May 7, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET
Artificial Intelligence as a Watershed Moment
National Security, Natural Resources, and the New Landscape of Federal Funding
Join Chancellor Johnny MacLean and Dr. Katie Hailer for a keynote on why AI is not just another technology wave, but a defining strategic shift that will reshape higher education, federal research priorities, and national policy for decades.
📅 Event Details
- 📅 Date: Thursday, May 7, 2026
- 🕛 Time: 12:00 PM Eastern
- 📍 Location: Online
What You Will Learn
- AI as a Watershed Moment: Why this shift is broader than productivity and comparable to major global turning points.
- National Security Context: How AI is being framed as a global strategic competition with long-term policy consequences.
- Energy and Critical Materials Reality: Why data centers, power demand, and resource access now shape the pace of AI advancement.
- Federal Funding Realignment: How priorities are moving toward energy and critical materials, changing where research dollars flow.
- Institutional Strategy: What pre-award teams, researchers, and leaders must do now to adapt proposals and narratives.
Why Attend?
- Understand the deeper drivers behind changes in federal grant priorities.
- Learn how to reposition institutional research strategy for emerging funding directions.
- Gain a practical lens for interpreting where and why federal dollars will move next.
Who Should Attend?
- Research Development Professionals and Proposal Managers.
- Pre-Award and Sponsored Programs Teams.
- Research Administrators and Grant Writers.
- Vice Chancellors, Deans, and Institutional Research Leaders.
About Our Hosts
| Host | Background |
|---|---|
| Raphael Bernier | Head of Growth at Atom Grants; helps universities modernize research development with AI to reduce admin burden, increase faculty engagement, and improve proposal success. |
| Johnny MacLean | Chancellor at Montana Tech; keynote speaker on AI, national security, and the future of federal research strategy. |
| Dr. Katie Hailer | Vice Chancellor of Research at Montana Tech; research leadership focused on institutional strategy and funding alignment. |
Reserve Your Spot
If your institution is planning for the next era of federal funding, this keynote will help you understand what is changing and how to respond.