Sony Research Award Program 2026 for Faculty – Funding up to USD 150,000

INTERNATIONAL FACULTY RESEARCH FUNDING | SONY

Sony Research Award Program 2026

Sony invites innovative research proposals from eligible full-time faculty members and researchers for collaborative, cutting-edge academic research in information technology, entertainment technology, device technology and selected focused research themes.

Official submission deadline 15 September 2026, 11:59 PM PDT Equivalent to 16 September 2026, 12:29 PM IST

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The Sony Research Award Program supports pioneering academic research and establishes collaborative relationships between university faculty members and Sony researchers. Proposals may be submitted under either the Faculty Innovation Award or the Focused Research Award.

🏛️ Eligible applicants Full-time faculty members and researchers

💰 Maximum funding Up to USD 150,000 per accepted proposal

📅 Application window 15 July to 15 September 2026

Two Research Award Categories

Faculty Innovation Award Broad research topics relevant to Sony

Funding up to USD 100,000

Supports pioneering academic research aligned with the general research interests and technology areas identified by Sony.

• Project period of one year
• Possible extension or renewal
• Select one primary keyword
• Broad and exploratory research scope
• Collaboration with Sony research teams

Focused Research Award Research addressing Sony's immediate interests

Funding up to USD 150,000

Supports targeted research addressing one of the specific Focused Research Themes published by Sony for the 2026 call.

• Project period of one year
• Possible extension or renewal
• Select one listed research theme
• Focused technical research objectives
• Close research collaboration with Sony

Who Can Apply?

• Full-time professors or researchers employed by an eligible university, educational institution or government/non-profit research institute.
• Assistant Professors, Associate Professors and Professors are eligible, subject to meeting the other programme conditions.
• The Principal Investigator must be authorised by the institution to supervise Ph.D. students.
• Adjunct professors, adjunct researchers and Professors Emeritus are not eligible to apply as Principal Investigators.
• The Principal Investigator and institution may be located in India, the United States, Canada or one of the eligible European countries listed by Sony.
• Prior collaboration with Sony is not required.
• Governmental and non-profit research organisations may apply when they satisfy the programme conditions.

Eligibility for Indian applicants: Eligible full-time faculty members and researchers from Indian universities, educational institutions and government or non-profit research institutes may submit proposals.

Co-Principal Investigator Conditions

• A proposal may include one or more Co-Principal Investigators.
• Every Co-PI must satisfy the same eligibility requirements as the Principal Investigator.
• All Co-PIs must belong to the same university or institution as the Principal Investigator.
• Co-PIs from a different institution cannot be included.
• Only one award will be made to the primary PI and the primary PI's institution when a proposal is selected.

Faculty Innovation Award Research Areas

Applicants must select the single keyword that most closely matches their proposal. The official keyword list is organised under the following major technology categories.

🧠 Affective Computing and Human-State Estimation

🎵 Audio, Music, Speech and Language Processing

☁️ Cloud and Edge Systems

📡 Communication and Advanced Wireless Networks

👁️ Computer Vision and Multimodal Sensing

🤝 Human Sensing and Interaction

🐧 Embedded Linux and Cyber Resilience

🤖 Machine Learning and Character Animation

📶 RF Sensing

🦾 Robotics and Vision-Language-Action Models

🔐 Security and Anti-Piracy Technologies

💻 Software Development Technologies

🎬 Entertainment and Content-Creation Technologies

⚽ Sports Technology

🖼️ Visualisation, Neural Rendering and Volumetric Video

💡 Micro-LED and Display Technologies

🔬 Optical Metasurfaces

📱 Spatial Light Modulators and Device Technology

Important: Applicants should select the official keyword shown on the Sony programme page rather than using only a broad subject-area name.

Focused Research Award Themes for 2026

Focused Research Award proposals must address one of Sony's published themes for the 2026 application cycle.

1. Internal Mechanisms of Multimodal Generative Models for Content Creation
2. Anime-Style Expression Exaggeration – Learning Artistic Deformation Priors
3. Knowledge Representation and Reasoning for Graph-Based Modelling
4. Psychology-Informed User Modelling and Intervention Design for Content Streaming Experiences
5. Post-Training of Speech Language Models for Anime
6. Innovative Visual Technology Powered by Artificial Intelligence
7. AI-Based Digital Human Content Creation for Sports Science and Sports Entertainment
8. Provenance Proofs for AI-Generated Derivative Content
9. Long-Term Memory for Sequential Decision-Making in Game Video Understanding
10. Cloud Creation Everywhere
11. Design and Evaluation of an Intermediate Interaction Layer for Integrating Diverse Input and Output Environments

Applicants should read the detailed scope and expected research outcomes for the selected Focused Research Theme on the official Sony programme page before preparing the proposal.

