REDMOND, Wash., and
WASHINGTON, July 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On Monday,
Microsoft Corp. and National Geographic announced a new partnership
to advance scientific exploration and research on critical
environmental challenges with the power of artificial intelligence
(AI). The newly created $1 million AI
for Earth Innovation Grant program will provide award recipients
with financial support, access to Microsoft cloud and AI tools,
inclusion in the National Geographic Explorer community, and
affiliation with National Geographic Labs, an initiative launched
by National Geographic to accelerate transformative change and
exponential solutions to the world's biggest challenges by
harnessing data, technology and innovation. Individuals and
organizations working at the intersection of environmental science
and computer science can apply today at
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/grants/grant-opportunities/ai-earth-innovation/.
"National Geographic is synonymous with science and exploration,
and in Microsoft we found a partner that is well-positioned to
accelerate the pace of scientific research and new solutions to
protect our natural world," said Jonathan
Baillie, chief scientist and executive vice president,
science and exploration at the National Geographic Society. "With
today's announcement, we will enable outstanding explorers seeking
solutions for a sustainable future with the cloud and AI
technologies that can quickly improve the speed, scope and scale of
their work as well as support National Geographic Labs' activities
around technology and innovation for a planet in balance."
"Microsoft is constantly exploring the boundaries of what
technology can do, and what it can do for people and the world,"
said Lucas Joppa, chief environmental scientist at Microsoft. "We
believe that humans and computers, working together through AI, can
change the way that society monitors, models and manages Earth's
natural systems. We believe this because we've seen it — we're
constantly amazed by the advances our AI for Earth collaborators
have made over the past months. Scaling this through National
Geographic's global network will create a whole new generation of
explorers who use AI to create a more sustainable future for the
planet and everyone on it."
The $1 million AI for Earth
Innovation Grant program will provide financial support to between
five and 15 novel projects that use AI to advance conservation
research toward a more sustainable future. The grants will support
the creation and deployment of open-sourced trained models and
algorithms that will be made broadly available to other
environmental researchers, which offers greater potential to
provide exponential impact.
Qualifying applications will focus on one or more of the core
areas: agriculture, biodiversity conservation, climate change and
water. Applications are open as of today and must be submitted by
Oct. 8, 2018. Recipients will be
announced in December 2018. Those who
want more information and to apply can visit
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/grants/grant-opportunities/ai-earth-innovation/.
About the National Geographic Society
The National
Geographic Society is a leading nonprofit that invests in bold
people and transformative ideas in the fields of exploration,
scientific research, storytelling and education. The Society
aspires to create a community of change, advancing key insights
about the planet and probing some of the most pressing scientific
questions of our time, all while ensuring that the next generation
is armed with geographic knowledge and global understanding. Its
goal is measurable impact: furthering exploration and educating
people around the world to inspire solutions for the greater good.
For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.org.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft)
enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud
and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and
every organization on the planet to achieve more.
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SOURCE Microsoft Corp.