Source clarification. The call supplied to the SPARK team is headed Round 4 (August 2026) and its application section gives an August 28, 2026 deadline. One paragraph appears to retain language from Round 3, including a March 1 date. This listing follows the Round 4 heading and the final application section. Applicants should confirm the call and portal details with Schmidt Sciences before submitting.
Who can apply
This call is available to current and former Fellows of the Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Fellowship Program who want to host a community initiative.
Funding and purpose
Awards of up to US $100,000 are available for community initiatives or events. Proposals should bring together current Fellows, alumni, and—where useful—other guests and experts to explore important but neglected questions related to applying AI and machine-learning approaches in science.
An initiative may be an event, such as a workshop, retreat, or conference. It may also take another collaborative, community-oriented form.
Each initiative should advance at least two of these objectives:
- Generate new insights, practical guidance, or further questions concerning shared challenges.
- Create new research collaborations and/or communities of shared practice and learning.
- Deliver meaningful skills development related to applying AI/ML tools in science.
Virtual Q&A sessions
Two virtual Q&A sessions were listed for Wednesday, August 12, 2026. They have now passed:
- 8:00 AM Eastern Time — completed
- 12:00 PM Eastern Time — completed
The supplied material referred to Zoom links but did not include their URLs. Because the sessions have passed, meeting credentials are not republished on this public page.
Application
Applications are due August 28, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time through a SurveyMonkey Apply portal.
The application-portal URL was not included in the material supplied for this listing. Consult the original Round 4 communication or contact the program team for the correct link before preparing or submitting an application.