Microsoft AI Economy Institute opens call on AI-driven transformation of work
Third Senior Fellows cohort to examine how frontier firms are reshaping jobs, skills, and regional economies.
Microsoft’s AI Economy Institute (AIEI) has launched its third global Call for Proposals, inviting researchers to examine how organizations deploying AI at scale are transforming work, skills, and productivity.
Lucas A. Meyer, Principal AI Architect at Microsoft, shared the announcement on LinkedIn, writing: “Yesterday we announced the third Call for Proposals from the Microsoft AI Economy Institute (AIEI)—our next cohort of Senior Fellows.”
This year’s focus is “Frontier Firms and the Transformation of Work in the AI Economy,” targeting research on companies at the leading edge of AI adoption and the early signals their organizational changes may offer to policymakers, educators, employers, and workers.
Submissions open February 17 and close March 11 at 5:00 PM Pacific.
Studying firms at the AI frontier
Launched in 2025, the AI Economy Institute supports independent, policy-relevant research on how artificial intelligence is reshaping productivity, labor markets, education systems, and economic opportunity. According to Microsoft, all supported research is conducted independently, and findings do not represent the company’s views.
The third cohort will concentrate on “frontier firms”—organizations adopting and deploying AI at scale. These firms provide early evidence of how AI affects job design, skill demand, innovation processes, leadership expectations, and regional economic development.
Meyer described the work as important in shaping AI’s societal trajectory, writing: “This is important work to help shape the direction AI will take society. This work can help it go to a direction that benefits a much larger number of people.”
Priority themes for Cohort 3 include firm-level productivity transformation, occupational restructuring, economic geography and diffusion, historical analogues to GPT-era shifts, and forecasting labor market signals tied to AI capabilities.
Structured research program and funding
Selected proposals will receive a 75,000 USD research grant, along with travel support for an in-person workshop. Researchers based in the United States, Canada, or Mexico are eligible for up to 7,500 USD in travel support, while those based elsewhere may receive up to 20,000 USD.
The Senior Fellows Program follows a 12-month cohort-based model, including bi-weekly virtual workshops, a multi-day in-person convening with Microsoft subject-matter experts, contribution to an edited trade book on the AI economy, and submission of a manuscript to a high-quality academic journal.
The timeline includes award notifications in April 2026, a research period running through September 2026, and book publication scheduled for January 2027.
Policy-relevant AI research
Cohort 3 is open to researchers affiliated with accredited universities or research institutions worldwide. Principal Investigators must hold a PhD or equivalent terminal degree and have held that degree for at least five years.
Proposals will be evaluated equally on scientific strength, feasibility, pragmatic applicability, and Principal Investigator productivity. Preference will be given to interdisciplinary work, novel methods including AI-enabled approaches, efficient data collection strategies, comparative regional perspectives, and research delivering actionable insights.
Previous AIEI cohorts have examined AI’s impact on education pathways, workforce entry, K–12 and higher education adoption, governance approaches, and sustainability challenges.
As generative AI continues to diffuse across sectors, including education and workforce development, the Institute’s latest call signals a growing emphasis on understanding how early adopters are reshaping organizational structures and labor markets. For policymakers and educators navigating AI integration, the frontier may offer both opportunity and warning signals.
ETIH Innovation Awards 2026
The ETIH Innovation Awards 2026 are now open and recognize education technology organizations delivering measurable impact across K–12, higher education, and lifelong learning. The awards are open to entries from the UK, the Americas, and internationally, with submissions assessed on evidence of outcomes and real-world application.
