Man uses adaptive technology on a laptop in an office.

AI for Accessibility grants

Empower your work through grants, investments of technology, and expertise.

AI for Accessibility amplifies human capability through grants, investments of technology, and expertise. We are looking for individuals or teams who are not only passionate about making the world more inclusive, but also firmly rooted in the communities they intend to benefit. We want to invest in ideas that are developed by or with people with disabilities. Download the program factsheet (PDF)

Program details Tools FAQ

What challenges does the program focus on?

There is a world of opportunities when it comes to accessible and inclusive technology for people with disabilities, and Microsoft is beginning this program by focusing on three main challenges in the AI for Accessibility program: Employment, Daily life, and Communication and connection.

The AI for Accessibility program awards grants in areas that are vital for building a sustainable future:

Employment: The unemployment rate for people with disabilities is more than double that of people without. We see opportunities in using AI to help people develop more advanced skills in the workplace and evolve the culture around inclusive hiring.
Daily life: We see great opportunities in building modern solutions for people with disabilities by making software and devices smarter and more contextually relevant.
Communication and connection: Communication is fundamental to providing equal access to information and opportunities. Lack of options excludes some from employment and society. Technology can create new possibilities regardless of how a person listens, speaks, or writes.

What types of grants do you offer?

Currently AI for Accessibility provides the following types of one-year grants:

Azure compute credits: This is the fast track to get you up and running on Azure AI Service with grants of Azure compute credits worth $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000 (depending on your project scope and needs).
Azure compute credits Plus: In addition to Azure compute credits, these grants cover costs related to collecting or labeling data, developing models, or other engineering-related work. Applications are evaluated on their scientific merit, innovative use of AI technology, and potential for scalability.

Our community of AI for Accessibility grantees receive Azure developer support, resources, and opportunities to collaborate and showcase their work.

How do I apply for a grant?

Submission	Submit your proposal via the online application form.
Deadline	There is no due date - we accept proposals on a rolling basis with grants awarded quarterly. Apply now via the online application form.
Qualified applicants	We are open to everybody who has a great idea. AI for Accessibility is a call to action for developers, NGO’s, academics, researchers, and inventors to accelerate their work for people with disabilities. From a tinkerer in a basement to an established corporation, from students to professionals. This is a global program; grant applications from all countries in the world are eligible. If you are worried about not meeting all requirements, please connect to someone in your community who can support you and partner on an application.
Project proposal	The most important part of each application is a project proposal that describes the accessibility challenge addressed, the technical solution proposed, and its potential impact on people with disabilities. Please follow the application form and be as specific as possible. Your proposal should be written in English.

Cloud computing and data science tools

Grantees get access to Microsoft Azure cloud computing resources and a variety of data science and machine learning tools, including but not limited to the powerful assets in the Microsoft Cognitive services.

The Microsoft Azure Research blog explains what, why, and how cloud computing can accelerate your research. You can also stay up to date on advancements through the Microsoft Azure blog.

Learn more about Microsoft tools that grantees can use:

Submit your application via the online application form.

The most important part of each application is a project proposal that describes the accessibility challenge addressed, the technical solution proposed, and its potential impact on people with disabilities. Please follow the application form and be as specific as possible. Your proposal should be written in English and address the following points:

Project summary

What is your project proposal? Be as detailed as possible.
Approximate timeline for key project milestones.
What disability segments are you targeting in your project?

Technical component

What Azure offerings will you use? We’re particularly interested in projects that use AI and machine learning.
Justify the amount your project will need (you can calculate an estimate using the Azure calculator).
Do you have the resources and technical skills to complete the project successfully?

Impact

On which of the three challenges does your project focus on?
How will your project have an impact on people with disabilities?

We are open to everybody who has a great idea. AI for Accessibility is a call to action for developers, NGO’s, academics, researchers, and inventors to accelerate their work for people with disabilities. From a tinkerer in a basement to an established corporation, from students to professionals. This is a global program, grant applications from all countries in the world are eligible.

If you are worried about not meeting all requirements, please connect to someone in your community who can support you and partner on an application.

To estimate the monetary value of Azure computing resources you need, use the Azure calculator. For example, if I’m planning on 100,000 Cognitive Services Computer Vision transactions, I’m looking at $100 per month x 12 months which is $1,200 in Azure credits for the one-year grant period.

AI for Accessibility grant applications are reviewed by Microsoft employees who are directly involved in the AI for Accessibility grant selection process for the sole purpose of proposal review and to determine the grant level to be provided. Projects should be developed with or by people with disabilities. Applications are evaluated on the following criteria:

Relevance: AI and/or machine learning are core to the project success;
Impact: Clearly elevates either employment, daily life, or communication & connection for someone with a disability;
Data: Open to sharing privacy compliant data for future innovation;
Feasible: Is deliverable in a one-year timeframe—this could be phase 1 of the project but there should be tangible deliverables completed each quarter that are wrapped up in 12 months;
Capable: Your team should have the knowledge and skill to deliver the idea OR you partner with someone who can fill in the gaps;
Sustainable: The project has room to grow beyond the first year of funding;
Showcase-able: We want to talk about whatever you deliver!

This is an ongoing program, with proposals evaluated four times a year. Our evaluation will be for all proposals submitted by 11:59 PM Pacific Time, on Feb 6, 2019, May 8, 2019, August 7, 2019, or November 13, 2019. Apply now via the online application form.

After each deadline, applicants will receive a decision by email within 60 days.

Yes. This award program is available worldwide.

All IP including background and foreground is solely owned by AI4A grantees. However, we do encourage all our grantees to contribute to and collaborate on open datasets related to your solution.

Please make sure to review the criteria and apply for a grant and we will get back to you.

These grants can be distributed as unrestricted gifts to academic institutions to support your project’s objective.

If you have questions about the awards program or the application process not answered in this FAQ, please email us at ai4aques@microsoft.com.

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