Open Call

WASP-HS Postdoctoral Scholarship
on Agentic AI for Humanistic Futures: Reimagining Research with Autonomous Systems

at the AI for Public Benefit Lab 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 AI for Public Benefit Lab.

We welcome applicants from all disciplines!

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.

AI for Public Benefit Lab

The AI for Public Benefit Lab, led by Professor Robb Willer, is an interdisciplinary group across sociology, psychology, political science, computer science and policy. Their work focuses on behavioral science, democracy, social services, emotional well-being and persuasion. Using open science principles, the AI for Public Benefit Lab does work related to for example evaluation and policy translation as well as the forecasting of scientific results (including how large language models can predict social science experiments).

Agentic AI for Humanistic Futures: Reimagining Research with Autonomous Systems

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 Agentic AI for Humanistic Futures: Reimagining Research with Autonomous Systems.

The project investigates the effects of AI on scientific workflow and scientific results. Its overarching goal is to increase our understanding of how AI can affect how research is done, in particular in the behavioral and social sciences where hypotheses are being tested. Another goal is also to use AI to predict scientific results from this and related projects. As a researcher in the project, the fellow will develop and test AI’s role in scientific workflow. Central questions are what does AI do to hypothesis generation, study design, analysis, results and synthesis, and to what extent are the results predictable. The fellow will design and coordinate experiments with researchers, students and AI agents. The fellow will contribute across study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation and publication.

Applicants should propose a project that fits this overarching goal using a social science and/or humanities approach.

We encourage interested applicants to contact Anna Dreber Almenberg, anna.dreber@hhs.se about the work of Agentic AI for Humanistic Futures: Reimagining Research with Autonomous Systems and assess potential fit before applying for the scholarship. Anna Dreber Almenberg 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

– Have research interests in metascience and scientific workflow (though not necessarily publications on these topics)

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.