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About the Initiative
The 12-in-12 Initiative is a university-wide effort to deliver twelve meaningful, technology-enabled improvements across Duke in twelve months. Led by the Cross-Cutting Technology Planning Group (CC-TPG) — representing faculty, students, staff, and administrative offices — the initiative focuses on high-impact, user-centered projects that enhance how the Duke community works, learns, and discovers.
From AI-powered tools that streamline research and administrative processes to data-driven systems improving access to information and services, 12-in-12 emphasizes collaboration, rapid progress, and sustainable innovation — ensuring that technology at Duke continues to advance institutional excellence and the experience of every Blue Devil.
Focus Areas
The 12-in-12 Initiative spans four major segments of the Duke community — faculty, staff, students, and administrative offices — ensuring that every part of the university benefits from innovation designed to make work and learning more effective, efficient, and engaging.
Each focus area is guided by a Cross-Cutting Working Group comprised of faculty, staff, and students who collaborate to identify opportunities, remove barriers, and drive meaningful, technology-enabled improvements.
FACULTY-FACING
Empowering discovery, teaching, and collaboration.
Projects in this area focus on tools and systems that enhance research productivity, streamline grant and contract processes, improve access to academic data, and support faculty throughout the research and teaching lifecycle. Examples include AI-assisted grant proposal analysis, streamlined research contract workflows, and intelligent course information systems.
Among these is Devil’s Advocate — your AI-powered grant assistant, catching the little things so you can focus on the big ideas. Learn more about the Devil’s Advocate pilot.
Student-Facing
Enhancing the campus experience for all Duke students.
Student-facing projects focus on creating seamless, personalized, and engaging digital experiences — from AI-powered course assistants to platforms that connect students with interest groups and opportunities across campus. These efforts aim to make it easier for students to access support, explore academic paths, and build community.
At the heart of these efforts is BlueBot — your new AI campus assistant, here to help you find trusted answers, connect with support, and explore everything Duke has to offer. Learn more about the BlueBot pilot.
Staff-Facing
Improving the day-to-day experience for Duke’s workforce.
These efforts aim to simplify administrative tasks, automate routine processes, and improve access to information that supports effective decision-making. Projects include automating HR approvals and onboarding, improving financial reconciliation workflows, and using AI to make employee benefits and resources easier to find and navigate.
Administrative Office-Facing
Strengthening the backbone of Duke’s operations.
This segment targets improvements for the offices that keep Duke running — from Procurement and Legal Affairs to Finance, HR, and beyond. Projects aim to integrate data across systems, improve compliance and reporting through AI analysis, and streamline contract negotiations and approval workflows.