Call for Proposals
We welcome proposals related to AI, algorithms, quantum, and a combination of these themes. All proposals must have both an MIT and an IBM PI. Email Kenney Ng kenney.ng@us.ibm.com to discuss your proposal or for assistance finding a PI counterpart.
Proposals must be submitted by 5:00pm ET on June 15, 2026. Apply below.
Timeline
| May 4 | June 15 | August 17 | Post Award | September 1 |
| Submissions open | Submissions close at 5:00pm ET | Proposals selected and funding decisions conveyed | MIT and IBM teams work with PIs to complete documentation | Selected research projects expected to commence |
Project Requirements
- Participate in occasional Lab events, such as demo showcases.
- Submit a final report (3-5 pages) outlining results, impacts, and next steps.
- Participate in reviewing submissions for call for proposals.
How to Apply
- Fill out the proposal template then submit via the application form below.
- Please save your proposal as a single PDF or Word file named: “MIT-IBM Proposal – [MIT PI Last Name] – [IBM PI Last Name]”
- Do not route proposals to RAS – only funded proposals will be routed at a later stage.
Proposal Requirements
- The proposal teams can include only MIT personnel or IBM personnel as participants.
- Duration: 1 year, with September 1, 2026 start date.
- Use the project proposal template to create a 5-page proposal describing one year of research. Include technical details and a list of milestones and deliverables. It should provide sufficient information for reviewers to make an informed evaluation. References and figures can be additional pages.
- Include a budget table and budget narrative, including name of co-PIs if any and personnel if known. Use your unit’s budget template.
- When applicable, include outcomes of previous awards held with the Lab (papers, patents, presentations).
Click to download:
Project Proposal Template
Project Report Template
Funding & Budget Guidelines
- The budget of each research project is expected to be 150,000 – 300,000 per project dependent on personnel requirements.
- The Lab awards are sponsored research under MIT’s tuition subsidy policy. Accordingly, budget graduate research assistants (RAs) using the 55% tuition subsidy rate, prorated to reflect their level of effort.
- Budget full research F&A.
- Support staff charges are not allowed.
- For assistance with the budget preparation, please contact your unit’s Director of Administration and Finance (DAF) or Fiscal Officer (FO).
- For budget questions, please reach out to Kate Anderson kateand@mit.edu.
Submission Form