Amazon Research Awards Fall 2026: Agentic AI CFP
Fall 2026 research call supporting agentic AI research and open-source tools or work with impact for the wider AI community.
Amazon Research Awards Fall 2026: Agentic AI CFP
Amazon Research Awards’ Fall 2026 Agentic AI call supports research on agentic artificial intelligence, including open-source tools or work with impact for the wider AI community. It is open globally to qualifying academic institutions and organizations. Submissions are accepted from October 1 through November 4, 2026, and decision letters are expected in February 2027. Read the official Agentic AI call.
Applicants should first confirm that the principal investigator (PI) meets the program rules, then assess whether the research fits the call and can explain its innovation, open-source contribution, and use of AWS machine-learning tools. The funding figures are averages, not a guaranteed package or stated individual cap; the review panel determines final awards.
At a glance
| Item | Published information |
|---|---|
| Program | Amazon Research Awards, Fall 2026 Agentic AI call |
| Award type | Research award |
| Funding | Average components of up to USD 70,000 unrestricted funds and USD 50,000 AWS promotional credits; panel determines final amounts |
| Where | Global, at qualifying academic institutions or organizations |
| Submission window | October 1 to November 4, 2026, 11:59 PM Pacific Time |
| Expected decisions | February 2027 |
| Proposal guidance | Use the provided template; up to four pages excluding appendices is encouraged |
| Submission route | Proposal portal linked from the official call page |
| PI requirement | Full-time faculty at an accredited academic institution, or permanent researcher at a legally recognized NGO; at least local age of majority |
The call page describes funding, timing, proposal guidance, and submission. PI qualifications and exclusions appear in the program rules. The CFP does not state a fixed amount that every selected project will receive.
What the award supports
The call identifies research themes including low-code agent systems, human–AI productivity, multi-agent collaboration, scientific discovery, verification, and agent customization. These examples help applicants assess subject fit; they are not a complete selection rubric or a promise that every theme will be funded. The CFP lists the research themes.
The proposal should describe the work’s innovation, planned open-source contributions, and AWS ML tools. A practical way to organize those points is to state the research question, connect it to the relevant agentic AI theme, explain the intended contribution, and show how any open-source work and AWS tools relate to the research. This is preparation advice based on the requested proposal content, not an extra program requirement.
The CFP lists average components of up to USD 70,000 in unrestricted funds and USD 50,000 in AWS promotional credits. Selected researchers also receive training resources, including AWS tutorials and hands-on sessions with Amazon scientists and engineers. The panel determines final awards. Do not treat the listed averages as guaranteed amounts, an individual cap, or interchangeable funding: the call distinguishes unrestricted funds from promotional credits. Confirm benefit details in the official CFP.
Who should apply and who is eligible
The PI must be a full-time faculty member at an accredited academic institution or a permanent researcher at an NGO with legally recognized status. The PI must also be at least the age of majority where they live. Although the call is global, these institutional and individual conditions still apply. Consult the program rules for definitions instead of inferring eligibility from country or job title.
The rules also exclude certain cases involving Amazon employment, government employment, sanctions or export controls, and specified recent Amazon or procurement-related ties. The supplied details do not settle every role or affiliation. If the PI or project may fall into one of these categories, read the full rule text and resolve the specific case through official program guidance before submitting. Do not assume that an academic or nonprofit affiliation overrides an exclusion.
A PI may submit one proposal per call. Coordinate within the team if multiple collaborators or labs are considering proposals under the same PI. The brief does not specify limits for co-investigators or overlapping submissions by different PIs; check the rules or portal if this affects your plan. The one-proposal rule and exclusions are in the official rules.
Check eligibility and research fit separately. An eligible PI still needs a proposal that addresses agentic AI and the requested contribution areas; a close thematic match does not remove PI restrictions. Confirm the PI’s institutional status and any possible exclusion before investing in a full proposal.
How to apply
- Read the CFP and rules. Review the Fall 2026 call and program rules for themes, PI conditions, exclusions, the one-proposal limit, timeline, and funding language.
