Who can apply?
This call for applications is for Harvard Business School faculty.
How do I apply?
You may view our call for proposals and share an application at this link.
What type of projects are eligible for funding?
We invite proposals from HBS faculty that advance knowledge on how AI is reshaping business with priority to large-scale field-based experiments with practical implications for industry and other high-impact moonshot ideas. Applications should be supported by a defined research proposal and design, including objectives, data sources, methodologies, and anticipated outcomes and impact.
What is the award amount?
Selected projects will be funded at approximately $50,000.
How long is each award for?
1 Year.
Can ongoing research projects apply for funding?
Ongoing research projects may apply for funding if the proposal clearly demonstrates how the additional support will create unique insights or broader impact.
Can I apply for multiple projects?
Applicants may apply for funding for multiple projects but can receive only one award.
How often will project progress be monitored?
D^3 Associates will share progress by participating in quarterly cohort meetings and midterm and final reports to D^3.
What kind of support will the Digital Data Design Institute (D^3) provide during the project?
The Digital Data Design (D^3) Institute will advance impact for your research by delivering insights from your work with academic and practitioner audiences.
The D^3 Associates Program will guide awarded projects by hosting quarterly calls to discuss project progress, successes, and challenges.
The D^3 Associates Program does not provide support for the administration and compliance of awarded research, which is to be managed independently by the awardee in collaboration with HBS research administration.
What are the post-award requirements?
Awardees will share progress by participating in quarterly cohort meetings and midterm and final reports to the Institute. Awardees will also actively engage with the Institute through:
- Research Insights: Collaborate with D^3 to deliver insights from your scholarship for practitioners.
- Awardees will authorize* use of their AI-related research publications for at least three Insights articles during their award term.
- Featured research may include work produced outside of the awarded project or prior to award term.
- At least one Insight should be based on new work produced during award term.
- Workshops and Conferences: Share your expertise and research outcomes at D^3 events, conferences, and workshops. Awardees must participate as a presenter in at least one D^3 event, conference, or workshop during their award term. If this involves travel, D^3 may cover expenses.
- Industry Engagement: Foster connections with industry and strengthen the practical applicability of your research.
- Learning Experiences: Collaborate with the D^3 Insights and Experiences team to translate your research into practical and impactful learning activities and materials, which may include Learning Pathways, avatar videos, and social media content.
- D^3’s Learning Pathways are self-paced short courses that teach learners to optimize their daily work using predictive, generative, and agentic AI. You can learn more about current pathways here: https://d3.harvard.edu/learning-programs-for-individuals
- Depending on the team’s content development needs, this can range from providing AI-related research to proposing and, upon approval, creating the draft of a Learning Pathway
The D^3 Associates Program award period ends on June 30, 2026, and use of funds expire on this date. Expenses are required to be used within the policies of Harvard Business School and may only support the direct costs of research. D^3 awards do not provide indirect costs, overhead costs, subawards, or fund fees for recipients. The D^3 Associates Program does not provide support for the administration and compliance of awarded research, which is to be managed independently by the awardee in collaboration with HBS research administration.
*Full text of open access articles may be uploaded into LLMs for summarization purposes and to extract insights. For articles without open access, faculty may approve or deny this; if denied, articles may not be suitable for use in a D^3 Insights article.
Who can I contact for more information?
You may contact our team at d3associates@hbs.edu.