The AI & Advanced Computing Institute at Schmidt Sciences supports fundamental research in artificial intelligence (AI), the application of AI and data science across a wide variety of disciplines, and the creation of high-impact research platforms that can speed discovery. Our AI at Work program aims to spur exceptional research exploring how adoption of AI may affect the nature of work and the operation of the labor market. We will support work that offers compelling empirical insights into these questions.

Currently, there are too few high-quality field experiments and quasi-experiments that examine the real-world effects of introducing AI tools in the workplace. Stakeholders, such as AI tool developers, government agencies and businesses, need reliable information on how AI systems perform in practice and what their implementation means for employees and the labor market. The AI at Work program is designed to address this need by funding research that provides clear and trustworthy estimates of the effect of the deployment of AI tools in the workplace.

AI at Work will support early career economists and other quantitative social scientists, including graduate students, with up to USD 200,000 to conduct and analyze field experiments and quasi-experiments exploring the effects of AI tools on the workplace. To help identify promising candidates and projects, we are partnering with five leading economists and research institutions, each of whom has contributed to shaping our 2026 research agenda and will be helping to identify promising applicants. 

In 2026, the program has two funding priorities: 

1. The Impact of AI on Worker Displacement & Adjustment

2. The Impact of AI on Scientific Productivity 

For more details, please see the full 2026 AI at Work research agenda. Proposals outside these priorities will be considered on a case-by-case basis. FAQs can be found here. 

Program Structure

Invited applicants can apply for full awards of up to USD 200,000, for projects lasting up to 2 years. This stage is by invitation only. To be eligible at this stage, applicants must have a data partnership or Memorandum of Understanding in place with a data partner— an organization where an awardee would run a field experiment. Alternatively, for select proposals without a data partner, data sources must be demonstrated to be accessible and reliable. Schmidt Sciences will make up to 15 awards at this stage during the second half of 2026. 

Data Partners

Many (but not all) exciting proposals will require a data partner—an organization where an awardee would run a field experiment. Securing data partnerships is challenging and takes time. While applicants are responsible for forming their own data partnerships, both Schmidt Sciences and several of the program partners may help to facilitate introductions. 

Proposal Development Workshop

Selected applicants will be invited to join a Proposal Development Workshop taking place June 1-4 in Scottsdale, AZ. This workshop will convene senior economists in the space, frontier lab and industry representation, funders, and invited applicants to develop specific research projects on how AI is transforming the way we work. Attendees will discuss research ideas, share progress from recent and ongoing research projects, and identify opportunities for additional work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please find our FAQs, including eligibility, here.

Office hours

We welcome the opportunity to discuss your ideas with you and provide feedback. To sign up for office hours with our team, please find a time here. 

Timeline

Selection process and criteria

The Program Partners above have agreed to work with Schmidt Sciences to shortlist responses of the Expressions of Interest, and to provide advice on suitability of full proposals for the program.

Proposals will be assessed by Schmidt Sciences and our program partners. Key considerations include: 

• Fit: The research question fits this year’s research agenda. 

• Scientific importance: The research problem is important and underexplored. If the research proposal were to be executed to a very high standard, it would likely be accepted by a top journal. 

• Credible research design: The proposed research design would produce meaningful results in helping us to understand the impact of AI on the labor market.

• Quality of data: The proposed data partnership (or data collection strategy) will enable the proposed research design. The applicant has a credible path to securing the research partnership. 

• Strength of applicant: The primary applicant has a strong research track record relative to peers at a similar career point. 

Schmidt Sciences will also look to create a portfolio of research projects that have a diversity of research targets, research designs, and data partnerships. 

Program Partners

Past Awardees

The 2025 AI at Work awardees can be found here.