Responsible AI Certificate Scholarship
Iowa State is offering a $2,000 scholarship, renewable each semester, to students who start the Graduate Certificate in Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) for AI Practitioners [link] in Spring 2027 or later. If you've been thinking about building expertise in responsible AI, now is a great time to apply.
Scholarship details
- Award: $2,000 per semester, credited to your U-Bill once your enrollment is confirmed. Any amount left after current charges is refunded to you. There are limited scholarships, and earlier applicants will have priority.
- Eligibility: U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and permanent residents who are new to the certificate, starting in Spring 2027 or later.
- Available each semester: You can receive the scholarship every semester, subject to your academic progress in the certificate.
- No separate application for Spring 2027: Applying to the certificate is all you need to do.
Students receiving the full D4 traineeship stipend are not eligible in the same semester, since that package already covers tuition.
About the certificate
This 13-credit certificate provides advanced training in building, evaluating, and deploying AI systems responsibly. It focuses on quantifying and mitigating risks such as bias, opacity, and uncertainty across the AI lifecycle. It is a permanent outcome of the NSF-funded Dependable Data Driven Discovery National Research Traineeship (D4 NRT).
Coursework includes:
- One foundation course in AI or machine learning (3 credits)
- Two responsible AI courses (6 credits); an approved research course or creative component in your graduate major can count toward this requirement
- Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (1 credit)
- One approved elective, with options in computer science, statistics, mathematics, engineering, bioinformatics, and business
The certificate is a great fit for graduate students who want a focused credential in responsible AI without committing to a full minor. It also suits working professionals.
How to apply
The application deadline for Spring 2027 entry is November 1, 2026. Apply through Iowa State's online application system and select the Responsible Artificial Intelligence for AI Practitioners Graduate Certificate. Letters of recommendation and GRE scores are not required.
Your commitments
Complete D4 program evaluation surveys, and acknowledge NSF support in work that grows out of the certificate using this acknowledgement
"This work is partially supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 2152117. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation."
Excellence Recognition Award
D4 recognizes D4 trainees and participants in the Responsible Artificial Intelligence for AI Practitioners graduate certificate program whose dependable-AI research is accepted at the most selective venues in their field. If you are the first or co-first author of a paper accepted at a top-tier conference, you are eligible for an up to $2,000 award.
Eligibility
- U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident
- Stipend or non-stipend trainee enrolled in the D4 NRT program or enrolled in the Responsible Artificial Intelligence for AI Practitioners graduate certificate program
- First or co-first author of the paper
- Full paper accepted to the main track of a conference ranked A* or A in the current ICORE Conference Ranking [link], or of another top venue in your field approved by the D4 steering committee
- The paper advances D4's goal of identifying, measuring, or mitigating risks in data science and AI lifecycles
How to claim the award
Once your paper is accepted, email the D4 program coordinator at d4info@iastate.edu with:
- your acceptance notice and the accepted paper
- the conference's ICORE ranking, or why it is a top venue in your field
- a short explanation of how your paper meets each criterion above
The coordinator will confirm your eligibility and arrange payment after you provide itemized receipts of your flight and hotel expenses post-conference.
What we ask in return
- Acknowledge NRT-D4 funding in your paper and all presentations, using this statement: This work is partially supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 2152117. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
- Present your findings to the Iowa State community, either in a department talk or at the D4 Research Symposium held each summer.
- Send conference photos and a short summary for D4's NSF reports and the Achievements page link.
One award is given per paper. Awards depend on the availability of NSF funds.