Cornell University has selected three new Thought Summits for 2026, advancing collaboration in artificial intelligence and data science across disciplines ranging from veterinary medicine and environmental justice to humanitarian response.
Thought Summits are fully funded, multi-day symposia designed to foster new research collaborations and develop large-scale, multi-institutional funding proposals. The program launched through Cornell's Center for Data Science for Enterprise and Society (CDSES) and has since expanded in partnership with the Cornell AI Initiative.
The newly selected summits are:
Data Science to Build Resilience and Improve Humanitarian Response
May 11-15, 2026 | Location: Warren Hall 401
Organized by Christopher Barrett, the Stephen B. and Janice G. Ashley Professor of Applied Economics and Management in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, this summit will explore how data science and AI can strengthen crisis prediction, prevention and recovery in vulnerable regions. Hosted by Cornell's Collaboration for International Development Economics Research (CIDER) in partnership with CDSES, the summit will connect humanitarian leaders, researchers and private-sector partners to develop data-driven strategies for improving aid delivery and early warning systems.
Co-principal investigators include Sumanta Basu, associate professor of statistics and data science in the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, and Ying Sun, associate professor of geospatial sciences in the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Community-Centered AI: Methodological Innovations for Environmental Justice, Labor Equity, and Data Sovereignty
May 18-20, 2026 | Location: Computing and Information Science Building, Room 142
This summit, led by Jenny Goldstein, assistant professor of global development in Agriculture and Life Sciences, will address the need for community-controlled, ethical approaches to AI. Through workshops and participatory design sessions, researchers, practitioners and community leaders will explore how AI can be reimagined to support environmental justice, labor equity and data sovereignty. The event will produce a Community-Centered AI Toolkit, methodology guides and case study databases, along with a long-term roadmap to establish community-controlled AI as a recognized field of practice.
Co-principal investigators include Michael Charles, assistant professor of biomedical and environmental engineering in Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Chris Csíkszentmihályi, associate professor of information science in Cornell Bowers.
From Data to Animal Health: Building Benchmarks for AI-Driven Veterinary Innovation
June 9-11, 2026 | Location: College of Veterinary Medicine
Led by Renata Ivanek, professor of population medicine and diagnostic sciences in the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, this summit will bring together experts from veterinary medicine, computer science, ethics and law to develop standardized, high-quality datasets tailored to veterinary applications. Participants aim to establish VETNET, a first-of-its-kind ecosystem of live benchmarks to foster AI-driven innovation in veterinary medicine. The convening is expected to produce a foundational whitepaper and launch a cross-sector partnership to advance animal health and welfare.
Co-principal investigators include Casey Cazer, assistant professor of the Small Animal Community Practice Service and Parminder Basran, associate professor of clinical sciences, both in Veterinary Medicine, and Jennifer Sun, assistant professor of computer science in Cornell Bowers.
All Cornell University faculty are invited to apply for the next Thought Summits on Data Science and AI call for proposals, opening March 2026. Proposals will ideally be from teams of at least three principal investigators representing three or more different departments. Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research initiatives are especially encouraged.
Learn more at thoughtsummits.cornell.edu.
Megan Pillar is the communications specialist for societal systems in Cornell Research & Innovation.
