A New US-UK Collaboration: Exploring the Ethical, Legal, and Societal Implications of AI

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Office of Digital Humanities is thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with the U.K.'s Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Together, we are launching a program to fund joint U.S.-U.K. research projects that explore the ethical, legal, and societal impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) through a humanities lens.

This groundbreaking initiative builds upon the successes of two established programs: AHRC's Bridging Responsible AI Divides (BRAID) and NEH's Dangers and Opportunities of Technology: Perspectives from the Humanities (DOT). By combining the expertise in these two countries and resources of these programs, the partnership seeks to foster innovative and interdisciplinary research that addresses pressing questions about AI's impact on culture, ethics, and society.

Under this new program, U.S. and U.K. researchers will collaborate to submit a single joint proposal to AHRC. Using a lead agency model, the proposal will undergo a unified review process. Successful projects will be awarded funding from both organizations: AHRC will support U.K.-based researchers, while NEH will fund their U.S. counterparts. This streamlined approach not only simplifies the application process but also underscores the truly collaborative nature of this initiative.

Projects supported under this program should focus on one or more of the following: AI’s impact on public media and discourse, AI’s impact on resilience and sustainability, and law and regulation in relation to AI innovation. For U.S.-based researchers:

• Proposals with one U.S. project director may request up to $75,000 in funding from NEH.
• Proposals with two or more U.S. project directors may request up to $150,000 in funding from NEH.

How to Get Involved

Before preparing an application, U.S. applicants should review the AHRC's funding announcement, NEH's Partnership Opportunity Notification, and Grants.gov instructions for US applicants. 

Questions from U.S. researchers should be sent to odh@neh.gov. Questions from U.K. researchers should go to @email. 

We are excited to see the innovative ideas and collaborations that emerge from this partnership. Together, U.S. and U.K. scholars have the opportunity to work across borders and disciplines to contribute to a deeper understanding of AI and its implications for humanity.