SSHRC - Metascience and AI postdoctoral fellowships competition

Eligibility

• Who Can Apply:
  • Early-career researchers who have completed their PhD (or equivalent research experience) by the fellowship start date.
  • Applicants must not hold a permanent or tenure-track position.
  • Open to international applicants, with preference for fellows based in the US and Canada.
  • Applications from women and Black, Indigenous, and Latine researchers are strongly encouraged.
• Who Cannot Apply:
  • Applicants focused on scientific AI tool development.
  • UK-based applicants (who should apply through UKRI’s Metascience Unit).
• Eligible Host Institutions:
  • Nonprofit institutions, university research centers, independent nonprofit research organizations.

Summary

The Metascience and AI Postdoctoral Fellowship provides funding of up to $250,000 USD for early career researchers in the social sciences and humanities who are investigating the impact of AI on science and research. The program seeks to support scholars focusing on metascience, philosophy, and the sociology of science to analyze the implications of AI adoption in the research ecosystem.

A partnership with SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada) will fund up to four Canadian postdoctoral fellows with CAD $140,000 over two years to conduct research in this domain at eligible Canadian institutions. Canadian applicants should submit their application to the Sloan Foundation, which will oversee the peer review process and make recommendations to SSHRC for funding.

Fellows will engage in interdisciplinary research, receive mentorship at their host institution, and participate in a fully funded AI and Metascience Summer School in 2026.

Additional information here:
https://sloan.org/programs/digital-technology/aipostdoc-rfp

What is Sought:
Proposals are invited from researchers interested in exploring AI’s implications for scientific progress and research methodologies. The fellowship aims to build understanding in the following areas:

• How AI adoption is changing the day-to-day work of researchers across disciplines.
• The epistemic, ethical, metascientific, and socio-economic implications of AI in research.
• How governments, industry, and funding organizations should respond to these transformations in order to enhance the research landscape.

Examples of Research Topics of Interest:

• The impact of AI on scientific research topics, methods, and disciplines.
• AI’s influence on the pace and direction of scientific progress.
• Ethical considerations, explainability, and alignment in AI-driven science.
• The role of humans in AI-driven research and the necessary skills and training.
• Implications of AI in the evaluation of research outputs and the assessment of scientific work.

Funding Amount and Duration

• Up to $250,000 USD per fellow for a duration of up to 2 years (ending no later than Summer 2027).
• Canadian fellows supported by SSHRC receive CAD $140,000 over two years.
• Fellowships must start by September 30, 2025.

Overhead

For the Sloan budget template, please note: Up to 20% overhead or indirect for the host institution is allowed on top of direct budget lines (i.e. a maximum of $41,666 on direct expenses of $208,330). Please also note any contributions (direct or in-kind) from the host institution.  

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Postdocs, students, and trainees: For fellowships and externally-sponsored research training awards or opportunities, you must complete the Research Funding Application Approval (RFAA) Trainee PDF form, and submit it, along with a PDF preview of the complete application, to Research Services at rsotrainee@ucalgary.ca. Trainees should not use RMS at this time.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.