Brief description of the organization
The Nunavut Economic Developers Association (NEDA) supports economic development officers (EDOs) and economic development professionals across Nunavut by offering training, advocacy, and tools to build capacity and strengthen communities. NEDA is dedicated to promoting sustainable economic growth in Nunavut’s communities by empowering local leadership and fostering local ownership of development initiatives.
Problem area
Many Nunavut communities lack internal capacity to draft grant and funding proposals, often relying on external consultants. This reliance can result in a loss of Inuit/community context and perspectives in funding applications, with external consultants influencing the priorities. Additionally, hiring third-party consultants can be costly and time-consuming, limiting access to vital funding opportunities.
Main objectives
- Develop an AI/ML-powered grant and proposal writing tool that enables Nunavut communities to independently draft applications aligned with their unique priorities and cultural context.
- Reduce dependency on third-party consultants for grant writing, ensuring that Inuit values and perspectives remain central in the application process.
- Build local capacity for economic development by providing communities with a tool that simplifies and streamlines the proposal process.
Scope of work
- Conduct a needs assessment to identify the challenges communities face in grant writing.
- Review existing language models and machine learning tools to identify potential applications in grant writing.
- Design and develop a tool prototype that assists with generating grant applications based on community inputs.
- Test the tool with a select group of Nunavut communities, gathering feedback for improvement.
- Prepare documentation and training materials to ensure communities can effectively use the tool.
Deliverables
- Report
- Presentation
- Resources
Team meeting frequency
Monthly
Skills and training required
- Research and analytical skills
- AI/ML model development experience
- Knowledge of Indigenous cultural and community dynamics
- Grant writing and proposal experience
- User interface design skills
Resources required
- Computing resources for running AI/ML models
- Access to datasets for grant applications and Inuit community context
- Existing AI education and training resources
NDA or a commercialization agreement for this project?
Yes