WASP-HS Postdoctoral Scholarship on Child-AI Interaction

at RAISE Initiative at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in collaboration with SERC

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 the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 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 MIT, the fellow will be affiliated with Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC) and the RAISE (Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education) Initiative headquartered at the Media Lab at MIT.

We welcome applicants from a broad range of disciplines with experiences in human-AI interaction. Expertise in child development, K-12 AI literacy, cognitive science, developmental psychology, human-robot interaction, human-computer interaction including AI systems, and human-AI teaming are examples of backgrounds relevant to this scholarship. Strong applicants will have a computational background in addition to expertise in child-technology interaction and child developmental psychology or related discipline.

Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC)

SERC studies and teaches how AI and computing can impact society–and how they can be designed and used in ways that benefit humanity. Through interdisciplinary research, teaching, and engagement, SERC promotes understanding of the challenges and opportunities of new technologies, and how we can improve design, policy, and implementation.

RAISE Initiative at MIT

The MIT RAISE Initiative advances research and global impact at the intersection of AI, education, and learning for children including new pedagogy, the science of learning, technology innovation, new learning experiences, new curricula, and new programs and deployments with rigorous evaluation.

Child Development in the Age of AI and Social Robots Research Environment

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 Child Development in the Age of AI and Social Robots.

Led by researchers at Umeå University, Uppsala University, KTH, and Linköping University, the environment investigates challenges for child development in the age of AI systems, including how children interact with and develop socio-emotional skills (e.g., empathy, collaboration) and higher-order cognitive skills (e.g., critical thinking, problem solving) for interactions with AI systems, and how AI agents and social robots are best designed (regarding e.g., embodiment, role and interaction) and integrated in the social and cultural environments and activities of children to support their development, decisions, health and wellbeing.

The research environment combines expertise in theories and methods from different disciplines in the humanities, social sciences and social aspects within computer science and beyond. The research questions will be addressed through interdisciplinary research applying qualitative and quantitative methods, theoretical frameworks, and participatory design methodologies engaging children, parents and teachers.

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, or
· investigates how social science and/or humanities knowledge contributes to the development of AI and autonomous systems.
· aims to study aspects related to developing higher-order cognitive skills for and well-being and AI resilience with AI agents and social robots. For instance, we are interested in how teenagers’ (13-18 years) interactions with AI agents with different embodiment and roles support or hamper their development of (a) critical thinking; (b) metacognitive thinking with AI (c) social connection with peers; (d) cognitive offloading to AI, learning outcomes, and skill development; (e) health, wellbeing and health literacy; and (f) every-day decisions affecting health and wellbeing.
· Proposals on other topics related to the above research challenges are also welcome.

We encourage interested applicants to contact Helena Lindgren, helena.lindgren@umu.se about the work of the Child Development in the Age of AI and Social Robots environment and assess potential fit before applying for the scholarship. Helena Lindgren 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 73,308 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 MIT’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 MIT prior to the postdoctoral position
– Have a doctoral degree in psychology, cognitive science, computer science, AI, human-computer interaction, or related fields
– Have prior experience of studying human-AI/robot interaction

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 “Broad Institute and MIT 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.