CORE Institute
The Convergence Research (CORE) Institute catalyzes an impact network of students, researchers, practitioners, industry leaders, and public policy professionals committed to engaging in research driven by societal problems that require deep integration across disciplines and sectors to create solutions. CORE Institute workshops and training programs provide participants with frameworks for achieving impact through technology on the most challenging issues of our time. The CORE Institute is an initiative of the Societal Computing and Innovation Lab (SCIL), led by Dr. Ilkay Altintas, based at San Diego Supercomputer Center at UC San Diego. The Institute was launched in 2022 with support from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP).
Call for Leadership Council
The CORE Institute is establishing a Leadership Council for its upcoming Fellows Cohort on AI & Indigenous Language Revitalization. The researchers, practitioners, and community leaders selected for the Council will serve as the founding body of a broader CORE Institute Fellows Cohort dedicated to building responsible, community-centered approaches to AI in endangered language contexts.
Interest in applying AI to Indigenous languages is growing rapidly, but efforts often proceed without meaningful coordination between technical researchers and those with deep experience in language documentation and community-based revitalization. This Leadership Council will help ensure that early design decisions are informed by the full range of relevant expertise (linguistic, technical, cultural, and pedagogical) so that long-term norms in this emerging field are shaped collaboratively rather than unilaterally.
The full cohort of Fellows will work together from July 2026-June 2027 to support sustained interdisciplinary collaboration on AI and Indigenous language revitalization. The cohort will enable meaningful progress in this space through ongoing dialogue across communities, disciplines, and institutions, rather than one-off workshops or isolated projects.
Role of the Leadership Council
The Leadership Council will play a central role in shaping the cohort’s activities, priorities, structure, and values. Specific responsibilities include:
- Participating in a virtual kickoff meeting in May 2026 to establish shared goals, identify key questions, and prepare for the June workshop
- Attending and actively contributing to the Workshop on AI and Indigenous Language Revitalization (June 8–10, 2026)
- Collaborating on workshop outputs, including a co-authored position paper and practical recommendations for researchers and funding agencies
- Helping design and issue a call for a broader cohort of CORE Fellows based on the workshop’s findings and recommendations
- Advising on the structure, governance, and priorities of the CORE Fellows network going forward
The time commitment beyond attending the workshop is expected to be moderate: approximately 2–4 hours per month through the design phase of the broader fellowship call, with flexibility for varied levels of involvement.
About the Workshop
The Workshop on AI and Indigenous Language Revitalization is an NSF-funded gathering that brings together Indigenous language teachers, linguists, archivists, and AI researchers to collectively define what responsible and collaborative AI engagement should look like in endangered-language contexts.
Through invited talks, panels, breakout sessions, and open discussion, participants will:
- Reflect on parallels between earlier language documentation efforts and current AI practices
- Surface emerging harms and promising approaches
- Explore models for community governance, data stewardship, and co-design that can be adapted for AI-driven contexts
A central premise is that the field of language documentation already offers decades of practical models for sustainable, partnership-driven research and that these hard-earned lessons should inform how AI enters this space, rather than being rediscovered through trial and error.
Who Should Apply
We are seeking applicants who bring expertise and leadership in one or more of the following areas:
- Indigenous language teaching, curriculum development, or community-based language revitalization
- Linguistics, language documentation, or archival work with endangered languages
- Natural language processing, machine learning, or AI research (particularly in low-resource language settings)
- Data sovereignty, Indigenous data governance, or research ethics
- Education technology, digital humanities, or language technology development
We especially encourage applications from Indigenous language community members, early-career researchers, and individuals whose work bridges multiple areas listed above. The cohort will be strongest when it reflects the full range of perspectives needed to guide responsible work in this field.
Support for Leadership Council Members
Leadership Council members will receive:
- Full travel support (airfare, ground transportation) for the June workshop
- Lodging and meals during the workshop
- Support for virtual meeting participation (technology access as needed)
How to Apply
Applications should be submitted to our online application portal. Questions may be directed to jporten@ucsd.edu. To apply for the Leadership Cohort, please submit the following materials by Monday, April 20, 2026, combined into one document.
- Statement of Interest (max 1 page)
Describe your relevant experience and expertise, your interest in the intersection of AI and Indigenous language revitalization, and what perspective you would bring to the leadership cohort. We welcome statements that draw on professional, community, or personal experience.
- CV or Resume
Highlight relevant work, publications, community engagement, or projects. Non-traditional formats are welcome.
- Reference
The name, title, email and phone number of a colleague, community partner, or supervisor who can speak to your contributions and suitability for this role.
Review Criteria
Applications will be reviewed with attention to:
- Depth of relevant expertise in one or more of the areas described above
- Demonstrated commitment to community-centered and collaborative approaches
- Potential to contribute meaningfully to cross-disciplinary dialogue and network building
This program is supported by the National Science Foundation
