Tennessee Human–AI Readiness & Innovation “THRIVE 2025″ Call for Proposals
The College of Arts & Sciences at UT Knoxville has launched a new initiative called THRIVE: Tennessee Human–AI Readiness & Innovation – Ventures in Excellence 2025 aimed at UTK College of Arts & Sciences faculty, staff, or graduate research/teaching assistants with continuing appointments.
THRIVE seeks to connect research, teaching and service by supporting projects that apply or develop artificial intelligence (AI) methods in real-Tennessee settings. The call emphasizes projects that include human-AI collaboration, involve student experiential learning, partner with Tennessee community organizations (like school districts, nonprofits or industry), and aim for measurable benefits such as prototypes, pilots, open datasets, or policy briefs.
Funding will be available through this first round: awards of about $10,000–$12,000 per project are expected, with the possibility of larger budgets for strong proposals. The initiative anticipates funding 9–12 projects in this first cohort. Key dates: Letters of Interest due November 24, 2025; full proposals due January 23, 2026; projects start March 1, 2026, and complete by the end of Year 1.
Why this matters for The Knoxville AI Hub
THRIVE is a prime example of how local efforts connect to the larger momentum driving AI innovation, workforce development, and economic growth across Tennessee. By aligning with the statewide AI Tennessee initiative, THRIVE projects gain a stronger foundation and a pathway for scaling successful ideas beyond Knoxville—helping ensure that community-rooted work can grow into solutions that benefit the entire state.
For more detailed information, you can read the full announcement here: Call for Proposals: Tennessee Human–AI Readiness & Innovation: Ventures in Excellence (THRIVE) 2025