Proposal Format and Documents

Research Proposal A maximum of 10 pages, including references, covering the title, abstract, research methods, objectives, milestones and differentiation from the current state of the art.

Budget Summary A separate one-page budget summary must be included. The combined proposal and budget should not exceed 11 pages.

Principal Investigator CV The PI's curriculum vitae must be uploaded as a separate file from the research proposal.

Combined CV for Co-PIs When Co-PIs are included, their CVs should be combined with the PI's CV in a single PDF, with the PI's CV placed first.

Proposal Should Include

• Research proposal title
• Research abstract
• Problem statement and motivation
• Research methodology
• Goals and project milestones
• Expected technical and research outcomes
• Differentiation from the current state of the art
• Relevant references
• One Focused Research Theme or one Faculty Innovation Award keyword
• One-page budget summary and justification
• PI email address and telephone number with country code

Funding Conditions

• Faculty Innovation Award funding is limited to a maximum of USD 100,000 per proposal.
• Focused Research Award funding is limited to a maximum of USD 150,000 per proposal.
• The award is intended for a one-year research period, with a possible extension.
• The award amount is all-inclusive and must cover project expenses, institutional overhead and other applicable costs.
• Sony does not specify a fixed maximum amount or percentage for institutional overhead.
• Funding will be released only after Sony and the selected institution conclude a sponsored research agreement.
• Awards may be paid in US dollars or the applicable currency, depending on the participating institution's country.

Important Intellectual Property and Confidentiality Notice

Do not include confidential or proprietary information in the initial proposal.

Sony's submission terms state that the proposal and supplementary information submitted during the initial assessment will not be treated as confidential or proprietary. Applicants and institutional research offices should review the complete submission terms before providing technical details.

When a proposal is selected, Sony and the applicant's institution must negotiate and sign a sponsored research agreement covering objectives, publications, intellectual property and related programme conditions before funding becomes available.

How to Apply?

1. Review the official Faculty Innovation Award keywords and Focused Research Award themes.
2. Select only one target award for the proposal.
3. Choose the single most appropriate keyword or Focused Research Theme.
4. Confirm that the Principal Investigator and any Co-PIs satisfy the eligibility conditions.
5. Discuss institutional requirements with the sponsored research, research and development or administrative office.
6. Prepare the research proposal within the 10-page limit.
7. Add the one-page project budget summary.
8. Prepare the PI and Co-PI curriculum vitae as a separate PDF file.
9. Review the submission terms, particularly the confidentiality and intellectual-property provisions.
10. Complete the Sony online submission form in English.
11. Retain the automatic confirmation email as proof of submission.
12. Complete the application by the official submission deadline.

Submission mode: Applications must be submitted through the official online form. Proposals submitted through email will not be accepted.

Submit Proposal Official Programme Page Read Submission Terms

Important Dates and Programme Details

Programme	Sony Research Award Program 2026
Application opening	15 July 2026
Official deadline	15 September 2026 at 11:59 PM PDT
Indian deadline	16 September 2026 at 12:29 PM IST
Faculty Innovation Award	Up to USD 100,000
Focused Research Award	Up to USD 150,000
Initial project period	One year, with a possible extension
Proposal length	10-page proposal plus one-page budget summary
Submission language	English
Expected result notification	Around March 2027
Application portal	Sony Research Award Online Submission Form
Official website	Sony Research Award Program
Programme enquiries	Official Sony Inquiry Form

Sony Research Award Program Flyer

Applicants should refer to the official Sony programme page for the complete eligibility criteria, research themes and submission terms.

Collaborate with Sony on Cutting-Edge Research

Eligible faculty members and researchers from India can submit proposals under the Faculty Innovation Award or Focused Research Award.

Submit Your Proposal

Disclaimer: Thirai publishes research grants, conferences, calls for proposals and academic opportunities for informational purposes. Funding amounts, eligibility conditions, research themes, submission terms, intellectual property provisions and deadlines are governed solely by the official Sony Research Award Program documentation. Applicants should read the complete official guidelines and obtain institutional approval before submitting a proposal.

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