The Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science African Faculty Fellows Program 2026/2027 for African researchers (Fully Funded)

The Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science African Faculty Fellows Program 2026/2027 for African researchers (Fully Funded)

by juillet 21, 2026

written by juillet 21, 2026 0 comments

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1 Application Deadline: , November 23, 2026

Applications are now open for the 2026 Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science African Faculty Fellows Program. The Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science African Faculty Fellows program supports researchers who apply AI methodologies to address significant research questions in science and engineering. The program accepts African researchers at the level of university faculty or equivalent roles in other African organizations. They join the program for two years: in residence at the University of Michigan for a total of 12 months to develop AI-enabled research in science and engineering; and a total of 12 months in Africa to carry out research and/or training activities to enable AI in Science, with support from our program.

The porgram aim to enable AI-driven research breakthroughs including those particularly impactful for Africa, facilitate the development of sustained effort on AI in Science research in Africa, and sustained collaboration between the University of Michigan and African scientists and institutions.

Eligibility

Applicant Eligibility

• This program seeks to support early-career researchers. Therefore, the candidate must have a PhD that (1) is conferred before the Fellowship start date (August or September, 2027) and (2) was received after Sept. 1, 2022.
• The candidate’s PhD can be in any field. (Note the science and engineering domains listed above that are in scope: these apply to the area of proposed work, but not to the field of the candidate’s PhD.)
• It is acceptable for the candidate to already have a postdoc position, whether at U-M or elsewhere.
• Candidates who are current U-M postdocs or U-M PhD students before Sept 1, 2026 are considered internal candidates. Internal candidates are eligible to apply only if BOTH their proposed project AND proposed faculty mentors are substantially different from their current ones (see “Faculty Mentor Eligibility” below).
• The candidate should not have had a faculty appointment anywhere that is equivalent to a North American university’s tenure-track position.

Benefits

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• The program will pay a competitive salary ($81,000 annually for 2026-27) plus benefits. Travel to annual Schmidt Sciences events will also be covered. In addition, there may be minor supplemental funding available for Fellows to attend AI training workshops / short courses and professional conferences.

The Application Process

• An applicant will need to first secure interest from two U-M faculty members who agree to be their Science Mentor and AI Mentor respectively. See the for how to find mentors, and a who are interested in serving as AI mentors.

  • An applicant may reach out to any U-M faculty member(s) to inquire.
  • If one faculty member agrees to be a mentor, they may work with the applicant together to secure a second mentor.
  • If needed, the program team will help identify AI mentors. Please email.

• Applicants are encouraged to consult with the mentors extensively about the research statement and their career goals before submitting the application.

Application Timeline:

• Priority deadline: 11:59 pm EST, Nov. 23, 2026. All applications received by this deadline will be given full consideration.
• Offers will start to be sent out in February 2027.
• Accepted Fellows will have two weeks to decide whether to accept the offer.
• The expected start date will be in August or September, 2027, negotiable for special cases.

For More Information:

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