The MIT School of Engineering and Pillar VC today announced the MIT-Pillar AI Collective, a one-year pilot program funded by a gift from Pillar VC that will provide seed grants for projects in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science with the goal of supporting translational research. The program will support graduate students and postdocs through access to funding, mentorship, and customer discovery. Graduate students and postdocs will aim to emerge from the program having built minimum viable products, with support from Pillar VC and experienced industry leaders. "We are grateful for this support from Pillar VC and to join forces to converge the commercialization of translational research in AI, data science, and machine learning, with an emphasis on identifying and cultivating prospective entrepreneurs," says Anantha Chandrakasan, dean of the MIT School of Engineering and Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. "Pillar's focus on mentorship for our graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, and centering the program within the Deshpande Center, will undoubtedly foster big ideas in AI and create an environment for prospective companies to launch and thrive."

The MSNZ Frankfurt offers positions for advanced postdoctoral researchers as junior group leaders with expertise in Bioinformatics, Artificial Intelligence / Deep Learning or Computational Biology and a focus on translational cancer research. The position aims at scientists with a life science background or physicians working exclusively in science or with limited clinical duties who are aiming at a long-term perspective in academic medicine with high scientific expectations. A competitive research proposal needs to be submitted. The application form is available for download below. Please describe your project plan and scientific concept with all relevant information and provide an outlook for your future career plans as well as your long-term scientific goals.

In early 2015, IEEE Intelligent Systems solicited nominations for its "10 to Watch" from a wide range of senior AI researchers from both academia and industry. The nominees all received their PhDs in the past five years. A short list of top candidates was voted on by the selection committee, consisting of members of the Intelligent Systems editorial and advisory boards. The final decisions were made by the entire boards. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Raymond Perrault, who served as the Chair of this year's selection committee and did a great job managing the selection process.