AIM Seed Grants Support 11 AI Research Projects

A glowing neon-pink digital plant sprouts from a luminous base, with translucent geometric leaves made of interconnected lines and polygons. The plant is surrounded by streams of light, floating numbers, and a futuristic data network in shades of purple, magenta, and blue, symbolizing technology-driven growth, innovation, or digital transformation.

Among 11 newly funded projects, a team led by Assistant Professor Catherine Nakalembe will use geospatial AI to map animal feeding operations and optimize nutrient management across Maryland.

From tracking the impact of artificial intelligence data centers to investigating how responsible AI technology could help alleviate homelessness or support students in the classroom, 11 new seed grants will fund projects by faculty from across the University of Maryland who are advancing AI innovation in ways that uplift society.

The grants were selected through the Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland's (AIM) 2026 Research Seed Award Program, which supports innovative science and scholarship advancing foundational AI research as well as AIM's core focus areas of accessibility, justice, sustainability and learning.

Together, the funded projects explore how emerging technologies can address complex societal challenges and generate meaningful public impact:

AFO Mapping and Spatially-Explicit Nutrient Transfer Optimization

Geographical sciences Assistant Professor Catherine Nakalembe and environmental science and technology Professor Stephanie Lansing are leading research to optimize the placement of waste-to-resource technologies across Maryland's agricultural landscape by resolving critical data gaps in animal feeding operation (AFO) mapping and crop nutrient demand. The project employs a geospatial AI approach that integrates deep learning with multisource satellite imagery for high-resolution AFO detection and nutrient supply and nutrient balance mapping, as well as geospatial optimization.

Full list of projects

This article was written by Mël Coles and originally published in Maryland Today.

Image: With a new round of seed grants, the Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland is supporting UMD faculty projects to improve human health, support students, create fairer AI systems and much more. (Illustration by Adobe Stock)

Published on Wed, 06/24/2026 - 09:27