Artificial Intelligence Community

Hello AI Enthusiasts, 

Thanks for playing and sharing how you used AI last week. That was so much fun, lets try again! 

What's one small task that AI helped you do faster or better in the past week? Email drafting, meeting prep, spreadsheet summaries, formatting-nothing is too small to share. Let's keep the ideas (and inspiration) flowing!

Have an AI-powered week-and get more done with less stress!

Lisa

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Lisa Wilson
Interim Assistant Vice President, Office of Research Administration
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
4705721794
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I recently transitioned to a new institution, so I'm still getting to know the department and the researchers I'll be supporting. I've been using ChatGPT to help me digest updated guidance by summarizing key points and explaining how the changes will impact me in my new role-as well as how they might affect my PIs. If something isn't clear, I ask follow-up questions until I feel confident in my understanding. 

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Kari Woodrum
Grants & Contracts Asst.
University of Illinois at Champaign
Champaign, IL
217-333-2186
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Hi Kari,

Congratulations on your new role! Transitioning to a new institution means navigating new policies, systems, and people, so it's great to hear how you're using AI to get oriented. I've been doing something similar-recently I used ChatGPT to work through the new NOT‑OD‑25‑132 guidance that Youyou shared in her reply to Robin.

Rather than asking for a summary, I've found it more useful to ask targeted questions-just like I would with a program officer or NIH policy lead. I asked:

• What exactly counts toward the six-application limit-do renewals or multi-PI submissions apply differently?

• How does NIH define "substantially developed by AI"-what level of assistance is acceptable?

• If AI use is flagged after an award, what's the escalation process, and how should institutions prepare?

That kind of back-and-forth makes it easier for me to interpret and apply in real-world settings.

Kari, thanks for jumping into the discussion with such a thoughtful example. I hope you'll keep sharing as you settle in-your perspective is a valuable addition to the conversation!

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Lisa Wilson
Interim Assistant Vice President, Office of Research Administration
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
4705721794
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Mon July 21, 2025 11:09
From: Kari Woodrum
Subject: AI Community Prompt of the Week: July 21, 2025

I recently transitioned to a new institution, so I'm still getting to know the department and the researchers I'll be supporting. I've been using ChatGPT to help me digest updated guidance by summarizing key points and explaining how the changes will impact me in my new role-as well as how they might affect my PIs. If something isn't clear, I ask follow-up questions until I feel confident in my understanding. 

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Kari Woodrum
Grants & Contracts Asst.
University of Illinois at Champaign
Champaign, IL
217-333-2186
------------------------------

Great to get everyone's examples using AI. Over the past month, I've leveraged AI in several practical ways to enhance productivity and communication:

• PowerPoint Illustrations: I used Copilot to generate custom graphics for staff and research presentations ranging from generic messages (e.g., "Welcome New Hire" or "Great Job Team") to more tailored visuals (e.g., a research administrator at work). While initial results varied, iterative prompting allowed me to create personalized visuals beyond generic stock imagery.

• Presentation Outlines: For an internal "Lunch & Learn" on post-award processes, I used Copilot to draft a presentation outline. By accessing my Outlook and internal files, it synthesized content from SOPs, past presentations, and emails to produce a highly relevant starting framework.

• Feedback for Direct Reports: I utilized Copilot to review prior monthly 1:1 meeting summaries, helping identify trends, recurring issues, and incomplete tasks. It also suggested more focused goals, enabling clearer follow-up and alignment on priorities that could be shared. 

• AI-Generated Summaries: I experimented with Copilot's suggested summaries, such as highlighting weekly priorities, key upcoming meetings, and email thread overviews. While not always fully accurate, these tools offer a helpful starting point especially when returning from time away and could save time if used thoughtfully.

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Brian Miller
Director of Operations
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
(404) 727-5230
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Hi Brian,

I really appreciated your post-so many practical, real-world examples. I especially liked how you used Copilot iteratively to refine presentation visuals. It's a good reminder that these tools aren't one-and-done-they improve with more interaction and context. Honestly, that mirrors how we work with our team members: the more conversation and collaboration, the better the results.

I've mostly used ChatGPT during presentation prep-not to generate slides, but to anticipate what questions an audience member might ask so I can address them directly on the slide. It's helped me stay a step ahead, especially when presenting to groups with different levels of familiarity with the topic.

Your example about reviewing one-on-one summaries stood out too. Using Copilot to identify trends, recurring issues, and unfinished tasks is a smart way to stay aligned across meetings. I hadn't thought to apply it that way, but now it's on my list to try.

I also agree with your take on summaries-not always perfect, but a useful starting point, especially after being away for a few days. I guess I'll have to use it next week since I am suppose to be on vacation this week.

Thanks again for sharing these use cases, Brian. I hope you'll keep posting as you try new things-seeing how others are applying these tools really helps expand the conversation.

Anyone else wanna chime in on Brian's use case?

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Lisa Wilson
Interim Assistant Vice President, Office of Research Administration
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
4705721794
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Mon July 21, 2025 16:00
From: Brian Miller
Subject: AI Community Prompt of the Week: July 21, 2025

Great to get everyone's examples using AI. Over the past month, I've leveraged AI in several practical ways to enhance productivity and communication:

• PowerPoint Illustrations: I used Copilot to generate custom graphics for staff and research presentations ranging from generic messages (e.g., "Welcome New Hire" or "Great Job Team") to more tailored visuals (e.g., a research administrator at work). While initial results varied, iterative prompting allowed me to create personalized visuals beyond generic stock imagery.

• Presentation Outlines: For an internal "Lunch & Learn" on post-award processes, I used Copilot to draft a presentation outline. By accessing my Outlook and internal files, it synthesized content from SOPs, past presentations, and emails to produce a highly relevant starting framework.

• Feedback for Direct Reports: I utilized Copilot to review prior monthly 1:1 meeting summaries, helping identify trends, recurring issues, and incomplete tasks. It also suggested more focused goals, enabling clearer follow-up and alignment on priorities that could be shared. 

• AI-Generated Summaries: I experimented with Copilot's suggested summaries, such as highlighting weekly priorities, key upcoming meetings, and email thread overviews. While not always fully accurate, these tools offer a helpful starting point especially when returning from time away and could save time if used thoughtfully.

------------------------------
Brian Miller
Director of Operations
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
(404) 727-5230
------------------------------