ADIA Lab Digital Economy Program Solicitation (2026)
ADIA Lab Digital Economy Program Solicitation (2026)
Source page: https://www.adialab.ae/digital-economy-rfp
Source PDF: https://www.adialab.ae/s/ADIA_Lab_ADIA_Lab_Digital_Economy_RFP_2026-revisede.pdf
Saved locally as: ADIA_Lab_Digital_Economy_RFP_2026.pdf (542 KB, 22 pages)
Retrieved: 2026-05-06
URGENT: Expression of Interest is due May 8, 2026, Midnight GMT - 2 days from today.
Critical Dates
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Expression of Interest (registration) | May 8, 2026, 23:59 GMT (required) |
| Proposal submission link sent to registered PIs | May 9, 2026 |
| Full proposal submission | May 29, 2026, 23:59 GMT |
| Shortlisted proposals notified / negotiation begins | July 10, 2026 |
| Awards presented | 2026 ADIA Lab Symposium, Abu Dhabi |
EOI registration form: https://forms.gle/kjH1zSwZpPrkkg4o6
Funding
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Award type | Cooperative Agreement, 2-year commitment |
| Number of awards | 3 |
| Per-project max | US$300,000 / year (US$600,000 over 2 years) |
| Total prize pot | US$900,000 (US$450,000 / year) |
| Indirect cost limit | 20% of total direct costs |
| Aggregated proposals | Allowed; max may be exceeded for justified integrations |
Four Research Thrust Areas
1. AI Models for the Economy
- AI models for complex economic environments (global trade, monetary networks, shock propagation, resilience)
- AI tools on transparent high-granularity decentralized-market data for crisis dynamics & recovery
- High-quality digital-economy databases (supply chains, decentralized markets, smart cities); AI foundation models for time series
- Agentic AI tools for financial investors compliant with regulations; agentic/generative AI for economic data simulation
2. Digital Assets
- Tokenization of public and private assets (market + technical solutions)
- Economically sound architectures for digital money (CBDCs, stablecoins, tokenized deposits)
- Risk management, collateral efficiency, automation in digital financial systems
- Safe, scalable decentralized finance (DeFi) infrastructure
3. The Economics of AI
- Effects of AI on labor, capital, and economic organization
- AI as an asset class (market structure, funding cycles, energy/HPC cost dynamics, profitability)
- Interpretable, causally-informed economic decision-making (neurally and behaviorally grounded)
- Quantifying uncertainty in AI models for market and economic prediction
4. Digital Infrastructure
- Autonomous adaptive smart-contract ecosystems integrated with compliant AI agents
- Cryptographic tools for trusted, verifiable, private AI within decentralized governance
- Phygital solutions: digital twins, proof-based identity/authenticity/reserves
- Quantum-based technologies for finance and AI
Multi-thrust proposals are explicitly welcomed.
Expectations for Successful Proposals
- Application readiness path required. Purely theoretical proposals are unlikely to be competitive. Show progression: Fundamental Research -> Applied -> Tech Development & Demonstration -> System Validation -> Products & Services.
- Clear research questions and scientific objectives, with novel ideas and clear application prospects.
- Defined deliverables (validated models, prototypes, deployable tools, datasets) within the 2-year window.
- Sufficient team expertise; demonstrated institutional commitment.
- Knowledge transfer plan required - all code, methods, and tools must be made openly available on a stated timeline.
- Management plan covering oversight, communications, risk mitigation, financial monitoring.
- Engagement with UAE-based researchers, institutions, data ecosystems, or capacity-building is strongly encouraged and will be considered positively.
- In-person attendance at the 2026 ADIA Lab Symposium in Abu Dhabi by a senior representative of each awarded team is required.
Eligibility
- Open to domestic (UAE) and international, public or private, non-profit or for-profit organizations.
- PI must have substantial research and management experience in the relevant field.
- No limit on number of proposals per organization or per PI/Co-PI, but a PI may only receive one award per cycle.
- Proposals must not currently be awarded or under review elsewhere.
Expression of Interest Content (3000-char limit)
a. Descriptive title of proposed research b. PI: name, title, contact details, primary institution c. Brief project description (research concept, objectives, ADIA Lab digital economy goals addressed) d. 3 to 8 potential reviewers (names + emails) with no conflict of interest, with relevant expertise
Full Proposal Structure (Section VI)
(1) Cover Page (Appendix B template) (2) Executive Summary (max 500 words, 1 page) (3) Table of Contents (4) Project Description (5) Facilities, Equipment & Resources (6) Biographical Sketches (7) References Cited (8) Letters of Collaboration (9) Budget Information (Appendix C template, XLSX) (10) Potential Supplementary Documents
Specs: English, A4, single-spaced, 2.5 cm margins, 12pt Times New Roman (or Arial / Helvetica / Palatino / Linotype / Georgia), 10pt for figures/tables. Files: PI_First_Last_Prop.pdf + PI_First_Last_Budget.xlsx.
Review
Merit review process; criteria detailed in Section VII (pages 13-15 of PDF). Proposals reviewed as standalone documents (links to URLs and supplementary content discouraged).
Contact
- Website: https://www.adialab.ae
- Questions / submission issues: digital.economy@adialab.ae
Local Files in This Directory
ADIA_Lab_Digital_Economy_RFP_2026.pdf(542 KB) - full RFP, 22 pagesdigital-economy-rfp.html(197 KB) - saved RFP webpagerfp-summary.md- this summary