PAIE Scholars Program 2026: US$1,000 Award, Up to US$10,000 Research Support and Up to US$75,000 Pilot Funding

Researchers working in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia can apply for the PAIE Scholars Program, an initiative designed to help researchers develop rigorous, policy-relevant research on how artificial intelligence can be used for social good and in the fight against poverty.

The program, offered through Project AI Evidence (PAIE), an initiative of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), combines specialized training, research concept development, assessment, potential research mentorship, proposal-development and travel support, and the possibility of substantial pilot research funding.

Selected scholars will receive training in randomized evaluation and the evaluation of AI-enabled interventions. Those who successfully complete the first phase of the program will receive a US$1,000 award. Scholars who progress through the competitive subsequent stages may also receive a proposal-development and travel grant of up to US$10,000, research mentorship, and eventually the opportunity to compete for up to US$75,000 in PAIE pilot funding.

The PAIE Scholars Program therefore provides a structured pathway for researchers who want to turn an early research idea involving artificial intelligence into a rigorous evaluation capable of generating evidence relevant to policy and social outcomes.

About the PAIE Scholars Program

The PAIE Scholars Program supports researchers based in low- and middle-income countries in Asia and Africa who are interested in developing and leading rigorous evaluations of innovative applications of artificial intelligence for social good and poverty reduction.

The program is built around the idea that AI-enabled interventions need rigorous evidence to understand whether, how, and under what circumstances they produce meaningful social or economic outcomes.

Rather than requiring applicants to arrive with a fully developed research project, the program allows researchers to begin with a working concept note. Participants then refine their research ideas throughout the training, incorporating methodological knowledge and feedback from the PAIE team.

The program is particularly focused on connecting research ideas involving AI with rigorous evaluation methods, including randomized evaluations.

According to the program structure, successful scholars can progress through several stages, beginning with training and assessment and potentially moving toward proposal development, research mentorship, and pilot funding. However, advancement from one stage to another is competitive, and selection for the initial cohort does not automatically guarantee subsequent support or funding.

What Does the PAIE Scholars Program Offer?

The program provides several forms of support at different stages.

1. Specialized Research Training

Selected scholars will participate in structured training covering:

• Randomized evaluation methods.
• Evaluation of AI-enabled interventions.
• Research design and evidence generation.
• Materials related to AI evaluation.
• Relevant methodological readings and learning resources.
• Live online workshops.
• A PAIE-administered assessment.

The training includes selected modules from J-PAL 102x: Designing and Running Randomized Evaluations, which forms part of the MITx MicroMasters in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy.

Participants will also engage with the AI Evidence Playbook, the AI Evaluation Playbook, and related reading materials.

The program will include live online workshops focused specifically on evaluating AI-enabled interventions.

2. US$1,000 Award

Scholars who successfully complete the first phase of the program will receive a US$1,000 award.

The award is conditional on meeting the requirements of the first phase. Specifically, scholars must complete their assigned training requirements, pass the PAIE-administered assessment, and submit a revised concept note that meets the program requirements.

The US$1,000 award is separate from any later proposal-development and travel support.

Importantly, receiving this award does not automatically guarantee research mentorship, pilot funding, or advancement to subsequent stages.

3. Concept Note Development

Applicants will enter the program with a working concept note submitted during the application process.

The concept note does not have to represent a fully developed research project. Applicants also do not need to have an implementing partner at the initial application stage.

During the training, scholars will refine their concept notes using what they learn from the program.

The revised concept note will form the basis for consideration for proposal-development and travel support and potential research mentorship.

The revised concept note is expected to address areas such as:

• The policy or social problem motivating the proposed research.
• The AI-enabled intervention or policy application being considered.
• The research question.
• Why rigorous evidence is necessary.
• The relevant population and research setting.
• The scholar’s initial evaluation design.
• Potential outcomes and data sources.
• A potential implementing partner, if one has been identified.
• An initial strategy for identifying an implementing partner if one has not yet been identified.
• The pathway toward a randomized evaluation.
• What a potential pilot study would establish.
• Further research-development needs.
• How proposal-development and travel support would be used.

