Pitt-AWS Cloud Innovation Center (CIC): Project Submissions

Frequently Asked Questions

This initiative not only advances the University of Pittsburgh’s collective AI capabilities but also empowers students through hands-on learning with real-world problems. It fosters a culture of innovation, collaboration, and impact throughout the Pitt community.

Members of the Pitt community, including:

  • Campus administrators
  • Department heads
  • Faculty members
  • IT staff
  • Student services professionals
  • Operations managers
  • Academic program directors

Real-world challenges that could be improved by AI solutions. Ideas include:

  • Student success and retention
  • Administrative efficiency
  • Campus operations
  • Academic support services
  • Resource allocation
  • Student services
  • Accessibility improvements
  • Sustainability initiatives 

Challenges will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  1. Potential impact
  2. Feasible timeframe
  3. Data availability and accessibility
  4. Technical scope appropriateness
  5. Potential for cross-campus application
  6. Clarity of success metrics
Submission Guidelines

Ensure you have the required information to submit your proposal by preparing answers for our guideline questions.

1. Problem Definition

What specific challenge or opportunity are you addressing?

  • Who are the primary stakeholders affected?
  • What is the current process or situation?
  • What are the pain points or limitations of the current approach?
  • What is the scale of impact (number of users/departments affected)?
2. Desired Outcomes

What does success look like?

  • What specific metrics would measure success?
  • What would be the immediate benefits?
  • What would be the long-term impact?
  • Are there any specific constraints or requirements?
3. Data Considerations

What data sources are relevant to this project?

  • Is the necessary data currently available?
  • What is the format of the available data?
  • Are there any privacy considerations?
  • What data cleaning or preparation would be needed?
4. Technical Integration

What existing systems would need to be considered?

  • Are there specific platforms or tools currently in use?
  • What are the integration requirements?
  • Are there any technical constraints?
  • What security considerations should be addressed?
5. Implementation Context

What resources would be available for implementation?

  • Who would maintain the solution?
  • What approvals would be needed?
  • What is the desired timeline for implementation?
  • Are there any budget considerations?