Center for Humanities-based Health Artificial intelligence and Innovation (CHHAIN)

The Medical Humanities Research Institute (MHRI) will award fellowships for the Fall 2026 semester to Rice University undergraduate students. Fellows will be active participants in the new Center for Humanities-based Health AI Innovation (CHHAIN), a joint center between Rice MHRI and Baylor College of Medicine Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy.

The application window is currently closed, and will re-open later this Spring semester.

Fellows will participate as members of the research team and will research patient experiences with health technology to understand trust/trustworthiness in health AI innovation, including conducting literature reviews and analyzing interviews. In addition, fellows will attend events and have the opportunity to interact with invited speakers. They will also write social media posts and blogs on research topics, update the center’s website, take minutes, help with promotion, and share their work publicly. The research team will provide multidisciplinary mentoring opportunities to the students. Students will be expected to be present for meetings on a regular basis in MHRI space in TMC Helix Park.

Fellows will be paid $15/hour for up to 5 hours per week during the Fall semester. These activities are funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities grant program.

Learn more about CHHAIN from Rice News and the Thresher.

Please direct questions to: Melissa Bailar, Executive Director, Medical Humanities Research Institute