CAREER: Learning Like Humans: Structuring Intelligence through Concept Graphs and Agent Collaboration

NSF Award Search · 01002930DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $657,986 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

This project promotes the progress of science by drawing on principles of human cognition and social behavior to develop artificial intelligence systems that are more interpretable, generalizable, and collaborative. Humans organize knowledge through structured concepts and hierarchies, reason through relational and logical patterns, and coordinate through effective social interactions. In contrast, current artificial intelligence systems often struggle with tasks requiring such structured, human-like understanding. This project uses graph structures as a unifying framework to bridge human cognition and artificial intelligence. It uses artificial intelligence models to uncover how knowledge is structured and processed in the brain and in learner interactions, and in turn uses principles of human cognition to guide the development of artificial intelligence systems with improved reasoning, interpretability, and collaboration. The project has potential benefits for neuroscience by providing computational tools to study cognitive organization and brain activity, for education by enabling personalized learning tools that map students' knowledge organization and support individualized feedback, and for artificial intelligence by advancing systems that are better aligned with the structural and collaborative principles that support human intelligence. To pursue this goal, the project is organized around three interconnected research tasks. First, the project uses artificial inte

Key facts

NSF award ID
2543142
Awardee
Dartmouth College (NH)
SAM.gov UEI
EB8ASJBCFER9
PI
Yujun Yan
Primary program
01002930DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
Artificial Intelligence (AI), CAREER-Faculty Erly Career Dev, EXP PROG TO STIM COMP RES
Estimated total
$657,986
Funds obligated
$460,590
Transaction type
Continuing Grant
Period
07/01/2026 → 06/30/2031