIN is a network of 15 hubs across the state working to boost Illinois’ economy through entrepreneurship, research and workforce development. Most hubs are at public universities.
Proposals for seed grants were required to include individuals from at least two IIN hubs and encouraged to include community organizations. Projects could last one or more years after receiving funding. Proposals were evaluated on their alignment with IIN principles, how well they address their stated areas of social innovation and impact, the scope of their work and level of collaboration, as well as their potential for further work.
“These IIN awards reinforce the notion that the IIN and Illinois public universities are working hard to help the people and communities of Illinois in creative ways,” said IIN Council Chair Chris Merrett, dean for innovation and economic development, and director of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University. “The awards also highlight the idea that our universities are not only engaging students on campus, but also collaborating with communities across Illinois.”
The two newly funded projects and researchers are:
Enabling AI-Powered Personalized Learning for Neurodivergent Students through Physiological Monitoring and Cognitive Profiling
Abdelmounaam Rezgui, professor of information technology, Illinois State University; Elham Buxton, associate professor of computer science, University of Illinois Springfield; Elahe Javadi, associate professor of information systems, Illinois State University.
CONNECT Companion: A Community-Based Participatory Project (CBPP) Using Human and Prescriptive AI Interaction to Enhance Social Support for Older Adults in Illinois
Anitha Saravanan, assistant professor of nursing, Northern Illinois University; Will Lewis, assistant professor of information systems, Illinois State University.
