Gallaudet wins $4.5M award for new universal-AI graduate research traineeship program

Gallaudet University has received a $4.5 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to prepare the next generation of AI scientists and engineers. The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) grant will support the launch of a new Universal-AI Graduate Research Traineeship Program, one of the largest training awards in the university’s history. 

Launching with a pilot trainee program this fall, this five-year Research Trainee program will ultimately provide full tuition, annual stipends of $37,000, and health benefits for 25 graduate trainees, while also offering training opportunities for an additional 75 graduate students between 2025 and 2030.

“The NSF’s investment in Universal-AI recognizes the unique contributions of Gallaudet University to the world and advances the opportunities for demonstrating the distinctive role that we offer to the future of Artificial Intelligence,” said President Roberta Cordano. “I am proud that Gallaudet researchers and students will help set the standard for accessible and universal AI.” 

The NRT program funds graduate-level training in cutting-edge interdisciplinary fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum science, and biotechnology. Gallaudet was one of only 15 institutions nationwide to receive a new NRT award this year.

This initiative builds on the success of Gallaudet’s Accessible Human-Centered Computing (AHCC) program. “By combining rigorous scientific training with a deep commitment to visual languages and accessibility in AI, we will equip our graduate students with the skills to develop AI solutions that serve everyone,” said Provost Khadijat K. Rashid, ’90. 

This program was developed by faculty from Gallaudet’s School of Science, Technology, Accessibility, Mathematics, and Public Health (STAMP) in collaboration with the AI, Accessibility, and Sign Languages (AIASL) and Technology Access Program (TAP) research centers. Graduate students will pursue specialized training in one of two research tracks. In the Universal AI track, students ensure AI datasets and models are inclusive of everyone, including deaf and hard of hearing people. In the Accountable and Accessible AI track, students create legal frameworks, data ownership standards, and accessibility systems to govern AI development and deployment. 

The program emphasizes cross-disciplinary collaboration through lab rotations, joint seminars, and interdisciplinary projects. Students will also benefit from mentor cafes, ethics workshops, AI hackathons, seed grant opportunities, seminars, internships with industry and national labs, and training in team science skills. Many activities will be open to the broader Gallaudet student body.

“The Universal-AI Graduate Traineeship Program aims to create a well-prepared workforce that pushes the frontiers of AI while advocating for universality, accountability, and accessibility,” said Raja Kushalnagar, Principal Investigator and Professor in STAMP.

The project’s leadership includes co-principal investigators Professor Christian Vogler from STAMP; Associate Professor Cecilia Alm, from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT); and Professor Reynold Bailey from RIT. Senior personnel from Gallaudet’s STAMP are: Assistant Professor Abraham Glasser, Research Scientist Matthew Seita; and Data Analyst Jonah Winninghoff, ’17. The RIT team includes Professor Ferat Sahin, Assistant Professor Jamison Heard, and Associate Professor Esa Rantanen.

By investing in Universal-AI at Gallaudet, NSF recognizes the university’s leadership at the intersection of artificial intelligence and accessibility, and its longstanding commitment to inclusive technology and education.“This award strengthens our mission to make technology more accessible for everyone, especially those who use visual languages,” said Daniel J. Lundberg, ’02, Director of STAMP. “It underscores Gallaudet’s role as a global leader in advancing knowledge and access.”

Pictured at top, from left to right: Vogler, Kushalnagar, and Glasser

Learn more about Gallaudet’s Accessible Human-Centered Computing (AHCC) program, Artificial Intelligence, Accessibility and Sign Language Center (AIASL), and Technology Access Program (TAP).