Policy Sprint: Developing a Policy Agenda for Fair and Trustworthy AI Futures
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS), in collaboration with the Kapor Foundation, invites brief proposals for policy memos that advance ideas for fair and trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI) governance. This call is part of a two-year initiative to develop a forward-looking, evidence-based AI policy agenda grounded in fairness, accountability, and inclusive governance.
AI is moving faster than our laws and institutions. Across healthcare, education, housing, hiring, and public benefits, algorithms are already shaping access to critical services, often without transparency or recourse. Without deliberate intervention, AI risks eroding public trust in technology and governance. This initiative seeks to generate actionable proposals that respond to the evolving technological and political landscape and offer concrete pathways for fairness in AI policy. The project will also be guided by an advisory working group consisting of technologists and civil society leaders to ensure it is responsive to current needs.
You must create an account and login to complete a submission. See below for more information about criteria and the submission process, then select Start Submission to continue. The submission deadline is November 20, 2025.
Start Submission
Questions? Please contact Caroline Siegel Singh (csingh@fas.org).
What We’re Looking For
For this project, we welcome proposals that:
Focus on a specific fairness harm in AI, clearly documenting the nature and evidence of the harm, and outlining how the proposed policy solution would address it with direct relevance to public policy and governance.
Examine impacts on a specific sector or community, such as healthcare, education, the workforce, disability communities, children and young adults, or government use of AI.
Clearly and correctly cite evidence and sources. We also expect candidates to transparently disclose any use of general-purpose AI models used while drafting the proposal and, if used, demonstrate careful and responsible application of such tools.
Provide sufficient context for a broad audience—including policymakers, technical experts, and affected communities.
Target a defined audience in a federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial government (executive or legislative), with recommendations that are detailed, adaptable, and actionable.
Present viable, policy-ready solutions, whether through new policy ideas or strategic use of existing tools and frameworks. Proposals should aim for meaningful impact while remaining achievable within current or near-term policy contexts.
Are designed for immediate policy use, with clarity, feasibility, and specificity that empower decision-makers to act.
Demonstrate informed perspectives by building on lived experience, community engagement, or relevant expertise to ensure your proposal reflects both credibility and authentic understanding.
We are particularly interested in policy proposals that touch on the following issue areas, but are open to ideas that span or extend beyond them:
Algorithmic Bias and Fairness: Recommendations that treat algorithmic fairness not only as a technical challenge but as a societal and policy imperative.
Transparency, Explainability, and Accountability: Proposals for systems, processes, and standards that ensure understanding, contestability, and meaningful oversight, with particular attention to the communities historically harmed by AI-enabled decisions in the United States.
Data Rights, Privacy, and Surveillance: Policy ideas that strengthen data governance and privacy frameworks for frontier AI, ensuring protections for personal information and fair treatment of data laborers, and preventing exploitative surveillance practices.
Building a Positive and Inclusive AI Agenda: Detailed visions for AI as a tool for collective empowerment, rather than solely as a source of risk, such as public infrastructure, enabling community participation in AI development and deployment, and advancing approaches that make AI beneficial for more people.
Why Participate?
Influence Policy: Help shape the next chapter of trustworthy U.S. AI governance.
Collaborate with Leaders: Join a growing network of technologists, advocates, and policymakers.
Visibility & Impact: FAS will provide editorial guidance, promotion, and platforms to elevate your work.
*Honorarium: Selected memo authors will receive a stipend after memo publication.
Submission Process
You must create an account and login to complete a submission. Please prepare the following details, then select Start Submission to continue. After creating an account, you can save progress and return to make edits before finalizing. The submission deadline is November 20, 2025.
Submission Requirements:
Your Information
- Full Name
- Age Category (over 18 years old / under 18 years old)
- Email Address
- Mailing Address
- Organizational affiliation and position
- Demographic information (optional)
Share Your Idea
- What specific AI fairness harm will your policy memo address, and why is it a priority now?
- How does your memo situate this issue in a broader governance and public policy context?
- Who is the primary policymaking audience for your proposal (e.g.,a federal agency, a state department of education, a city’s chief technology officer), and why is this the right jurisdiction for action?
- What existing policies, programs, or legal tools are relevant to your proposal?
- What are your specific, actionable recommendations to address your identified issue?
- How does your proposal center on the needs of affected constituencies?
- How can your proposal be adapted or scaled to other jurisdictions facing similar challenges?
- Why is your proposal timely and feasible for immediate action?
Policy Experience Assessment
- In 300 words or less, describe your past experience:
- working on policy and/or being a policy entrepreneur
- developing policy memos
- conducting landscape mapping and/or stakeholder analysis
- using policy levers (i.e., mechanisms) to enact change in government; if you haven't used policy levers before, please share your understanding of policy levers and examples of policy levers
- Provide at least one of two attachment options that demonstrate professional experience: (1) LinkedIn URL or (2) a resume.
*We welcome applications from groups of people, however please note that we will only pay a single $2000 honorarium to a single author per completed memo. The designated payee is welcome to redistribute funds between authors.
The submission deadline is November 20, 2025. Questions? Please contact Caroline Siegel Singh (csingh@fas.org).