The world of research funding is evolving quickly. Funders are expected to manage growing application volumes, ensure fairness in peer review, track outcomes, and report impact, often with limited resources. At Altum, we believe technology should make these responsibilities easier, not harder.
That is why we are proud to announce that as of September 21, Altum Intelligence is live! This is the beginning of a new chapter for the research funding community, where AI delivers insights that are fast, relevant, and actionable.
What Makes Altum Intelligence Different
Altum Intelligence is not just another AI tool. It is fully integrated into the Altum Suite and grounded in the curated, comprehensive data that has already powered billions of dollars in research funding decisions. By combining conversational AI with trusted datasets from ProposalCentral, Altum Insights, and Altum Analytics, Altum Intelligence provides answers that are accurate and easy to understand.
It functions like an always-on analyst, ready to summarize, compare, detect patterns, and translate complex data into clear guidance.
New Features Available Now
With the September 21 deployment, three new AI-powered features are now part of ProposalCentral:
AI Chatbot – Available to All Users
Users can ask questions about system functionality, proposal requirements, or reporting and receive clear guidance instantly. This tool is available to all public and grant administrator users.
Tone Meter – Now in Beta
Reviewer comments are critical, but they are not always consistent in tone or clarity. The Tone Meter helps grant administrators by scanning comments for language, tone, and alignment with foundation guidelines. This feature is in beta and is available to all funders upon request.
Overlap Check – Now in Beta
Duplicate or overlapping submissions can be difficult to detect and manage. The Overlap Check helps grant administrators identify proposals that overlap with previously awarded applications. This feature is also in beta and is currently available to all funders upon request.
Designed to Solve Real Challenges
Altum Intelligence was developed to address challenges that funders experience every day:
- Spending too much time summarizing peer reviews.
- Ensuring reviewer feedback is constructive and aligned with expectations.
- Detecting overlapping proposals before funding decisions are made.
By automating these routine tasks, Altum Intelligence allows funders to focus more on strategy, outcomes, and advancing discovery.
Looking Ahead: The Roadmap
The September deployment is only the first step. Guided by our AI working group and feedback from the ProposalCentral community, Altum is exploring additional capabilities for future releases. These include:
- Reviewer expertise summaries and tools to better match proposals with reviewers.
- Automated comparisons of progress reports to scientific plans.
- Support for deliverable reviews and reviewer meeting preparation.
- Enhanced analytics that surface cross-funder patterns and funding gaps
Each of these enhancements will be designed to provide funders with more powerful and efficient ways to make decisions.
Built on Trust and Collaboration
Altum Intelligence is built on the largest independent dataset of grant funding activity in the world, giving funders confidence that results are both relevant and reliable.
Collaboration has also been central to this launch. From the AI working group formed in early 2025 to the funders participating in beta testing today, the community has played a vital role in shaping Altum Intelligence.
Experience Altum Intelligence
We will be sharing more during our AI Rollout Webinar on October 14. This session will provide a closer look at the new features and what is coming next.
Altum Intelligence is more than a product release. It reflects Altum’s ongoing mission to make research more open, accessible, and impactful. Together with ProposalCentral, Altum Insights, and Altum Analytics, it strengthens the Altum Suite as the platform of choice for funders who want to lead with innovation.
