Artificial Intelligence: Technology, Society and Learning in the Arab Region

This grant, with a duration of 8 months, supports junior and senior scholars as well as activists with a background in the social sciences and humanities, to conduct a research project.

Aim

• This program aims at promoting research on Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a technology and industry, and its relationship to society, politics and learning in the Arab region. The program seeks to fund researchers who wish to study the impact of AI on different sectors, explore its ethical implications, and contribute to advancing knowledge production on this important theme in the Arab region.

Areas of Research 

• Some areas of work that the program encourages applicants to address include – but are not limited to the following:
  • The political economy of AI and its governance in the Arab region
  • The growing impact of AI on civil society and social movements
  • The impact of AI on labor market
  • The role of AI in education and learning
  • Effect of AI on youth network building and communication
  • The ethics of AI: ethical considerations surrounding AI applications
  • The implications of increased AI on societal relations

Funding Information

• A grant of up to USD 4,000 is available for individual researchers. Up to six grantees will be selected to benefit from the grant in this first cycle.

Eligible Projects

• This program supports research proposals based on new or ongoing projects, including:
  • Initial or “pilot” phase of a new project,
  • Specific phase of ongoing projects combining fieldwork and analysis, and
  • Proposals to develop previous projects, for example seeking new cases and field sites.

Eligibility Criteria

• This call is open to:
  • Citizens of an Arab country (defined as a country belonging to the League of Arab States).
  • Refugees and/or stateless individuals from Arab countries residing in the Arab region.
  • Researchers residing outside the Arab region who hold Arab citizenship or are refugees and/or stateless individuals from the Arab region, and
  • Applicants residing outside the Arab region who carry a non-Arab passport but are originally from an Arab country.
  • Residents of the Arab region will be given priority.
• This program targets:
  • Junior and senior scholars holding a PhD degree in the social sciences or humanities (obtained from within or outside the Arab region). Applicants should have obtained their degrees at the time of application.
  • Activists who have more than five years of work experience in their field with at least a Master’s degree in the social sciences or humanities (obtained from within or outside the Arab region). Applicants should have obtained their degrees at the time of application.

Evaluation Criteria

• The committee evaluates proposals based on the following evaluation criteria:
  • Research proposal’s contribution to knowledge (significance, quality, and originality)
  • Feasibility and clarity of the proposed research plan (realistic timeframe and appropriate research methods)
  • Applicant’s competence (academic credentials, existing and potential publications)
  • Expected outputs and planned publications.

Application Requirements

• Detailed CV including academic qualifications and publications (with links if publications are available online)
• One-page cover letter explaining the purpose of the application
• Proof of nationality (copy of a valid passport or identification card). Applicants who are originally from an Arab state, but carry a non-Arab passport, should provide evidence of their Arab origin
• Project proposal (five to seven double spaced pages) detailing the activities that the applicant intends to undertake during the grant period. Please note that all submitted proposals will be checked on a plagiarism detection software
• Copy of the Masters or PhD degree
• Completed Project Timeline and Outputs Form. Outputs must be realistically aligned with the grant timeline
• Completed Project Budget Request Form.

For more information, visit Arab Council for the Social Sciences.