AWS Cryptography call for proposals - Fall 2026
AWS Cryptography call for proposals - Fall 2026 supports academic and NGO researchers in advancing cryptography to strengthen customer trust and protect applications and data in use, in transit, and at rest.
Funder: Amazon Research Awards
Due Dates: October 1, 2026 (Submission opens) | November 4, 2026, 11:59 PM Pacific Time (Submission deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $80,000 USD in unrestricted funds and up to $40,000 USD in AWS Promotional Credits (one-time award)
Summary: Supports cryptography research that protects customer applications and data in use, in transit, and at rest.
Key Information: Each PI may submit only one proposal per call period, and proposals must contain no confidential information.
Description
Amazon Research Awards supports this call led by Amazon’s cryptography engineering stewards, who set standards for cryptographic technologies across the organization. It seeks theoretical and applied research on primitives and protocols, verified open-source implementations, novel cryptographic applications, and AI security. The goal is to strengthen customer trust by protecting applications and data in use, in transit, and at rest.
Research interests include quantum-resistant constructions, cryptanalysis, symmetric encryption, formal verification, side-channel protection, and hardware acceleration for fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) and multiparty computation (MPC). The call also welcomes practical FHE tools, cloud collaboration protocols, and privacy-preserving AI. Selection considers potential impact at Amazon and development of the cryptographic community, particularly increased undergraduate and graduate student participation and greater diversity at all levels.
