Getting Started with AI

Situation

You have data, you have a question, or you’re simply curious about what AI could bring to your research. This use case guides you through key steps — from defining your goals to finding the right collaborators and funding — so you can start with AI in a structured and productive way.

Learn more about AI — at your own pace

If you want to gain basic knowledge before starting a project, you can turn to resources such as online courses, workshops, and reading groups. Check with IID, PREDIS, or ULaval about upcoming training sessions for health researchers:

Here are some guidelines:

→ Clearly define your starting point

Identify what you currently have: a dataset, a research question, a hypothesis, or simply an area of interest. You don’t need everything to start. Even a general interest in AI (“I want to understand what AI could bring to my research”) is a valid starting point.

Ask yourself the following questions:

What problem am I trying to solve?
What result would be useful to me?
Do I need to automate a task to make my work easier?

→ Assess the feasibility of your idea

Before writing a grant application or committing resources, check if your project is ready to be implemented. A feasibility study covers four essential aspects:

Data availability and quality: Do you have sufficient and well-structured data? Are there access or consent issues?
Technical and IT requirements: Does your project require specialized infrastructure, storage, or computing resources (e.g., HPC, GPU)?
Ethical and regulatory considerations: Do you need to consider ethics committee approvals, data governance rules, or privacy regulations (e.g., Law 25)?
Team skills and capabilities: Does your team have the necessary expertise, or are there gaps to fill through collaboration or training?

IID and PREDIS can help you conduct this evaluation. Identifying obstacles early saves significant time and strengthens the foundation of any future funding request.

→ Explore collaboration opportunities

Many AI projects in health research benefit from forming interdisciplinary teams. Consider collaborating with ULaval professors who have complementary AI skills. A collaborator can enhance both the scientific rigor of your project and the credibility of a funding application.

→ Apply for a grant

If your project takes shape and you want to seek external funding, PREDIS can assist you in writing your grant application, whether by identifying relevant calls for proposals or strengthening the AI aspects of your proposal.