4. Proposal-Development and Travel Grant of Up to US$10,000

Scholars selected for the next stage may receive a proposal-development and travel grant of up to US$10,000.

This support is designed to help researchers transform their preliminary research ideas into full pilot proposals.

The grant can support activities such as:

• Conducting background research.
• Identifying or developing relationships with potential implementing partners.
• Visiting potential field research sites.
• Assessing the availability and suitability of existing administrative or survey data.
• Conducting preliminary analysis of existing data where such analysis does not constitute human-subjects research.
• Refining the research question.
• Improving the evaluation design.
• Preparing a pilot proposal.
• Developing the research budget.

However, the proposal-development and travel grant cannot be used to conduct human-subjects research or collect data from research participants.

5. Potential Research Mentorship

Researchers who receive proposal-development support may also receive research mentorship, depending on their needs and the availability of appropriate mentors.

Mentors may include J-PAL-affiliated professors or invited researchers with relevant methodological or subject-matter expertise.

Mentorship may cover areas such as:

• Refining the research question.
• Developing the evaluation design.
• Establishing or strengthening implementing partnerships.
• Preparing for fieldwork.
• Developing the pilot proposal.
• Strengthening the overall research strategy.

PAIE staff and the J-PAL research team may also provide additional support during the proposal-development process.

However, receiving research mentorship or a proposal-development and travel grant does not guarantee subsequent pilot funding.

PAIE Pilot Funding of Up to US$75,000

One of the later stages of the program provides an opportunity for eligible scholars to submit a full proposal for an early-stage pilot study.

Scholars may reach this stage after completing the proposal-development process or, where a project is already sufficiently developed, they may be invited to proceed directly to a full pilot proposal.

The pilot research should have a clear research question and be designed to develop into, or inform, a future full-scale randomized evaluation.

Successful pilot research could be used to:

• Test the feasibility of an AI-enabled intervention.
• Test aspects of the proposed research design.
• Refine measurement strategies.
• Develop implementation and research logistics.
• Collect pilot data.
• Facilitate access to administrative data.
• Generate information needed to design a larger randomized evaluation.
• Build evidence that could potentially inform policy at scale.

By the pilot-proposal stage, researchers are expected to have an implementing partner and a sufficiently developed research design.

Pilot proposals will undergo a separate competitive review. Successful proposals may receive up to US$75,000 in PAIE pilot funding.

Being invited to submit a pilot proposal does not guarantee that funding will ultimately be awarded.

Who Is Eligible for the PAIE Scholars Program?

The PAIE Scholars Program is specifically designed for resident scholars based in low- and middle-income countries in Asia and Africa, according to the World Bank’s classification.

For this program, a resident scholar is a researcher who:

• Has completed a PhD.
• Has a primary professional affiliation with a university located in an eligible country.
• May hold additional positions at other organizations, provided that the primary university affiliation is in an eligible country.

Applicants should therefore carefully check the program’s definitive list of eligible countries before applying.

Academic and Research Requirements

Applicants must satisfy several academic and professional requirements.

Completed PhD

Applicants must have completed a PhD in economics or another relevant empirical discipline.

Advanced Quantitative Training

Applicants must have advanced training in quantitative methods. Relevant areas include:

• Statistics.
• Econometrics.
• Causal inference.
• Experimental methods.
• Machine learning.

This quantitative foundation is important because the program focuses heavily on rigorous evaluation and evidence generation.

Interest in AI Evaluation

Applicants must demonstrate an interest in evaluating how AI-enabled interventions affect social or economic outcomes.

The proposed research should therefore connect artificial intelligence with a meaningful social, economic, development, or policy question that can be investigated through rigorous empirical research.

English Proficiency

Applicants must have sufficient English proficiency to:

• Complete the required coursework.
• Participate in the training.
• Complete the assessment.
• Prepare research outputs in English.

Availability

Applicants must be willing and available to complete all required components of the program.

The initial training is tentatively expected to run for approximately three months, from November 2026 through January 2027.

Selected scholars should expect to dedicate approximately four to ten hours per week, depending on their previous training and familiarity with randomized evaluations.

