Research - Resources - LaCross AI Institute

Amazon Science is deeply invested in advancing artificial intelligence and machine learning through robust academic engagement. The company partners with universities and research institutions worldwide, offering funding, compute resources and collaborative opportunities that span foundational and applied AI, data science, economics, robotics, optimization, responsible AI and more. Amazon’s academic programs—including grants, fellowships, postdoctoral appointments, and the Amazon Scholars initiative—empower faculty, Ph.D.s, postdocs, graduate students and academic communities to tackle large-scale technical challenges, drive innovation and democratize access to AI advancements.  

Focus Areas (2024-25): 

• Automated reasoning 
• Cloud and systems 
• Computer vision 
• Conversational AI 
• Information and Knowledge Management 
• Machine learning 
• Operations research and optimization 
• Quantum technologies 
• Robotics 
• Search and information retrieval 
• Security, privacy and abuse prevention 
• Sustainability 

Key Academic Programs: 

Amazon Scholars Program 

Enables academics to work on large-scale technical challenges at Amazon while continuing their university roles. Focus: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Natural Language Processing, Data Science, Economics, Optimization, Quantum Computing, Robotics, Statistics, Sustainability, Operations Research, Environmental Science and Robotics.

Target Audience: Faculty, senior researchers, academic experts  

Benefits: Flexible, part-time or sabbatical arrangements; direct impact; access to Amazon data, infra, and teams   

Application Timeline: Ongoing; apply online, flexible start dates    

Eligibility: Ph.D. in a relevant field or related discipline; Current affiliation with an academic or research institution 

Amazon Research Awards (ARA)   

Funds academic research and open-source contributions in applied ML, reasoning, computer vision, fairness in AI, ML theory, NLP, robotics, security, sustainability, and more.     

Target Audience: Faculty, research staff, postdocs     

Benefits: Up to $100K unrestricted funds, up to $250K AWS credits, Amazon research contact, training resources 
    
Application Timeline:  For spring 2025 apply by May 7, 2025; Fall/Winter 2025 TBD (annual cycles)     

Eligibility: Full-time faculty or permanent NGO researchers; single PI per proposal, co-PI allowed; global 

Amazon Postdoctoral Science Program    

One-year, full-time postdoc roles to work on cutting-edge research with Amazon scientists. Focus: AI, ML, NLP, data science, fairness, optimization, robotics, computer vision, responsible AI and more. 
    
Target Audience:  Recent Ph.D. graduates     

Benefits: Industry experience, mentorship, publication opportunities, career development 
    
Application Timeline: Ongoing; apply to open positions on Amazon Jobs 
    
Eligibility: Ph.D. in relevant field (within two years), strong publication record, data science/quantitative skills 

Anthropic is an AI safety and research company focused on building reliable, interpretable and steerable AI systems with a strong emphasis on safety and societal benefit. The company partners with universities and researchers to accelerate scientific discovery, AI safety research, and educational innovation. Anthropic’s programs provide API credits, funding, mentorship and collaboration opportunities for academics — supporting both foundational and applied research in AI, science and education. 

Focus Areas (2024-2025): 

• AI Safety & Alignment (adversarial robustness, scalable oversight, interpretability)
• Generative AI & Large Language Models
• Responsible & Trustworthy AI
• AI for Science (biology, drug discovery, genetics, agriculture, climate, environment) 
• AI for Education (learning tools, critical thinking, academic support)
• Societal Impact of AI (workforce development, economic prosperity, digital humanities) 

Anthropic Fellows Program 

Six-month, full-time fellowship for engineers/researchers to transition into frontier AI safety research (robustness, oversight, interpretability). 

Target Audience: PhDs, postdocs, graduate students, engineers    

Benefits: $2,100/week stipend, $10k/month compute/research, 1:1 mentorship, workspace, career pipeline   

Application Timeline: Apply by Jan 20, 2025 for first cohort   

Eligibility: Strong technical background; open to all backgrounds and career stages; can be concurrent with Ph.D. 
 

AI for Science Program

Free API credits for researchers applying generative AI to high-impact science, especially biology, genetics, drug discovery, agriculture, and climate. 

Target Audience: Faculty, PhDs, postdocs, research staff, students 

Benefits: Free API credits, access to Claude models, support for scientific research     

Application Timeline: Applications reviewed monthly; ongoing    

Eligibility: Researchers at academic or nonprofit institutions; team/project proposal required 

Google is a global leader in AI research, with a broad portfolio spanning foundational machine learning, data science, economics, sustainability, and societal impact. Google Research and its academic programs are designed to foster collaboration with university faculty and support cutting-edge research that addresses real-world challenges. 

