Authors Alliance Announces $20,000 Research Grants for Projects Exploring AI, Copyright, and the Public Interest

Introduction

The fast evolution of synthetic intelligence (AI) has launched advanced questions on creativity, authorship, and copyright in the digital age. In response to those challenges and alternatives, the Authors Alliance—bolstered by beneficiant funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation—has launched a daring new initiative: “Artificial Intelligence, Authorship, and the Public Interest.”

As part of this undertaking, the Authors Alliance is now accepting functions for research grants of up to $20,000 to help modern research at the intersection of AI, copyright legislation, and public curiosity values. Scholars, technologists, and authorized researchers alike are invited to discover how these applied sciences and authorized frameworks might be higher aligned to foster fairness, creativity, and entry to data.

About the Research Grant Opportunity

These analysis grants purpose to empower people and groups who’re exploring how rising AI applied sciences can both help or problem public curiosity rules in areas like truthful use, authorship, metadata, open entry, and world copyright practices. The objective is to generate rigorous, policy-relevant, and accessible analysis that may information moral AI growth and authorized interpretation in the years forward.

Who Can Apply?

Applications are welcomed from:

Applicants ought to exhibit a dedication to public curiosity outcomes, accessible analysis communication, and scholarly excellence.

Funding and Deliverables

• Grant Amount: Up to $20,000 per undertaking

• Application Deadline: Tuesday, July 1, 2025

• Deliverables: A public-facing analysis output (e.g., white paper, article, dataset, prototype) and participation in a symposium organized by the Authors Alliance.

Key Research Areas and Questions

Grant proposals ought to handle a number of of the following analysis themes:

• Authorship and Ownership

• Fair Use and Training Data

  • How does truthful use apply to AI coaching datasets, particularly in nonprofit or educational contexts?

  • Should industrial and non-commercial makes use of be handled otherwise?

• Transparency, Attribution, and Metadata

• Incentives and Equity

• Public Access and Commons Preservation

• Global and Comparative Law

• Open-Source AI Models

• Dataset Opt-Out Systems

Proposals outdoors of those themes are additionally welcome however ought to clearly articulate how the work aligns with the undertaking’s public curiosity focus.

How to Apply

Applicants ought to put together the following supplies:

Applications should be submitted by way of the official grant application form. A preview PDF of the full application is obtainable for reference earlier than submission.

About the Knight Foundation

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is a number one philanthropic group devoted to supporting democratic engagement by means of funding in areas reminiscent of journalism, the arts, neighborhood engagement, and analysis. Learn extra at kf.org and comply with @knightfdn for updates.

Conclusion

As generative AI turns into extra embedded in our artistic and mental lives, the want for considerate, equity-centered analysis on its authorized and societal impacts has by no means been better. This grant program provides researchers a well timed alternative to form how AI and copyright legislation evolve—and to make sure these techniques serve the public good.

Application Deadline: July 1, 2025
Funding Amount: Up to $20,000
Eligibility: Open to teachers, unbiased students, and interdisciplinary groups

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