IHS AI and the Workforce research grants 2026 for faculty

The Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) runs the AI and the Workforce request for proposals for faculty. IHS says there is a lot of debate about how the adoption of artificial intelligence will affect work, and that more long term research and data are needed. This call is meant to fill that gap.

Awarded scholars can receive up to $20,000. IHS says larger awards may be considered for exceptional projects.

IHS invites academic scholars whose research looks at how AI influences employment, productivity, occupational change, economic opportunity and innovation over time. It is especially interested in proposals that bridge disciplines. Results can be peer reviewed publications, policy white papers or shareable research databases.

The money can pay for travel to present at conferences and for archival research, research assistants, datasets, LLM subscriptions for specialised research sources, journal submission fees and book publication costs. It cannot pay for living expenses, hardware, retroactive expenses, conference travel without a scheduled presentation, or overhead and indirect costs.

Apply through the online form linked from the IHS page. The deadline is 15 December 2026, and decisions will be announced on 15 January 2027.

Quick answers

What costs can the grant pay for?

Travel for conference presentations and archival research, research assistants, datasets, LLM subscriptions for specialised research sources, journal submission fees and book publication costs.

What costs are not covered?

Living expenses, hardware, retroactive expenses, conference travel without a scheduled presentation, and institutional overhead or indirect costs.

What can the research produce?

Peer reviewed publications, policy white papers or shareable research databases.