The University of Maryland, College Park is a flagship public research university conducting extensive AI safety, trustworthy AI, and responsible AI research through multiple interdisciplinary institutes and centers.
The University of Maryland, College Park is a flagship public research university conducting extensive AI safety, trustworthy AI, and responsible AI research through multiple interdisciplinary institutes and centers.
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Updated 05/18/26Funding Details
Updated 05/18/26- Annual Budget
- $2,980,000,000
- Current Runway
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- Funding Goal
- -
- Funding Raised to Date
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Org Details
Updated 05/18/26The University of Maryland, College Park is a public research university founded in 1856 and located in College Park, Maryland. As the flagship institution of the University System of Maryland, UMD enrolls approximately 41,000 students across 12 colleges and schools, and employs over 10,000 faculty and staff. It is consistently ranked among the top five public universities for AI by U.S. News and World Report and is a top-five PhD producer in AI nationally. UMD has built a substantial portfolio of AI safety and trustworthy AI programs. The Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland (AIM) was officially launched in April 2024 as a collaborative hub spanning all 12 colleges. AIM is supported by a planned $100 million investment over ten years from the university and its philanthropic and industry partners. The institute involves 200+ faculty members, 200+ AI courses across 50+ departments, and focuses on four research pillars: accessibility, sustainability, social justice, and learning. AIM emphasizes responsible and ethical AI development and is hiring 40 new faculty members to expand its capacity. The NSF Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law and Society (TRAILS) is a $20 million initiative co-led by UMD in partnership with George Washington University, Morgan State University, and Cornell University. TRAILS works to transform AI practice from one driven primarily by technological innovation to one grounded in ethics, human rights, and community input across the AI lifecycle. The Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS), established in 2018, is one of only 14 designated Department of Defense University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) in the nation. With 200+ employees, ARLIS conducts both classified and unclassified applied research on AI, cybersecurity, and intelligence systems. UMD joined the AI Safety Institute Consortium (AISIC), with its role co-led by ARLIS and TRAILS, positioning the university as a key contributor to national AI safety standards. The university also hosts the Values-Centered Artificial Intelligence (VCAI) initiative and maintains significant AI policy engagement through the UMD Tech Policy Hub. Total research expenditures at UMD reached approximately $1.4 billion in FY2023, with the university ranking 11th among public institutions in NSF research and development spending.
Theory of Change
Updated 05/18/26UMD advances AI safety through three complementary pathways. First, by training the next generation of AI researchers and policymakers who understand both technical and societal dimensions of AI risk, the university shapes long-term norms and practices in the field. Second, through interdisciplinary research that integrates computer science with law, ethics, psychology, and social science, UMD develops trustworthy AI frameworks and safeguards that can be adopted by industry and government. Third, through direct government partnerships (ARLIS as a DoD UARC, TRAILS as NSF-funded, AISIC membership), UMD translates academic research into policy standards and technical evaluations that reduce AI-related harms at a systemic level.
Grants Received
Updated 05/18/26Projects
Updated 05/18/26
A Department of Defense university-affiliated research center at UMD that serves as a strategic asset for applied research in intelligence and security, with core expertise in human and social systems, advanced computing, and integrated human–machine systems.
UMD’s campus-wide AI institute that serves as a collaborative hub for interdisciplinary research, education, and engagement focused on responsible and ethical artificial intelligence for the public good.
A multi-institutional research institute led by UMD that integrates participation, technology, and governance across the AI lifecycle to design trustworthy AI systems grounded in ethics, human rights, and community input.
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