Open Call

WASP-HS Postdoctoral Scholarship on AI Futures of Culture and Memory

at the Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis at Stanford University in collaboration with HAI

Application deadline: 16 November 2026

WASP-HS invites applications for a postdoctoral scholarship, which would begin in September 2027. The scholarship will enable a promising researcher who has recently obtained a doctorate at a Swedish university to spend one to two years at Stanford University. There the postdoctoral fellow will have the opportunity to grow into an independent investigator, experience a new research environment, and expand their international networks. Following the postdoctoral stint abroad, there is an opportunity to receive funding from the Wallenberg Foundation to support a research position at a Swedish university for up to two years if the fellow cannot find another position.

While at Stanford, the fellow will be affiliated with Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) and the Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis in which Text Technologies has dedicated work stations and community.

We welcome applicants from the humanities with an interest to develop their research at the intersection of the humanities and AI research with a focus on both scientific and societal impact.

Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI)

HAI’s mission is to advance AI research, education, policy, and practice to improve the human condition. The institute is committed to promoting human-centered AI aimed at benefiting society broadly, ensuring AI applications align with Stanford’s values of fairness, professionalism, and responsibility.

Text Technologies — Cultural Heritage, Archives, and Manuscript Studies, Stanford University

The fellow would be hosted within Text Technologies, working with Professor Elaine Treharne in the broader fields of Cultural Heritage, Archives and Manuscript Studies at Stanford, a field in which computational and AI methods now feature heavily.

This host environment brings direct, hands-on experience of applying AI to archival and manuscript material. The environment also leads the Universal Archival Toolkit, an AI development project initially funded by Stanford Impact Labs. This year HANDMADE (Handwriting Analysis through New Directions in Manuscript Studies with AI and Digital Environments) was launched under the Text Technologies initiative; it made significant progress on new archiving and transcription tools through AI in the summer of 2026.

More broadly, this places the postdoc within the archives, libraries, and museums (ALM) sector, and not manuscript studies narrowly conceived: community and personal archives are seen as a particularly promising area for AI application, and the Universal Archival Toolkit is being developed for use across archival and heritage institutions rather than for a single collection. The postdoc would also be able to draw on further collaborators, including Dr Alice Staveley and Grant Parker (on sabbatical for the next twelve months), and, for work at the intersection of AI, cultural heritage, and scientific or medical collections, a new collaborator in Stanford’s School of Medicine.

AI Futures of Culture and Memory

Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program – Humanity and Society (WASP-HS) fosters novel interdisciplinary knowledge about AI and autonomous systems and their impact on humanity and society. This scholarship will be affiliated with the WASP-HS Research Environment entitled AI Futures of Culture and Memory, an interdisciplinary research cluster investigating how artificial intelligence transforms cultural heritage, collective memory, and creative expression and addressing key ethical, social, and inclusive challenges and opportunities for society and the cultural sector.

The project brings together researchers from the humanities, technology, and social sciences, both in Sweden and internationally, to collaboratively examine the impact of AI on cultural heritage, professional roles, and institutions. Special emphasis is placed on developing and studying inclusive, ethical, and sustainable AI systems, engaging both academia and the public through education, events, and artistic collaborations, and contributing new knowledge on transparency, diversity, and fairness in the use of AI in the cultural and memory sectors.

The project also collaborates with researchers at Uppsala University, Umeå University, Linnaeus University, Chalmers, KTH, Lund University, and Stockholm University, and with international partners, including Stanford, Utrecht, Glasgow, UCLA, King’s College London, and the Pohang Institute of Technology.

Applicants should propose a project that

· uses a social science and/or humanities approach to investigate questions about the consequences of AI and/or autonomous systems for society and/or humanity

· Investigates how social science and/or humanities knowledge contributes to the development of AI and autonomous systems.

· Considers the utility of AI for archival investigations specifically, including the design and application of ethical policies for historical and contemporary documents pertaining to the broader human record.

We encourage interested applicants to contact Anna Foka, anna.foka@abm.uu.se about the work of AI Futures of Culture and Memory and assess potential fit before applying for the scholarship. Anna Foka will provide applicants with a non-binding letter of intent that they can submit with their application (see “Application and submission” below).

Scholarship conditions

The postdoctoral fellow will receive a stipend for one to two years of postdoctoral research. The stipend amounts to approximately USD 70,000 annually (the final amount will be set in accordance with the standard rate of the host institution). A travel grant of USD 7,500 per year and an annual allowance for accompanying family members of USD 15,000 will be provided. The fellow will also receive Stanford’s standard health insurance for postdocs. The stipend cannot be combined with other stipends or positions.

At the conclusion of each year of the scholarship, the fellow is required to submit a progress report to the Foundation and to WASP-HS.

Following the postdoctoral stint abroad, there is an opportunity to receive funding from the Wallenberg Foundation to support a research position at a Swedish university for up to two years if the fellow cannot find another position.

Eligibility

To apply for the scholarship, you must fulfill the following criteria:

– Have received a doctoral degree from a Swedish university no more than two years before the starting date of the postdoctoral position

– Have a connection to a Swedish university or corresponding non-profit research organization

– Cannot have been employed or a scholar at Stanford prior to the postdoctoral position

Application and submission

Submit your application in English via the Wallenberg Foundation’s electronic application portal: https://kawansokan.wallenberg.org

Once in the portal, create a new user account. Select the “KAW stipend” tab at the top and then “Stanford Postdoctoral Fellowship.”

Fill in the forms in each of the tabs of the application. Be sure to fill in “dissertation date” in tab 5 (“Exams”). If you have not yet defended your dissertation at the time of applying, attach a letter from your doctoral supervisor stating your expected defense date in “Other appendices” in tab 10 (“Attachments”).

In tab 10 (“Attachments”), submit the following documents:

– Your curriculum vitae, which should include a list of publications.

– Personal letter (max 1 A4 page or 3 500 characters, including spaces).

– Planned research program. This should be a description of the proposed research project, including deliverables (max 6 A4 pages and 21 000 characters, including spaces).

– Two separate letters of support with comments on the proposed research project. Members of the WASP-HS Management Team may not submit letters of support.

– Under “Other appendices” please include a non-binding letter of intent from the host institution, indicating a willingness to host a postdoctoral fellow should a suitable candidate be identified. (The research environment should provide this to the applicant.)

– Contrary to the instructions in the portal, you do not need to include a description of the research profile of the intended host and supervisor.

Please note that a budget is not required since the scholarship amount will be fixed. Instead, attach a document confirming whether or not you intend to apply for the accompanying family member allowance.

Applications must be received no later than 16 November 2026.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Please note you may only apply for one of the Foundation’s postdoctoral scholarships.

Review criteria

Applications will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

– Applicant’s scientific record and potential to develop into an independent investigator

– Quality, originality, and significance of the proposed research project

– Relevance to the WASP-HS program

– Relevance to the research environment

– Feasibility of the proposed research project

Top-ranked candidates will be interviewed during January 14-22, 2027.

Questions about the WASP-HS postdoctoral scholarship conditions and application process can be directed to contact@wasp-hs.org.