The Metascience and AI Postdoctoral Fellowship supports early-career social science and humanities academics with funding up to USD 250,000. With an emphasis on how AI is changing the research landscape, the curriculum has a strong emphasis on philosophy, sociology of science, and metascience. Rather than explicitly creating AI tools, this fellowship is intended for researchers who are interested in assessing how AI affects scientific procedures, ethics, and policy.
Summary
Artificial Intelligence (AI), which includes deep learning, machine learning, and foundation models, is changing how science is discovered. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is speeding up research with tools like DeepMind’s AlphaFold, lab automation, and evidence synthesis. But until completely autonomous AI scientists arise, there are still a lot of obstacles to overcome. Supporting academics who are examining these developments and their wider ramifications is the goal of this fellowship.
The impact of AI on scientific research methodologies, the rate of discovery, ethical issues, and the place of humans in AI-driven science are just a few of the subjects that fellows will examine. For technical training, the program promotes cooperation with industrial partners or research organizations. In 2026, fellows will also have the chance to take part in a fully funded AI and Metascience Summer School, which will promote cooperation and interaction with top specialists.
AI and Metascience Summer School:
In 2026, fellows will have the chance to participate in a fully funded residential summer school that lasts one to two weeks and is arranged in collaboration with UKRI. The gathering, which is anticipated to occur in the United States (when and venue to be confirmed), will bring together researchers from across the Atlantic, encouraging cooperation and the sharing of knowledge. To keep fellows abreast of this developing topic, the program will include expert-led workshops on AI for research, AI philosophy, and metascience. The application doesn’t demand any extra budgeting.
Key Details of The AI Postdoctoral Fellowship
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- Application Deadline: April 10, 2025, at 5:00 PM ET
- Fellowship Commencement Date: 30 September 2025
- Time frame: up to two years
- Type of Funding: Grant; Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, organizer
- All countries are eligible.
- Gender Eligible: Male or Female
- Early-career social science and humanities researchers are the target group.
- Focus Areas: How AI affects metascience and scientific research
- Level of Study: Postdoctoral Research Initiative Language: English
- Host Country: United States and Canada
Benefits and Grants
The fellowship program will benefit from the following items:
- Funding for postdoctoral research up to $250,000.
- In 2026, a fully financed one- to two-week summer school will be held to improve technical proficiency and promote teamwork.
- Networking possibilities with top funding agencies, legislators, and AI specialists.
- Guidance and technical instruction to interact with AI developments.
- Cooperation with academic institutions and business partners to expand understanding of AI-driven scientific research.
Eligibility Criteria
Who can apply for the Metascience and AI Postdoctoral Fellowship?
- Researchers in their early careers who have earned a PhD by the fellowship start date or who have comparable experience in research and innovation
- Candidates without tenure-track or permanent academic positions.
- Instead than concentrating on more general AI ethics, safety, or societal concerns, researchers examined how AI affects science.
- Candidates from any nation, although those situated at US and Canadian universities will be given precedence.
- Women, Black people, Indigenous people, and Latina people are urged to submit.
- Eligible host institutions include:
- Non-profit universities with two or four years.
- Research consortiums or institutional frameworks.
- Laboratories or research facilities connected to universities.
- Autonomous, nonprofit research institutions.
Who Cannot Apply:
- Scientific AI tools are generally developed by researchers.
- Applicants from the UK should apply through the UK Metascience Unit at UKRI instead.
Faculty Mentor Requirement:
At the host university, applicants must have a faculty mentor who helps them connect with experts and possible beneficiaries, supports their research, and offers assistance. The mentor will not be in charge of the fellowship project directly, but they will monitor its progress. The proposal should specify regular contact. The host institution, not the grant, pays for mentor expenses.
Research Areas of Interest
The fellowship research areas are as follows:
- The influence of AI on scientific subjects, methodologies, and fields
- AI’s contribution to the advancement of science
- Alignment and explainability in AI-driven research
- AI-integrated science requires certain abilities and education.
- The role of humans in scientific research powered by AI.
- AI’s ethical and epistemic ramifications for research evaluation and production.
How to Apply the AI Postdoctoral Fellowship?
Use the link below to fill up the online submission form by April 10, 2025, at 5:00 PM ET.
Apply Now
Further details and information are available on the official Sloan Foundation website.
