Join a community of researchers advancing AI and data science at Ohio State through interdisciplinary collaboration, professional development, and research excellence.
Program Overview
The TDAI AI and Data Science Graduate Fellows Program is designed to advance the research, professional development, and interdisciplinary collaborations of Ohio State PhD candidates. Fellows maintain their home department affiliation while becoming active members of Ohio State's broader AI ecosystem through TDAI.
The program welcomes students from any discipline whose research aligns with AI, data science, or their applications across research domains.
Fellowship Benefits
Selected fellows will receive:
- A two-year fellowship appointment beginning Fall 2026
- TDAI funding for 50% of salary, benefits, tuition, and fees (as determined by the home department and college)
- Up to $1,000 annually for conference travel
- Access to TDAI's interdisciplinary AI and data science research community
- Opportunities to collaborate with TDAI-affiliated faculty across Ohio State
- Professional development, networking, and leadership opportunities
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Be a PhD candidate at The Ohio State University
- Have successfully completed their PhD candidacy examination by July 1, 2026. Applications contingent upon a future candidacy examination will not be considered.
- Conduct research related to AI and/or data science
- Have a faculty advisor who is a current TDAI member. Advisors who are not yet members may join TDAI prior to application submission through the TDAI membership form.
Research areas may include:
- Foundations of AI and data science
- Responsible and secure AI
- Computational health and life sciences
- Computational social sciences
- Cybersecurity, privacy, and safety
- Nature and agriculture
- AI-ready data
- Open science and reproducible research
Key Dates
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications Open | June 1, 2026 |
| Application Deadline | July 1, 2026 |
| Application Review | July 2026 |
| Interviews | Late July/August 2026 |
| Awards Announced | Late August/September 2026 |
Expectations of Fellows
TDAI Fellows are expected to be active members of the institute's research community. Fellows will:
- Spend approximately 5–10 hours per week at TDAI in Pomerene Hall
- Establish and lead a working group aligned with their research interests
- Participate in fellowship training and collaboration activities
- Attend TDAI seminars, talks, and events
- Present their research annually to the TDAI community
Application Requirements
Applicants must submit:
- Application Letter (maximum 2 pages)
- Personal Statement (maximum ½ page)
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
These materials should be combined into a single PDF and uploaded through the application portal.
Download Full Program Description (PDF)
Applicants will also provide the name and email address of their faculty advisor. Advisors will be contacted separately to submit a nomination letter.
Questions?
For questions regarding the fellowship program, contact:
Cathie Smith
Managing Director, Translational Data Analytics Institute
smith.4420@osu.edu