Google AI Research Award 2025: Funding Opportunity for Privacy, Safety & Security Innovations(Deadline 15 October, 2025)

Introduction/Background

Google is offering a unique funding opportunity for academic researchers developing solutions at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital trust. The AI for Privacy, Safety, and Security Research Award 2025 supports groundbreaking work that leverages frontier AI models to improve protections in the digital world. This initiative underscores Google’s commitment to enabling responsible innovation in AI with real-world impact.

The award is open to professors and researchers at accredited universities or degree-granting institutions across the globe. Whether you’re working on novel cybersecurity tools, developing AI benchmarks for threat detection, or investigating the adversarial use of AI, this award is designed to support projects that push the boundaries of digital safety.

Key Details at a Glance

• Funding Amount: Up to $100,000 USD

• Notification of Decisions: By October 15, 2025

• Duration: Approximately one year

• Eligible Applicants: Professors and researchers at accredited institutions

• Application Format: Online proposal submission

What the Award Supports

Google is particularly interested in research efforts related to the following three priority areas:

1. Novel Applications of AI for Privacy, Safety, and Security

Examples of topics include:

• Fraud and scam prevention

• Vulnerability detection and fuzzing

• System hardening and network monitoring

• AI-powered compliance and detection response systems

2. Improving AI Tooling and Benchmarks

Projects that advance AI performance and security through:

• New architecture designs (e.g., MCP, A2A)

• AI benchmarks for privacy, safety, and security

• Improved reasoning capabilities for cybersecurity tasks

3. Mitigating Adversarial Usage of AI

Focus areas include:

• Studies on AI misuse in deepfakes, scams, or hacking

• Safeguards for AI, such as watermarking or alignment strategies

• Strategies to prevent malicious use of AI tools

Eligibility Criteria

• Must be a professor (assistant, associate, or full) at a university or research institution

• Each applicant may only submit one proposal as PI or co-PI

• Projects must have a technological or computing focus

• Maximum of two PIs per proposal

• Up to two institutions may collaborate on a single project

Funding Format

Awards will be distributed as unrestricted gifts to the researcher’s institution. These funds are not to be used for indirect or overhead costs. In the case of collaborative proposals between institutions, funds may be divided between a maximum of two institutions.

Review Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on:

• Faculty merit and contributions to responsible innovation

• Research relevance and alignment with Google’s AI interests

• Proposal quality, clarity, and potential for high impact

• Strong adherence to ethical AI development principles

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted online by . Interested applicants should review the full program details and prepare a clear, innovative, and well-structured research proposal. Apply now.

Support & Information Sessions

Google will host virtual info sessions with Q&A opportunities for prospective applicants. To participate, researchers must RSVP via the official site.

Conclusion

This award presents a valuable opportunity for researchers dedicated to building a safer, more privacy-conscious digital future through AI. If your academic work lies at the crossroads of innovation and responsibility, the Google AI for Privacy, Safety, and Security Research Award could provide the funding and visibility to take your project to the next level.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE & APPLY