The final schedule, coursework, and expected time commitment will be communicated before the program begins.

Do Applicants Need a Fully Developed Research Project?

No.

One of the important features of the PAIE Scholars Program is that applicants do not need to have a fully developed research project at the time of application.

Applicants submit a working concept note describing the research idea they would like to develop.

The concept note does not need to contain a complete intervention or evaluation design.

Applicants are also not required to have an implementing partner at the initial application stage.

This allows eligible researchers to enter the program with an early-stage idea and use the training and support provided by PAIE to strengthen that idea.

Applicants also do not need to have an existing relationship with a J-PAL-affiliated professor or invited researcher in order to apply.

What Documents Are Required?

The application requires applicants to provide information about their academic background, research experience, quantitative training, and interest in evaluating AI-enabled interventions.

Applicants will be asked to submit:

1. A curriculum vitae (CV).
2. One to three examples of their research.
3. Brief statements describing:
   • Their research experience.
   • Their experience with randomized evaluations.
   • Their interest in evaluating AI-enabled interventions.
   • Their interest in participating in the PAIE Scholars Program.
4. A working concept note describing the research idea they would like to develop and explaining how the idea could ultimately lead to a randomized evaluation.

The application form provides the complete requirements and applicable word limits.

How the PAIE Scholars Program Works

The program follows a staged process rather than providing all forms of support immediately.

Stage 1: Application

Researchers submit an online application containing their academic and research information, supporting materials, statements, and working concept note.

Stage 2: Selection

A cohort of scholars is selected to participate in the initial program.

Selection into this cohort does not guarantee progression to later stages.

Stage 3: Training

Selected scholars participate in training covering randomized evaluations and the evaluation of AI-enabled interventions.

Stage 4: Assessment

Participants complete a PAIE-administered proctored assessment based on the training.

The PAIE assessment is a requirement of the program.

It is important to distinguish this assessment from the official MITx assessment. The PAIE-administered assessment is separate and does not result in an MITx certificate.

Scholars may later complete the official MITx assessment and potentially earn an MITx certificate, subject to the applicable MITx requirements and assessment schedule.

Researchers who already have sufficient training in randomized evaluation may complete selected 102x modules.

Stage 5: Revised Concept Note

Scholars who complete their assigned training requirements and pass the PAIE assessment will submit a revised concept note.

The revised concept note becomes the basis for consideration for proposal-development and travel support and potential research mentorship.

Stage 6: Proposal Development and Mentorship

PAIE will review the revised concept notes and select a subset of scholars for proposal-development and travel support.

Depending on their needs and mentor availability, selected scholars may also receive research mentorship.

Stage 7: Full Pilot Proposal

Scholars who successfully develop their research ideas may proceed to the full pilot-proposal stage.

Researchers invited to submit a pilot proposal will need to have a sufficiently developed research design and, at this stage, an implementing partner.

Stage 8: Competitive Pilot Funding Review

Full pilot proposals undergo a separate competitive review.

Successful proposals may receive up to US$75,000 in PAIE pilot funding.

Application Deadline

The PAIE Scholars Program 2026 application deadline is October 16, 2026, at 12:00 PM Eastern Time (ET).

Applications opened on September 17, 2026.

Prospective applicants should prepare their materials well in advance of the deadline because the application requires a CV, research examples, multiple statements, and a working concept note.

PAIE Scholars Program Timeline

The current program timeline is as follows:

Activity	Timeline
Applications open	September 17, 2026
Application deadline	October 16, 2026 at 12 PM ET
Scholars selected	Early November 2026
Training begins	November 2026
Initial training period	Approximately November 2026–January 2027
PAIE-administered assessment	To be confirmed
Revised concept notes due	To be confirmed
Proposal-development grant decisions	To be confirmed
Pilot-proposal timeline	To be announced

Additional dates, including the pilot-proposal timeline, will be communicated to selected scholars.

Key Points Applicants Should Understand

Prospective applicants should pay attention to several important aspects of the program.

First, the program is designed specifically for researchers based in eligible low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia.

