Applications Now Open for New Hill Prize in Artificial Intelligence
TAMEST is pleased to announce the addition of a new Hill Prize in Artificial Intelligence. Applications are now open for the new category, which will recognize high-risk, high-reward ideas and innovations in artificial intelligence with great potential for impact. It is open to researchers and teams at academic and medical institutions and/or in the private sector and in government.
“Artificial Intelligence is quickly becoming a driving force in the research enterprise because we’ve reached a tipping point in capabilities. These advances are very real and are likely to accelerate,” said 2026 Hill Prizes Committee Chair David E. Daniel, Ph.D. (NAE), President Emeritus of The University of Texas at Dallas. “This is a technology that powers all the other technologies that TAMEST represents. We are at a threshold moment, and thanks to the vision and support of Lyda Hill, TAMEST will be able to recognize and advance the most promising ideas and innovations in AI in Texas.”
This new prize category is currently in a special window for submissions this summer, open now through Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at 6 p.m. CT. Don’t miss this opportunity to be recognized as a top Texas innovator or researcher in the field of artificial intelligence.
What is the focus of the new prize category? The 2026 Hill Prize in Artificial Intelligence will recognize bold ideas in artificial intelligence and related technologies – both foundational science and commercial applications – across disciplines. Applicants should convincingly demonstrate how their idea will lead to transform advances in AI or impactful innovations in other fields.
Topics include, but are not limited to:
- Advanced Platform Development for AI
- AI Hardware/Infrastructure Development
- Innovative Training Methods
- Pioneering Applications of AI
- Theoretical Developments and Algorithms (including significant advances in Generative AI, Agentic AI, Artificial General Intelligence, Machine Learning and Optimization)
Who can apply? The prizes are open to all Texas-based applicants from both academia and industry (including TAMEST members) 15 years or more after their first independent appointment in academia government or industry.
What are the Hill Prizes? The prizes propel high-risk, high-reward ideas and innovations in seven categories that demonstrate significant potential for real-world impact and can lead to new, paradigm-shifting paths in research. Each recipient’s institution or organization will receive $500,000 from Lyda Hill Philanthropies to accelerate their work. (Applications for the 2026 Hill Prizes in the categories of medicine, public health, engineering, biological sciences, physical sciences and technology are closed.)
Apply Today. Applications for the 2026 Hill Prize in AI will close Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at 6 p.m. CT.
For more information, please read our Frequently Asked Questions or view the Hill Prize in AI Application Guide.
