Award Overview
The University of Florida Intelligent Clinical Care Center (IC3) and the College of Medicine Office of Research are pleased to announce the FY25-26 Oberndorf AI Medical Scholarship Program. This initiative welcomes proposals from medical students eager to apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) for groundbreaking advancements in medicine.
This Request for Proposals (RFP) presents a unique opportunity for students to not only conceptualize and develop AI-based projects but also to gain hands-on research training experiences, enriching their skill sets. The mentorship component, which utilizes experts affiliated with the University of Florida (UF) and IC3 who possess substantial experience in AI, will enhance this learning journey
The initiative aims to inspire creativity, foster impactful contributions, and ensure feasibility in proposed project ideas, ultimately making a significant difference in patient care, diagnostics, research, or healthcare management. Through this initiative, the goal is to create a collaborative environment where the intersection of medical knowledge and AI innovation is guided by experienced mentors from UF, thereby increasing the research capabilities and readiness of medical students for the future.
Funding is provided by a generous donation from Lou and Rosemary Oberndorf. Mr. Oberndorf is the founder and chairman of Medical Education Technologies, Inc and an esteemed donor at the University of Florida. Award amount is $5,000.
Proposal Submission: Full complete proposals are due January 5, 2026 on the University of Florida InfoReady research platform.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be second, third- or fourth-year medical students working on AI- focused research and currently enrolled as a UF medical student.
- Previous experience with AI is not required, but a strong interest in the intersection of AI and medicine is essential.
- AI mentor must be a current member of Intelligent Clinical Care Center (IC3 ) or membership pending at time of submission deadline with extensive AI experience.
Final Proposal Requirements
Format: We recommend following the NIH guidelines for font size and spacing.
Required Documents:
- Applications must propose innovative AI approaches and include:
Approach (2 pages max)
- Title of the project
- Background and motivation for the project
- Research question(s) or problem(s) you aim to address
- Methodology: How you intend to use AI in your project
- Expected outcomes and impact on the medical field
- Proposed timeline for project completion (up to 12 months)
- Information related to AI mentor, who must be a current member of Intelligent Clinical Care Center (IC3) or membership pending at time of submission deadline with extensive AI experience.
a. Letter of support from an AI mentor
b. AI mentor’s biosketch
c. Applicants’ CV
d. Applicant’s head shot photo
Budget: See sample budget below.
Review Process and Criteria
- All applications will be triaged for completeness, feasibility, likelihood of completing the project in one year, and responsiveness to the RFA.
- Selection Criteria:
- Clarity and completeness of the proposal
- Feasibility and potential impact of the project
- Originality and creativity of the proposed idea
- Strength of the mentor/ student partnership
- Conditions of Award Acceptance
- Funding success related to this award will be tracked. Award recipients will agree to:
- Submit two progress reports that include progress on what has been done, how budget has been utilized, and if there are any presentations and manuscripts related to this project. The recipient should submit any manuscripts or articles published and poster or slides of presentations made. Non-compliant PIs will not be permitted to submit future request.
- A six-month progress report is due June 30, 2026.
- A one-year progress report is required to be submitted by January 31, 2027.
- Track and report budget expenses throughout the duration of the grant. An itemized budget of expenses must be submitted in an Excel format with the final progress report. Budget changes will require prior approval. No cost extensions may be provided on a limited case-by-case basis.
- Acknowledge the support of this award on all future publications and presentations resulting from the award. For all future publications and grant applications resulting from the use of IC3 resources, include the following acknowledgment: “Support was provided by the University of Florida College of Medicine Office of Research and the Intelligent Clinical Care Center’s (IC3) Oberndorf AI Medical Catalyst Grant.”.
- Consider presenting your research at an IC3 related events organized by IC3 , providing an opportunity to share your project’s objectives, methodologies, and updates.
- Awardees are encouraged to attend the UF College of Medicine Annual Celebration of Research in February 2027.
Contact: For more information, please contact Alicia Antone, Administrative Specialist III, IC3 Administration, at aantone@ufl.edu or 352-294-8580.
2025 Oberndorf Medical AI Catalyst Grant Awardees
2024 Oberndorf Clinical AI Scholar
Sasank Desaraju
LLM Agent Extraction of SICU Patient Information from EHR Database
His project aims to create an open-source large language model system that can autonomously answer clinical questions about patients by accessing the research Electronic Health Record database.
2024 Oberndorf Clinical AI Scholar
Daniel Lichlyter
Causal Forests: A Pilot for Risk Stratification of Post-Nephrectomy Renal Impairment
His project hopes to improve on tools that predict chronic kidney disease after surgical intervention.
2024 Oberndorf Clinical AI Scholar
Anjali Patel
Developing AI-Powered Image Segmentation Software for Enhanced Carotid MRI Interpretation
Her project aims to change how carotid plaque of MRIs are read in clinical practice.