Second, applicants must have completed a PhD in economics or another relevant empirical discipline and possess advanced quantitative training.

Third, applicants do not need to arrive with a complete research project. A working concept note is sufficient at the application stage.

Fourth, an implementing partner is not required when initially applying. However, an implementing partner is expected by the pilot-proposal stage.

Fifth, the initial US$1,000 award is conditional on successful completion of the first phase and should not be interpreted as guaranteed funding for subsequent research.

Sixth, proposal-development and travel support of up to US$10,000 is available only to scholars selected for that stage.

Finally, pilot funding of up to US$75,000 is subject to a separate competitive review. Participation in earlier stages does not guarantee pilot funding.

Why the Working Concept Note Matters

The working concept note is an important part of the PAIE Scholars Program because it provides the starting point for the research-development process.

Applicants are not expected to have finalized every aspect of their research methodology. Instead, they should clearly communicate the research problem they want to investigate, the potential role of an AI-enabled intervention, the population and setting they are interested in, and how the idea could eventually be evaluated rigorously.

During the program, scholars will have an opportunity to improve their concept notes using the methods and knowledge gained through the training.

The revised concept note can then serve as the basis for consideration for further proposal-development support and research mentorship.

What Kind of Research Is the Program Looking For?

The program focuses on research involving innovative applications of artificial intelligence for social good and in the fight against poverty.

Applicants should therefore consider research questions that examine how AI-enabled interventions may affect social or economic outcomes and how these effects can be evaluated using rigorous empirical methods.

The program’s emphasis on randomized evaluation means that applicants should think about how their initial research idea could eventually develop into a rigorous evaluation capable of producing credible evidence.

The concept note should therefore not simply describe an AI technology. It should begin to establish a meaningful research question and a pathway toward evaluating the intervention.

About Project AI Evidence and J-PAL

The PAIE Scholars Program is part of Project AI Evidence (PAIE).

Project AI Evidence focuses on identifying, evaluating, and scaling innovative applications of artificial intelligence for social good and poverty reduction. It brings together AI adopters, technology companies, and researchers to strengthen evidence around AI applications.

PAIE is an initiative of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL).

J-PAL’s work includes research and initiatives focused on generating evidence and using that evidence to inform policy.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should complete the official online application before the stated deadline.

The application requires information concerning the applicant’s academic background, research experience, quantitative training, and interest in evaluating AI-enabled interventions.

Applicants should prepare the required materials, including:

• CV.
• One to three research examples.
• Research experience statement.
• Randomized-evaluation experience statement.
• Statement of interest in evaluating AI-enabled interventions.
• Statement explaining interest in the PAIE Scholars Program.
• Working concept note.

Applicants should also carefully review the official eligibility requirements and the definitive list of eligible countries before submitting an application.

Application deadline: October 16, 2026, at 12:00 PM ET.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Contact Information

Applicants with questions about the PAIE Scholars Program can contact the PAIE team by email at paie@povertyactionlab.org.

Click HERE for more information about the PAIE Scholars Program 2026.

Conclusion

The PAIE Scholars Program 2026 provides a structured research-development opportunity for eligible researchers in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia who are interested in studying the social and economic effects of AI-enabled interventions.

The program goes beyond conventional research training by combining methodological instruction with concept-note development, assessment, potential research mentorship, proposal-development and travel support, and the possibility of substantial pilot research funding.

Selected scholars can receive a US$1,000 award after successfully completing the first phase. Those who progress through the subsequent competitive stage may receive up to US$10,000 in proposal-development and travel support, while successful pilot proposals may ultimately receive up to US$75,000 in PAIE pilot funding.

Because later stages are competitive, applicants should understand that participation in the initial training does not automatically lead to mentorship, proposal-development funding, or pilot funding.

For eligible researchers with a PhD, strong quantitative-methods training, and a research interest in evaluating AI-enabled interventions, the program offers a pathway for developing an early research idea into a more rigorous evaluation proposal.

Interested applicants should review the eligibility requirements, prepare the required application materials, develop a clear working concept note, and submit the application before the October 16, 2026 deadline at 12:00 PM ET.

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