- Confirm PI eligibility and research fit. Verify the proposed PI’s faculty or permanent NGO researcher status, institutional qualification, and local age-of-majority requirement. Check possible exclusions. Then identify how the research question connects to the listed themes, such as verification or scientific discovery. The supplied brief does not give a scoring rubric, so a theme match is not a guarantee of selection.
- Use the provided proposal template. The CFP encourages a proposal of no more than four pages, excluding appendices. It should describe innovation, planned open-source contributions, and AWS ML tools. Follow the template’s own structure. The brief does not identify other mandatory attachments, so check the current template and portal before assuming a CV, budget form, institutional letter, or other document is required.
- Submit through the linked portal. The call directs applicants to its proposal portal, where they sign up or log in and follow the submission instructions. The brief does not specify fields, file formats, or whether revisions are possible after submission; verify those details in the portal.
- Check the portal’s receipt status. Follow its instructions and retain whatever confirmation it provides for your team. This is practical advice; the supplied information does not describe a specific confirmation message or receipt format. If receipt is unclear, use the portal’s official help or contact route rather than relying on a local copy.
Timeline and deadline
The submission window runs from October 1 through November 4, 2026, closing at 11:59 PM Pacific Time. Applicants in other time zones should calculate their local equivalent and use the portal’s displayed deadline as the final reference. The brief gives no separate internal deadline. Teams can set earlier review and submission dates to allow for institutional review, collaborator feedback, or portal troubleshooting; those are internal planning dates, not program deadlines.
Decision letters are expected in February 2027. The schedule gives a month, not a guaranteed day or time. The supplied information does not state an award start date, project period, or payment schedule. Applicants who need those details should consult the current portal guidance or ask through an official program channel. The CFP gives the window and expected decision month.
Preparation tips and common mistakes
Optional preparation advice: Work backward from the closing time. Confirm the PI early, choose the central research question, and draft in the supplied template. Make the innovation and intended open-source contribution concrete, and explain the role AWS ML tools play if relevant to the research. Keep the core proposal within the encouraged four-page length, excluding appendices. These steps help organize a submission; the current template and portal determine what must be provided.
Avoid reading more into the CFP than it says. The funding figures are averages, not a guaranteed amount or stated individual cap, and promotional credits are distinct from unrestricted funds. Global availability does not erase the PI conditions or exclusions. The one-proposal limit applies to each PI for this call. Finally, the four-page length is encouraged guidance, not an absolute maximum stated in the supplied brief. Check the live template and portal for complete instructions.
Before submitting, ask whether the project is explicitly about agentic AI; whether the proposal explains innovation, planned open-source work, and relevant AWS ML tools; whether the PI meets the full rules; and whether the team used the template and portal instructions. This is a practical review checklist, not a published scoring formula.
Frequently asked questions
Are USD 70,000 and USD 50,000 guaranteed?
No. The CFP gives average components of up to USD 70,000 in unrestricted funds and USD 50,000 in AWS promotional credits. The panel sets final awards, and the brief does not state an individual cap or promise that each award includes those amounts. Confirm current terms in the CFP.
Can researchers outside the United States apply?
The opportunity is described as global for qualifying institutions or organizations. PI requirements and exclusions still apply, and the supplied details do not enumerate eligible countries or resolve every legal case. Check the program rules and portal for your situation.
Is four pages a strict limit?
The call encourages a proposal of no more than four pages, excluding appendices; the supplied brief does not describe it as an absolute maximum. Use the template and check the live portal for more specific formatting instructions.
What documents are required besides the proposal?
The brief confirms the provided proposal template and linked portal, but does not list other required documents or file formats. Check the current template and portal checklist rather than assuming that a CV, budget, approval letter, or appendix is mandatory.
When will decisions arrive, and when would the project start?
Decision letters are expected in February 2027. No specific day, project start date, duration, or payment schedule is confirmed here. Consult official portal guidance for details or updates.
Where can I get an eligibility or portal question answered?
The brief gives no named contact or response-time promise. Review the official CFP, rules, and linked portal first; if the question remains, use the current official contact or help route linked there.
Official sources
The supplied evidence does not confirm individual award size beyond the average components, a fixed cap, a complete selection rubric, extra required documents, portal technical requirements, or post-award terms. Verify those points in current official materials or through the program’s official application channels.