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The URJC Develops a Pilot Conversational Agent to Identify Research Synergies

22 Oct, 2024

As part of its commitment to excellence in research and innovation, the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC) has achieved a key milestone with the pilot development of a conversational agent, designed to facilitate the identification of synergies between research groups. This advancement is a direct result of the work initiated with the research lines map, which constitutes the first action of the HRS4R (Human Resources Strategy for Researchers) action plan, focused on strengthening collaboration among researchers and optimizing their participation in European calls for proposals.

The PowerU strategy of Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC) is a comprehensive plan for transformation and empowerment through artificial intelligence (AI). This project aims to optimize processes and improve efficiency across all university sectors, including faculty, administrative staff, and students. PowerU focuses on six main areas: teaching and learning, research and innovation, knowledge management and dissemination, process automation, data management and user support, and employability and student guidance.

The goal of PowerU is to create an innovative academic environment that prepares students for future demands, enhances staff efficiency, and enriches the educational experience. The implementation of this plan is guided by principles of ethics, legality, and data protection, ensuring that the digital transformation benefits the entire university community.

Within this initiative, the European Projects Office of Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (OPE-URJC) is developing a pilot conversational agent, which will enable the extraction of knowledge from open knowledge sources, such as CORDIS and internal information repositories. The analysis provided by the co-pilot (always supported by OPE technicians) will allow for better interconnection of groups and experiences, leading to an improved participation rate in proposals for the EU Framework Program, Horizon Europe.

The application has been developed using experimental components from Microsoft’s suite, in collaboration with SEIDOR (Microsoft’s official partner), the Academic Directorate of Artificial Intelligence and Process Optimization, and the URJC’s IT services. Its use by the URJC research community is scheduled for the second half of November 2024.

The development of this conversational agent represents a significant step forward in fulfilling the objectives of HRS4R and in the digital transformation driven by PowerU. In addition to facilitating cooperation and synergies in research, this pilot project reaffirms URJC’s commitment to the ethical and responsible use of AI, ensuring that the process is governed by principles of legality and data protection. The implementation of this conversational agent will not only meet the goals of the first action of HRS4R but will also allow URJC to advance towards greater competitiveness in European research.