Focus Areas (2024-25): 

1. Foundational ML & Algorithms: Algorithms & Theory, Data Management, Data Mining & Modeling, Information Retrieval & the Web, Machine Intelligence, Machine Perception, Machine Translation, Natural Language Processing, Speech Processing 
2. Computing System & Quantum: Distributed Systems & Parallel Computing, Hardware & Architecture, Mobile Systems, Networking, Quantum Computing, Robotics, Security, Privacy, & Abuse Prevention, Software Engineering, Software Systems 
3. Science, AI & Society: Climate & Sustainability, Economics & Electronic Commerce, Education Innovation, General Science, Health & Bioscience, Human-Computer Interaction and Visualization, Responsible AI

Key Academic Programs:

Research Scholar Program

Supports early-career professors in fields relevant to Google, including, Algorithms and Optimization, ML, Applied Science, Health Research, HCI, privacy, quantum, etc.   

Target Audience: Early-career faculty

Benefits: Up to $60,000 unrestricted gift; potential for collaboration; global eligibility

Application Timeline: Applications typically open in Fall (annual cycle)

Eligibility: Applicants must be a full-time assistant, associate, or professor at a university or degree-granting research institution and have received their PhD within 7 years at the time of the application submission. Post doctoral staff can only serve as a co-PI, not a primary PI.
 

Google Academic Research Award (GARA)

Supports groundbreaking research in computing and technology, focusing each cycle on evolving global challenges. In each funding cycle, the GARA program will publish a series of Requests for Proposals (RFPs) focused on a diverse range of research areas. 2024 focus areas include ML for climate, AI in education, quantum networking, society-centered AI, trust & safety, and Gemini/Gemma for systems.

Target Audience: All faculty

Benefits: Unrestricted gifts up to $150,000; mentorship from Google researchers; community of practice

Application Timeline: Open - June 18, 2025 | Close - July 23, 2025 | Notifications - October 15, 2025

Eligibility: Applications are open to academic researchers who are currently advising students and conducting research in technology and computing at institutions.
 

Google Ph.D. Fellowship Program

Recognizes and supports outstanding Ph.D. students in AI, ML, quantum computing, HCI, privacy, safety, security, optimization, and more.

Target Audience: Ph.D. students (all regions, all disciplines relevant to Google’s focus areas)

Benefits: Up to 2 year Fellowship; US $85K per year towards education costs (tuition and fees), living expenses, travel, and personal equipment; Google Research Mentor   

Application Timeline: Applications open April 10–May 15, 2025; decisions in August 2025 (annual cycle)

Eligibility: Ph.D. students in relevant fields, nominated by their university; open to all nationalities; must have completed coursework
 

Google Student Researcher Program

12–24 week placements in research, engineering, or science roles across Google; hands-on AI research experience.

Target Audience: Undergraduate, master’s, and PhD students (globally)

Benefits: Paid placement, collaboration with leading AI researchers, project work 

Application Timeline: Rolling applications via Google Careers  

Eligibility: Enrolled in bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD program; placements co-located with host office 

Google Visiting Researcher Program

Currently not accepting external applications.

Microsoft Research

Microsoft is a global leader in AI research, partnering with universities and academic communities worldwide to advance foundational and applied AI, responsible and societal AI, economics, productivity and domain-specific innovation. Microsoft’s academic programs — including fellowships, visiting scholar roles, research grants, and compute access — empower faculty, Ph.D.s, postdocs and students to collaborate on cutting-edge research, drive enterprise and societal impact and accelerate AI adoption across disciplines, including business and management.

Focus Areas (2024-25): 

• Foundation Models & Generative AI 
• Responsible & Societal AI (ethics, fairness, privacy, safety) 
• AI & Cognition, Future of Work, and Economics 
• Productivity & Enterprise AI (Copilot, M365, domain-specific AI) 
• Computer Vision, NLP, Multimodal AI 
• AI for Science, Health, and Climate 
• AI for Domains (ecology, environment, finance, business, education, health care, logistics) 
• Small Language Models (Phi, Orca) 
• Robotics, Autonomous Systems, and AIOps 
• AI for Good & Social Impact 
• Technology for Emerging Markets   

AI & Society Fellows

Catalyzes research collaboration between Microsoft Research and scholars on AI’s societal impact: ethics, governance, economics, law, policy and more.
 

Target Audience: Faculty, postdocs, researchers, policy experts 

Benefits: Research funding, collaboration, publication, networking

Application Timeline: Call for proposals for 2024 closed; 2025-26 TBD

Eligibility: Faculty, postdocs, and experts in relevant fields; global; proposal required

NVIDIA Research

NVIDIA is a global leader in AI, accelerated computing and graphics research. Its academic engagement spans foundational and applied AI, generative models, robotics, high-performance computing, simulation, computer vision, and more. NVIDIA’s programs are designed to foster collaboration with faculty, students and researchers across disciplines — including business, economics and management — supporting innovation and real-world impact.

