AI Computing Access Program
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Program update August 2026: The summer & fall 2026 application cycle is now closed. |
The Connecticut AI Alliance (CAIA) is a consortium of 21 Connecticut higher education institutions dedicated to advancing AI education, research, and workforce development across the state. The AI Computing Access Program is a CAIA initiative, funded by the Connecticut Office of Higher Education (OHE) and in partnership with CCIC and CEN, that provides cloud computing credits to faculty and students at member institutions for AI-related teaching, research, and coursework. This is the first cycle of a two-year program. Applications for the summer and fall 2026 cycle are now closed and 31 awards have been made to 13 CAIA Member institutions; there are a select few under review that will be awarded if funds from the first cycle if funds are still available. A second cycle is anticipated for the 2026–2027 academic year.
The program addresses a fundamental barrier in AI education and research: the gap between what faculty and students want to accomplish and the computing power available to them. Training modern AI models, experimenting with large language models, and building AI-powered applications all require access to GPUs and cloud APIs that most institutions cannot provide at scale. This program bridges that gap by removing financial and technical barriers so that the benefits of AI innovation are available broadly across Connecticut, fueling workforce development, research excellence, and institutional participation regardless of size or existing infrastructure.
Program Eligibility
Faculty at any of CAIA’s 21 member institutions were eligible to apply as Principal Investigator. Applications were evaluated by a peer-review committee of CAIA faculty. No prior AI expertise is required for the General Education track.
This cycle is now closed. Awards for summer–fall 2026 were announced in June 2026.
For complete program details, eligibility criteria, and policies, see the AI Computing Access Program Guide (PDF).
To review the slides from the 3/26/26 Informational Webinar, click here.
Program Highlights
- Cloud computing credits distributed across four funding tracks for research, coursework, capstone projects, and AI literacy initiatives, with this first cycle covering Summer and Fall 2026
- GPU computing via Google Colab Pro/Pro+ and JupyterHub, plus LLM API access via Google Vertex AI, including Gemini Pro, Gemini Ultra, and other models
- Open to all disciplines: from computer science and engineering to the humanities, social sciences, health sciences, business, education, and the arts
- Cross-institutional collaboration encouraged and rewarded across all tracks, building a connected statewide AI community
- Peer-reviewed applications evaluated by CAIA faculty on merit, feasibility, impact, and responsible AI practices
Funding Tracks
The 2026 cycle offered four funding tracks, each designed for a different community of need. Applications are now closed; the tracks and award ranges below are shown for reference.
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Duplicate Rule
Application Cycle: Summer & Fall 2026
The AI Computing Access Program has received a high volume of applications in this first cycle. As the program is currently oversubscribed, the following rule is in effect to ensure the broadest possible access across Connecticut's 21 member institutions.
Duplicate Application Rule:
Where a faculty member has submitted applications to more than one track, only one (1) award will be granted in this cycle. Awards will be determined according to the following priority order:
1. Track 2.2 Faculty & Graduate Research Support
2. Track 2.1 Capstone / Senior Design Projects
3. Track 2.3 General Education Integration
4. Track 2.4 AI Course Delivery Support
Why this rule is necessary?
To support the greatest number of faculty and student teams across member institutions, awards are limited to one per applicant at this time. CAIA is committed to expanding access in future cycles.
Questions? Contact us at hpc@ctaialliance.org
Funding & Administration
This program is funded through a grant from the Connecticut Office of Higher Education (OHE), in partnership with CCIC and CEN, as part of CAIA’s broader two-year statewide AI capacity-building initiative.
All computing credits are provisioned through cloud service agreements, currently including Google Cloud and the UMass Amherst Unity HPC cluster, with additional providers available as the program scales. Credits are distributed to awardees based on approved applications and are managed through CAIA’s centralized cloud accounts.
This application cycle supports awarded activities in summer and fall 2026.
Questions?
For questions about eligibility, the application process, or technical support, please email us at hpc@ctaialliance.org.