About the programme
Microsoft's AI Economy Institute invites proposals for its fourth research cohort, focused on the organisational choices that determine whether AI complements, substitutes for, or creates new work. Priority themes include managerial delegation and accountability, augmentation versus automation, organisational workflows and open-weight models, building expertise and entry-level pathways, and AI-mediated markets. Selected senior fellows join bi-weekly virtual workshops, an in-person workshop, a trade book chapter and a journal manuscript. Research is conducted independently and does not represent Microsoft's views.
Duration: Approximately 12 months (January–June 2027 research period, with manuscript submission September 2027)
Eligibility
- Affiliated with an accredited university or research institution worldwide
- Principal Investigators and co-PIs must hold a PhD or equivalent terminal degree (e.g., MD, JD, DrPH) at time of application
- Up to two PIs per proposal; only one award issued; all PIs must meet eligibility
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What they look for
- Preference for cross-, multi- or interdisciplinary proposals
- Preference for novel methods including AI-enabled approaches
- Preference for use of existing datasets or established data relationships
- Preference for comparative country or regional perspectives
- Preference for actionable insights for people and institutions
What you receive
- $75,000 research gift
- Travel allowance for in-person workshop
- Recognition as AIEI Senior Fellow and possible invitations to present at industry and policy forums
- Participation in bi-weekly virtual workshops and multi-day in-person workshop
- Chapter in an edited trade book
- Journal manuscript submission support
What you will need
- Applicant biosketch (11-point font) including personal statement (≤300 words), one-page professional summary, up to three contributions to science, current research support and citation metrics (H-index, total citations, I-index)
- Project overview covering research question, methods, contribution, policy relevance and applicability, and up to three target journals
How to apply
- Submit proposal via the submission portal (opens October 19, 2026) by November 30, 2026, 6:00 PM Pacific
- Review by academic and industry subject-matter experts on four equally weighted criteria: scientific strength, feasibility, pragmatic applicability, PI productivity
- Award notification December 2026
- Research period January–June 2027; book chapter March 2027; in-person workshop March 2027; book publication July 2027; manuscript submission September 2027
Applications are submitted on Microsoft AI Economy Institute (AIEI)’s own site. Open Doors helps you prepare; it is not the official application portal.
From people who applied
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Source and verification
- Official source
- Microsoft AI Economy Institute (AIEI) · Application
- Last checked
- 9 Nov 2026, read automatically from the official page
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