Focus Areas 2024-25:

• Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning 
• Generative AI (training, alignment, inference, agentic models) 
• Algorithms & Numerical Methods 
• Computer Vision 
• Computer Graphics & Rendering 
• Robotics & Autonomous Systems 
• High-Performance Computing (HPC) 
• Simulation & Modeling (including scientific, economic, and business applications) 
• Quantum Computing & Physics-Informed ML 
• Human-Computer Interaction 
• Medical AI & Healthcare 
• Circuits, VLSI Design, and Hardware Architecture 
• Networking & Systems 
• Applied Perception & Esports 
• VR, AR and Display Technology 
• Resilience & Safety 
• Economics, Optimization, and Operations Research (e.g., logistics, supply chain, cuOpt) 
• Climate Science & Social Good

Key Academic Programs:
 

NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship Program

Funding and mentorship for PhD students in artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous vehicles, and related fields.

Target Audience: Ph.D. students in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, System Architecture, Electrical Engineering, or a related area.

Benefits: Up to $60,000 (stipend, tuition, fees), mentorship, summer internship at NVIDIA 

Application Timeline: Aug–Sept 13, 2024; results Nov 2024; internship summer 2025 (annual cycle) 

Eligibility: Full-time Ph.D. students (completed first year), research in relevant fields, available for internship, no close family at NVIDIA 
 

NVIDIA Academic Grant Program 

Grants and computing resources for research in generative AI: training and model development, alignment and inference, and simulation and modeling.

Target Audience: Faculty

Benefits: Access to NVIDIA solutions for research and education; letters of support for grant applications related to your project; Opportunities to present at GTC and network through NVIDIA’s global channels.  

Application Timeline: Proposals due Sept 30, 2025 (rolling after); awards Dec/March

Eligibility: Must be a full-time faculty member at an accredited academic institution that awards research degrees to doctoral students. 

NVIDIA Research Programs

Summer Internships or Research Scientists in AI, ML, robotics, graphics, programming systems and more. 

Target Audience: Master’s and Ph.D. degree holders

Benefits: Paid internships or positions; collaboration with leading AI researchers on groundbreaking project work; potential publishable research and work applicable to student doctoral dissertations.   

Application Timeline: Rolling applications via NVIDIA Careers 

Eligibility: Master’s or Ph.D. degree in specific areas as required in the job post 

OpenAI is a leading AI research organization focused on developing safe and beneficial artificial intelligence. OpenAI partners with top universities and research institutions worldwide, offering funding, compute resources, API credits and collaborative opportunities. Its academic programs empower faculty, PhDs, postdocs, graduate students and academic communities—including those from business schools—to advance responsible AI, AI safety, alignment, policy and real-world applications across disciplines. 

Focus Areas (2024-25):

• AI Safety & Alignment (robustness, interpretability, scalable oversight, adversarial robustness) 
• Responsible & Societal AI (policy, governance, fairness, risk mitigation) 
• Generative AI & Foundation Models (LLMs, multimodal models, applied AI) 
• AI for Business, Economics, and Public Policy 
• AI for Science, Health, and Climate 
• AI for Education and Digital Humanities 
• AI Literacy and Workforce Development

OpenAI Researcher Access Program  

Subsidized API credits for research on responsible AI deployment, risk mitigation, and societal impacts. 
    

Target Audience: Faculty, PhDs, postdocs, graduate students, researchers 

Benefits: Up to $1,000 in API credits (valid 12 months), access to all public models 

Application Timeline: Accepted year-round; reviewed quarterly (Mar/Jun/Sep/Dec); decisions in 4–6 weeks after review  

Eligibility: Researchers with active academic/nonprofit affiliation; global (API-supported countries); all disciplines, especially those with limited resources 

Sony is a global leader in AI and machine learning research, integrating advanced AI across entertainment, electronics, imaging, sensing, robotics, and financial services. Sony’s research focuses on developing high-performance, responsible, and explainable AI for real-world applications—spanning creative industries, scientific discovery, personalization, and ethical AI. Through its Sony Research Award Program and collaborations, Sony partners with universities and research institutions worldwide to foster innovation, support academic research, and address grand challenges in AI, creativity, and societal impact.
 

Focus Areas (2024-25):

• AI & Machine Learning
• Computer Vision & Image Recognition
• Audio, Speech, and Language Processing
• AI for Creators & Content Generation
• Robotics & Interactive Agents
• Scientific Discovery (AI4Science)
• Responsible & Ethical AI
• Business & Data Analytics
• Sustainability & Social Good
• AR/VR, Human Sensing & Interaction

Sony Research Award Program (RAP)

Sponsored research program for faculty and researchers in AI, ML, vision, audio, robotics, content creation, sustainability, and more. 

Two Tracks: Faculty Innovation Award (up to $100K), Focused Research Award (up to $150K).

Target Audience: Faculty, research staff, postdocs, PhDs, research teams

Benefits: Research funding, collaboration with Sony researchers, access to Sony technology, and publication opportunities

Application Timeline: Annual call for proposals (July–Sept); awards announced Jan–Mar; 2025 TBD

Eligibility: Faculty and researchers at universities and research institutions in US, Canada, Europe, India, and other specified countries; PIs must be a full-time professor or researcher and be eligible to supervise PhD students at the PI’s institution.