Proposal Details

Submit your proposal

Funding can be applied to eligible resources, including professional support and external consulting, software subscriptions, educational courses, computing infrastructure, and the use of the Center for Innovation facilities. All approved projects will include bi-monthly check-ins with the AI Institute’s support team.

This funding cycle will support approximately 5-7 full project proposals. The maximum project funding amount is $6,000.  

Funding can be used through August 2025, with the option to apply for another round of funding during the 2025-2026 cycle.

Eligible participants:
Full-time FLC faculty members
Adjunct FLC faculty that have taught at FLC for at least 6 semesters or 30 academic credits
Full-time FLC staff
Owner or employee at a local business or non-profit organization
An individual from one of the Tribal Nations in our region
Local entrepreneurs (based in Durango, Cortez, Ignacio, Mancos, Bayfield or another local community within 100 miles of the Center for Innovation)

‍Application deadlines:
‍Round 1 review cycle: January 10, 2025
Round 2 review cycle: February 21, 2025
Round 3 review cycle: March 28, 2025 (if funding remains)

The application process involves several steps:

‍Initial Application: Interested individuals and teams submit an initial application via this Typeform.
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‍Review and Selection: A selection committee reviews the applications based on the program's evaluation criteria.

‍Virtual Interviews (full project proposals only): Candidates/teams are invited for 30-minute Zoom or MS Teams interviews to discuss their projects in more detail and address questions from the selection committee.

‍Final Selection: Successful candidates are notified of their acceptance into the program and provided with further instructions on how to get started.