Use of Generative AI in the Review of Applications – Reviewers
Use of Generative AI in the Review of Applications - Reviewers
As an organization committed to using new tools to do its best work, and the leader of Canada’s national AI research and talent strategy, CIFAR is an enthusiastic supporter of the responsible use of AI. Our approach is driven by principles that underscore our commitment to transparency and research integrity.
For the purpose of all applications, CIFAR is aligned with the guidance provided by the Canadian federal research agencies regarding the use of generative AI.
CIFAR strictly prohibits the use of publicly available online tools for evaluating applications for privacy considerations, to safeguard original ideas, and to ensure appropriately informed decision-making.
Reviewers should also be aware that applicants are permitted to use generative AI in developing their applications, but accountability for the integrity and quality of the final application remains solely with the applicant.
In the evaluation of applications, reviewers should be aware that uploading application information into any online tool could result in breaches of privacy and in the loss of custody of intellectual property. Examples include transmission of application text to online tools such as Cohere and DeepL, which may store and reuse the data for future enhancement of the tool. This would place a reviewer in breach of CIFAR’s Statement of Principles & Code of Conduct. Therefore, use of publicly available online tools for evaluating grant applications is strictly prohibited.
We encourage reviewers to consult the Canadian federal research agencies’ new Guidance on the use of Artificial Intelligence in the development and review of research grant proposals when reviewing applications.
__________________
1 Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)