Amazon has distributed 63 research awards across 41 universities worldwide, fostering innovation in artificial intelligence with a focus on cybersecurity and agentic AI, supported by AWS resources and mentorship.
Amazon has announced the awarding of 63 Amazon Research Awards (ARA) to academic researchers affiliated with 41 universities across eight countries, marking a continuation of its ongoing commitment to fostering innovation in artificial intelligence and related fields. These awards provide unrestricted funds alongside Amazon Web Services (AWS) promotional credits, enabling recipients to undertake research across a broad spectrum of disciplines including AI for information security, Amazon Ads, AWS AI, and agentic AI.
The projects selected under the AI for information security category particularly focus on emergent vulnerabilities within machine learning systems, addressing challenges such as interpretable vulnerability detection, secure key management for confidential computing, and safe API discovery tailored for agentic AI. The agentic AI category recipients explore advanced topics like efficient long-horizon reasoning in interactive agents, contextual harm mitigation, automated backtracking, and bug-aware software testing overseen by intelligent agents.
Recipients of the awards gain access to over 700 public datasets curated by Amazon, as well as a wide array of AWS AI and machine learning services and tools. To support their research journey, each awardee is paired with an Amazon research mentor who provides consultation, technical advice, and facilitates participation in Amazon-led events and training sessions. Amazon also encourages the open dissemination of research outputs, including presentations at its global offices and the release of related code under open-source licenses.
Yida Wang, AWS AI principal applied scientist, emphasised AWS’s ambition to democratise AI research by partnering with leading academic institutions such as UC Berkeley, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon University, MIT, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and UCLA. Wang highlighted the barriers researchers face, particularly the need for affordable access to cutting-edge infrastructure that supports both advanced research and education. As a tangible example of the partnership’s impact, Amazon is collaborating with MIT researchers on 3D medical imaging projects that have significantly reduced the training time for healthcare professionals from months to weeks.
This announcement follows similar Amazon Research Award cycles held recently, which in fall 2024 saw 75 awards granted to researchers from 46 universities across 10 countries, covering additional categories like Automated Reasoning, AWS Cryptography, and Sustainability. Prior cycles in 2023 and early 2024 expanded this support further, with award numbers reaching over 100 and the geographic coverage spanning 15 countries. These programmes reflect Amazon’s strategic investment in supporting high-impact research that has the potential to advance both academic knowledge and practical applications in technology and society.
By maintaining a steady influx of funding, resources, and collaborative opportunities for AI researchers worldwide, Amazon aims to contribute significantly to the evolution of machine learning technologies and their integration into real-world solutions, while also nurturing the next generation of researchers who will shape the future of the field.
📌 Reference Map:
- [1] (National Technology) – Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 4, Paragraph 5, Paragraph 6
- [2] (Amazon Science) – Paragraph 1, Paragraph 4
- [3] (Amazon Science) – Paragraph 7
- [4] (Amazon Science) – Paragraph 7
- [5] (Amazon Science) – Paragraph 7
Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is based on a press release from Amazon Science, dated November 25, 2025, announcing 63 Amazon Research Awards to academic researchers from 41 universities across eight countries. ([amazon.science](https://www.amazon.science/research-areas/latest-news/63-amazon-research-award-recipients-announced-spring-2025?utm_source=openai)) This press release is the earliest known publication of this information, indicating high freshness. The National Technology News article, dated November 27, 2025, references this press release, confirming the freshness of the content.
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
The direct quotes attributed to Yida Wang, AWS AI Principal Applied Scientist, in the National Technology News article are consistent with those in the Amazon Science press release. ([amazon.science](https://www.amazon.science/research-areas/latest-news/63-amazon-research-award-recipients-announced-spring-2025?utm_source=openai)) No discrepancies or variations in wording were found, indicating the quotes are accurately reproduced.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from National Technology News, a reputable UK-based technology news outlet. The primary source is Amazon Science, the official research arm of Amazon, which is a credible and authoritative source for information about Amazon’s research initiatives. The alignment between the National Technology News article and the Amazon Science press release further supports the reliability of the information.
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
The claims made in the narrative are consistent with known patterns of Amazon’s research funding initiatives. The details about the categories of the awards, such as AI for information security and agentic AI, align with Amazon’s focus areas in AI research. The mention of specific universities like UC Berkeley, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon University, MIT, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and UCLA is plausible, as these institutions are known for their AI research and have collaborated with Amazon in the past. The narrative’s tone and language are consistent with typical corporate communications from Amazon, further supporting its plausibility.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is based on a recent and original press release from Amazon Science, accurately quoting a reputable source and presenting plausible and consistent information. The alignment between the National Technology News article and the Amazon Science press release further supports the credibility of the content.
