Project AI Evidence RFP

Overview

J-PAL's Project AI Evidence provides an opportunity to rigorously study how AI can help—or harm—the well-being of people, particularly people who experience poverty. Project AI Evidence funds full research projects and pilot studies.

Application Timeline

Project AI Evidence will launch its second RFP in December 2025. Below are the key dates:

• Requests for Proposals (RFP) opens: December 8, 2025
• Letters of Interest (LOI) due: January 12, 2026
• Invitation to submit proposals: January 26, 2026
• Proposals due: March 9, 2026
• Funding decisions announced: May 2026

Eligibility

J-PAL affiliates, postdocs, invited researchers, regional scholars who have successfully completed a pilot funded by any J-PAL initiative, and PhD students of J-PAL affiliates and invited researchers are eligible to apply for this Initiative’s funding. Invited researchers from all initiatives or regional offices are eligible. All proposals may include collaborators outside of this network.

• PhD students may be eligible to apply for up to US$50,000 in pilot or full-scale funding. To be eligible, PhD students must have a J-PAL affiliate or invited researcher on their thesis committee at their host university. This adviser must provide a letter of support and indicate willingness to remain involved in a supervisory role throughout the lifetime of the project. If the student is pre-thesis, the letter should state, “I am actively responsible for supervising this project/research and anticipate being on the student’s thesis committee.” In addition, to apply for up to US$50,000 in pilot or full-scale funding, graduate students must provide documented evidence of successful preparatory activities.
• Any Regional Scholars who have successfully completed a pilot funded by any J-PAL initiative are also eligible to apply for Pilot or Full RCT funding under PAIE. Please note that PAIE intends to launch a dedicated Regional Scholars program in 2026, which will expand opportunities available to scholars based in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia.

Application Instructions

For PAIE RFPs, please follow the directions listed below: 

1) J-PAL has transitioned to a new application portal and grant management system, WizeHive. When you are ready to apply, please refer to these instructions to create your team’s profile. Please note that we are adapting WizeHive’s “Organization Profile” feature to serve as a “Proposal Team Profile.” As such, each team profile corresponds to a single proposal. Teams will now be able to collaborate on their proposal in WizeHive.

2) Submit a required Letter of Intent (LOI) by Monday, January 12, 2026 at 5:00PM EST. Please see the proposal guidelines at the bottom of this page for a preview of application questions and required materials.

3) If you receive an invitation to apply to the main application, please follow the next steps outlined in the relevant proposal guidelines and application previews for each proposal type (Full RCTs and Pilots) linked below. Each of the documents includes a checklist and guidance on what to address within each narrative prompt, guiding your completion of all required submission materials based on the appropriate proposal type. We recommend reading the relevant Proposal Guidelines document in detail before answering the proposal questions in WizeHive.

4) Upon completing your proposal and uploading proposal attachments (budget, budget narrative, letters, etc.), submit the proposal by Monday, March 9, 2026 at 5:00PM EST. 

For further information and troubleshooting, please get in touch with [email protected].

Below, please find (1) an RFP Overview; (2) PDF previews of each application type; and (3) budget templates. Please do not complete or submit the PDF previews to Project AI Evidence for consideration. Please use the budget templates to structure your proposal budget. All application materials should be completed in or uploaded to our online portal, WizeHive—we can only consider applications submitted there.