Facilitating room for ideas

By Sophie Renstchler | Division of Research

Few areas of research have exploded as much as artificial intelligence (AI), and when Clintin Davis-Stober joined Mizzou’s College of Arts & Sciences as a faculty fellow in 2023, the professor of psychological sciences knew that growth could be better built upon as a group. 

“A few years ago, I think researchers were at this inflection point where we needed to know what’s going on with regard to AI, not just in our own work, but in everyone else's,” Davis-Stober said. 

Because of an “information explosion” surrounding AI at the time, he wanted to be a part of a community of scholars that spanned across disciplines.

In Arts & Sciences, he helped build a community surrounding AI research questions and held symposiums across campus that brought together experts in disciplines like architecture, textile and apparel management, statistics and theatre to discuss how AI is impacting their work. 

The hosting of research symposiums was the start of a more formal AI research interest group (RIG) led by Davis-Stober that now brings together roughly 60 people who specialize in AI and machine learning to expand their knowledge base and research pursuits.

“We’re in academia to learn,” he said about the importance of having a research community. “That’s why we do research.”

RIGs bring scientists together across disciplines, carving out time and space to brainstorm. The goal is to energize researchers through sharing, provide protected time to collaborate and, ultimately, secure grant funding. From AI and psychedelic-assisted therapies to immigration and neuroscience, there’s a flavor of these grassroots, faculty-led communities for a variety of specialties.

Davis-Stober said this formal structure kickstarted the RIG’s growth. However, planning or hosting of research meetups can sacrifice precious time scientists spend on the heart of their work, so he wanted help. 

The Connector — a joint unit across the Mizzou’s Division of Research and MU Extension — helped his group and many other RIGs get their footing. It aims to reduce the planning burden and help orchestrate those meetings.

“Researchers want to collaborate outside of their disciplines, they want to bring people together, they want to have the ideas that emerge from cross disciplinary research,” Christine Terry, director of professional development at The Connector, said. “But, it’s a big lift.”

The Connector provides support, handling some of the hefty administrative tasks that can come with collaborative research efforts. Each year, it works closely with four RIGs, providing mentorship and research assistance to groups in hopes that after two years of support with The Connector, groups can branch off to function independently.

“(The Connector’s) support is all very important, especially in getting things off the ground,” Davis-Stober said. 

He added that The Connector helped the AI RIG organize and run mini symposia and brain-storming meetings.

Davis-Stober said fronting the administrative tasks of the RIG would’ve been challenging for him without The Connector’s assistance.

“The RIGS are just one piece of what we do,” Terry said. “The Connector also provides individual research consultations and gives researchers feedback on proposals.”

The Connector also assists scientists in finding funding, grant writing and locating potential research collaborators.

Terry has spent seven years mentoring individual researchers and research groups at Mizzou, and she said the difficulty for some is turning the exchange of ideas into an actual outcome. She pointed out the AI RIG is one group, among others, that capitalized on The Connector's help and their time brainstorming.

“It’s really easy to get siloed in research programs,” Davis-Stober said. 

Davis-Stober said the idea of the AI RIG is to get groups of people together that wouldn’t ordinarily collaborate.

While RIGs are a good way to build connections, Terry noted that the point is to find some way to share ideas.

“There are also very vibrant research interest groups on campus that individual researchers make happen without our support,” Terry said.

See our current list of RIGs or add your collaborative group to the Division of Research website by completing this form. If you have an idea for a new RIG, The Connector may be able to help you get it off the ground. Contact theconnector@missouri.edu for more information.