Research Grants
The Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity (HIAIH) was created with a goal of empowering the Bowdoin community to "critically examine, thoughtfully utilize, and ethically shape AI's trajectory." With that in mind, the advisory committee is pleased to announce our third round of research and education grants designed to support faculty and staff who are interested in participating in that endeavor.
Grant activities might include exploring how artificial intelligence could impact different aspects of the grantee's professional practice, incorporating AI tools into their work, and/or critically examining AI's broader implications. We look forward to supporting projects across a diverse array of academic disciplines, creative practices, and campus endeavors. Last year we funded grants from every division of the College and more than 20 different departments and programs. The funding period will last up to one year. All grants will be given with the assumption that the money will be spent during the current fiscal year.
Grant Categories
Explore AI Grant
Maximum funding: $1,000
These grants support initial exploration and engagement with AI tools and applications. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Books, resources, and learning materials
- Student research assistants
Project Seed Funding
Maximum funding: $2,500
These grants provide support for specific AI-related projects and investigations. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Software licensing for project-specific AI tools
- Equipment for AI-enhanced research or creative work
- Survey research and data collection costs
- Student research assistants
Full Project Grant
Maximum funding: $5,000
These grants support comprehensive AI-related projects that require substantial resources and extended development. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Creation and curation of training datasets for AI-based projects.
- Computing capacity for training machine learning models.
- Subscription to specialized AI tools for the research domain
- Student research assistants
Notes on categories that we will not provide funding for this year:
- AI detection services or software
- Travel
- Hardware
Support and Consultation
If faculty or staff would like to discuss any aspect of their proposals, please send an email to Hastings.Committee@bowdoin.edu. We will pair you with a supportive member of the initiative, such as one of our post-baccalaureate or post-doctoral associates, who may provide limited technical assistance or project support to grant recipients.
Apply
To apply, complete the application form.
The application deadline for all grants is October 1, 2026. The committee will begin deliberations at that time and should begin letting applicants know the results within two weeks.
Exploratory grant applications can be as short as a single paragraph. For seed funding, we ask applicants to briefly describe their project in a few paragraphs. For full project grants, please submit a two to four page project description and a detailed budget. If you want to discuss potential projects, contact the committee, but if you are planning to submit a proposal for a full project grant you should definitely contact the committee.
Results
We will look to provide opportunities for sharing grantees' insights in ways that seem most appropriate to each individual project. Beyond that, we ask that each grantee provides a short report on their experience, and be open to participating in Initiative-led panel discussions. Reports will typically be published on our website, though you will have the option to keep your individual report private. Our intention is that any reporting requirements will be minimal.