Highlights:
- Four Indian American researchers selected for the 2026 Sloan Research Fellowships
- Each Sloan Research Fellowship includes a two-year $75,000 research grant
- Honorees represent Carnegie Mellon University and MIT
- Research areas include AI safety, cryptography, statistical inference, and quantum complexity theory
- Awards presented by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
- Sloan Research Fellowships recognize early-career scientific innovation across the U.S. and Canada
Four Indian American researchers have been named recipients of the 2026 Sloan Research Fellowships, a leading honor for early-career scientists in the United States and Canada. The fellowships are awarded annually by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to recognize outstanding research contributions and scientific leadership.
The 2026 Sloan Research Fellowships recipients include Aayush Jain, Arun Kumar Kuchibhotla, and Aditi Raghunathan of Carnegie Mellon University, and Anand Natarajan of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Each fellow receives a two-year $75,000 grant to advance independent research.
The Sloan Research Fellowships are widely regarded as an indicator of emerging leadership in science, mathematics, and technology.
What the 2026 Sloan Research Fellowships Recognize
The Sloan Research Fellowships are awarded to scholars in the early stages of their academic careers whose work demonstrates strong potential for long-term impact.
“The Sloan Research Fellows are among the most promising early-career researchers in the U.S. and Canada, already driving meaningful progress in their respective disciplines,” said Stacie Bloom, president and CEO of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. She added that the foundation looks forward to seeing how these scholars continue to unlock scientific advancements and expand knowledge across fields.
The 2026 Sloan Research Fellowships continue a long-standing tradition of identifying researchers whose work influences the direction of their disciplines.
Sloan Research Fellowships: Strengthening Cryptography and Post-Quantum Security
Aayush Jain, assistant professor in the Computer Science Department at Carnegie Mellon University, received a 2026 Sloan Research Fellowship for his work in theoretical and applied cryptography.
His research studies the mathematical foundations that secure modern encryption systems. Jain focuses on identifying new sources of computational hardness, the complex mathematical problems that underpin digital security. His work addresses long-term encrypted computation and contributes to post-quantum cryptography, which prepares security systems for the potential capabilities of quantum computers.
He also mentors graduate students in foundational cryptographic theory. The Sloan Research Fellowships recognition underscores the importance of advancing secure communication systems in a changing technological environment.
Sloan Research Fellowships: Advancing Statistical Inference for AI
Arun Kumar Kuchibhotla, associate professor in the Department of Statistics & Data Science at Carnegie Mellon University, was selected for the 2026 Sloan Research Fellowships for his contributions to statistical theory and predictive learning.
His work addresses uncertainty measurement in complex and high-dimensional data settings. Kuchibhotla develops “assumption-lean” frameworks that remain reliable when traditional statistical tools struggle. He is known for advancing “honest inference” methods, including the Hull-based Confidence Method (HulC), which performs consistently in irregular data environments.
His research also has applications in financial forecasting and causal inference. The Sloan Research Fellowships honor reflects the growing need for dependable statistical methods in artificial intelligence and machine learning systems.
Sloan Research Fellowships: Building Safer and More Reliable AI
Aditi Raghunathan, assistant professor in the Computer Science Department at Carnegie Mellon University, received a 2026 Sloan Research Fellowship for her work in AI safety and reliability.
She studies how artificial intelligence systems fail and designs models that are safer and more dependable in real-world applications. Raghunathan leads the AI Reliability Lab, where her team develops aligned and trustworthy AI systems using rigorous methods. Her work has received recognition at major academic conferences and contributes to responsible AI deployment.
The Sloan Research Fellowships acknowledgment highlights the importance of ensuring that AI systems operate safely and predictably across industries.
Sloan Research Fellowships: Exploring the Limits of Quantum Computing
Anand Natarajan, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was recognized through the 2026 Sloan Research Fellowships for his work in quantum complexity theory.
He serves as a principal investigator at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab. His research examines the limits of quantum computing, particularly interactive proofs in quantum systems. Natarajan’s work seeks to better understand both the capabilities of quantum computers and methods to verify their outputs.
He earned his PhD in physics from MIT and previously conducted postdoctoral research at Caltech. His selection for the Sloan Research Fellowships reflects the expanding importance of quantum computing research in modern science.
