Overview
The Haas School of Business launched its AI @UC Berkeley Haas Initiative in July 2026 as one of the school’s four strategic priorities. It reflects a distinctive thesis: AI is not simply a technology that acts on the world; people, organizations, markets, and institutions actively shape how this technology is deployed, integrated, and governed. The AI Research Living Lab is one pillar under this Initiative and is developed in partnership with Haas’s Institute for Business & Social Impact (IBSI).
The AI Research Living Lab Research Grant Program establishes a centralized hub at UC Berkeley Haas to fund, operationalize, and disseminate cutting-edge research across the AI landscape—advancing AI theory, leveraging AI as an analytical tool, and evaluating how AI reshapes individuals, organizations, and society. The three key research areas are:
Pillar 1: Impacts of AI
-
- People: How do individuals learn, decide, and thrive alongside AI?
- Jobs: How does AI change what work is and who does it?
- Organizations: How do firms integrate a technology that touches every function?
- Markets: How does AI reshape the structure of markets and who captures the value AI creates?
- Societies: What does AI do to knowledge, trust, and power?
Pillar 2: AI as a Research Method. How do we leverage AI as an analytical tool?
Pillar 3: Statistical and Theoretical Foundations. What tools, frameworks, and models are needed to study or deploy AI?
The goal is to fund a diverse set of projects where initial findings, lessons learned, and guidance for future efforts can be discussed in a Haas-led workshop in early 2028.
Grant Program Details
Funding: $50,000 USD is available for this round; each award is $5,000 USD maximum
Researcher Eligibility: Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator must be a UC Berkeley Haas faculty, PhD student, or postdoctoral fellow during the full performance period. Proposals from PhD and postdocs must be accompanied by a Letter of Support from their Faculty Advisor.
Proposal Deadline: November 1, 2026
Project Start Date: January 1, 2027
Performance Period: 12-18 months
Major Milestone: February 2028 – Haas-hosted workshop to discuss findings and lessons learned
Selection & Award: The selection committee will review and score proposals. The Initiative Faculty Director will make final Award Decisions. All else equal, funding will be allocated based on need, with priority going to junior faculty. Proposals will be evaluated on:
- Methodological rigor & technical merit (40%)
- Contribution to science and policy (40%)
- Research Team (20%)
IBSI will issue Award Letters and transfers. Recipients must accept terms of Award Letter to receive funding.
Interested in applying for this research grant program? See Proposal Guidance and Proposal Template.