2026-27 MHACH Call for Proposals

About

The new phase of the collaboration between the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) begins in April 2026 and builds on the successful cooperation launched in 2022. The collaboration known as Designing for Sustainability is now the MIT and HPI AI and Creativity Hub (MHACH). This second phase is planned to run for ten years until 2035. It expands collaborative research to include educational activities that explore the intersection of computing, creativity and human-centered innovation, with a particular emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) and creativity.

In the program year 2026-27, the collaborating institutions invite proposals for joint research in design, technology, AI and creativity. The program year runs from September 2026 to August 2027. The collaboration seeks to engage multidisciplinary research teams with diverse backgrounds in computer science, AI, engineering, planning, architecture, science, digital health, humanities, and management; proposals are encouraged from all academic units at both MIT and HPI.

Acknowledging the commitments made to project teams in the previous phase, Phase 1 projects may continue, depending on their start year and are eligible to apply for continuation of funding.

We also invite joint proposals for engagement seed funding around topics that explore the intersection of computing, creativity and human-centered innovation, with a particular emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) and creativity.

2026-27 Timeline

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

APPLICATION DEADLINE | June 3, 2026

DECISIONS | June 30, 2026

Funding and guidelines

In addition to the Joint Research Project funding, MHACH offers Engagement Seed Funding for MIT and HPI Principal Investigators who have identified a potential collaborator at the partner institution and would like to further explore the project topics before submitting a full application.

Principal investigators must be tenured and tenure-track professors at MIT and HPI, authorized to supervise PhD students, and meet NSF eligibility requirements. Please review the infosheet for detailed guidelines on eligibility and program tracks.

Joint Research Projects

  • 2026 Call for Joint Research Project Proposals & Application Guidelines | PDF, including 2026 Application Cover Sheet
  • 2026 Pre-proposal Questionnaire (MIT PIs only) | PDF
  • 2026 Research Project Proposal Template | Document
  • 2026 Budget Template for PIs | Spreadsheet

Engagement Seed Funding

  • 2026 Call for Engagement Seed Funding Proposals & Application Guidelines | PDF, including 2026 Proposal Form

Program Components

The program focuses on community building, research and knowledge exchange, and the creation of joint research outcomes.

  • Research visits: Evidence in the proposal of active collaboration is an important criterion for the assessment of the success of the projects. Team members are expected to conduct research visits to the partner institution to foster close collaboration between research teams.
  • Workshops: Funded teams are expected to participate in two on-site workshops per year (one at HPI and one at MIT) focused on community building, research exchange, and joint research outcomes.
  • Reporting: Each research project team must submit interim reports twice a year, including qualitative and financial reports.

Priorities

We are particularly interested in the following areas:

  • Approaches for expanding scholarly inquiry into AI applications across disciplines, industries and societal challenges: How can new frameworks, tools, systems, and methods – in computing, creativity, and human-centered innovation – reshape the ways ideas are conceived and shared? 
  • Motivating stakeholders in AI innovation: What are the impacts and roles of AI applications? How can the stakeholders in AI be motivated to understand, explore and manage the impact and role of AI in a variety of sectors and contexts, and to envision contexts that have been heretofore unexplored because AI is CREATING the context.
  • Assessing the impacts of AI on technology and human-centered design and creativity: What is the impact of design on human, business, and technology performance as it relates to innovation? How do tools, systems, and methods create the right innovation at the right time? How do they fail? Why is now the right time to apply these tools, methods and/or systems? What societal impact can technology and human-centered design and creativity have in navigating digital transformation?

Selection Criteria

Funding decisions favor projects that set new research priorities for this emergent knowledge domain. The collaboration plan must demonstrate scientific depth and mechanisms to sustain the proposed innovation. Selection is also based on scientific merit, methodology, rigor and evidence of feasible plans for an active collaboration.

We seek proposals positioned to yield insights into AI applications across disciplines, industries and societal challenges that have visibility and the potential to make a significant impact. The protocols that researchers might apply to achieve “insights” versus “data” will be appraised by the selection committee for viability.

Faculty Pitch Videos

HPI and MIT faculty interested in finding collaborators at the partner institution have recorded brief videos introducing their research and pitching potential collaborative projects. Videos are available to viewers with an active MIT Touchstone account.