Automated Reasoning call for proposals: Fall 2026

The Automated Reasoning call for proposals is a Fall 2026 round of the Amazon Research Awards. Amazon uses automated reasoning, mathematical logic that answers questions and proves properties, to raise assurance about critical computer systems. The call asks for work that analyses policies and configurations, shows that protocols and programs work as intended, and checks generative AI output.

Topics on the call page include automation of quantifier reasoning and premise selection, static analysis such as dataflow analysis and taint checking, software model checking, and correct by construction methods such as Dafny and Verus. It also lists provable approaches to privacy, security and cryptography, sound software synthesis, verification of distributed protocols, foundations for reasoning about software in theorem provers, and formal models of hardware and hardware software interfaces. One invited area is testing or formal verification of robustness for perception neural networks, with a focus on object detection.

Selected principal investigators may receive unrestricted funds, no more than $80,000 USD on average, and AWS Promotional Credits, no more than $40,000 USD on average. They also get training, including AWS tutorials and hands on sessions with Amazon scientists and engineers. Awards are one time unrestricted gifts. The budget should list expected costs in USD and should not include administrative overhead. The awards panel sets the final amount. Decision letters go out in February 2027.

The principal investigator must be a full time faculty member at an accredited academic institution, or a permanent researcher at a non governmental organisation with recognised legal status equivalent to 501(c)(3) status in the United States. They must be at or above the age of majority. Each principal investigator may submit only one proposal to the Amazon Research Awards in this call period. Amazon employees cannot receive an award. The rules also bar recent Amazon staff, their immediate family or household, paid government employees other than at an accredited academic institution, and people under US export controls or sanctions. The program is void in Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, and the Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine.

The submission period is 1 October to 4 November 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Proposals should follow the proposal template and are encouraged to stay within 4 pages, not counting appendices. Submit through the call page, which points to the Amazon academic research portal.