Applications open for Northeast India AI Research Fellowship

Deadline: 31-Dec-2026

The Northeast India AI Research Fellowship supports students and early-career researchers building language technologies for indigenous Northeast Indian languages. It focuses on low-resource NLP, including language modeling, dataset creation, translation systems, and speech technologies. The 8–12 week remote fellowship offers mentorship, hands-on research experience, and opportunities for publications and open-source contributions.

Fellowship Overview

The Northeast India AI Research Fellowship is a research initiative focused on advancing artificial intelligence for indigenous and low-resource languages of Northeast India.

The fellowship is led by MWire Labs and provides structured mentorship in natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning.

It supports research that improves:

• Language preservation
• Digital accessibility
• AI representation of under-resourced languages
• Multilingual communication technologies

Supported Languages

The fellowship focuses on indigenous Northeast Indian languages, including:

• Khasi
• Garo
• Adi
• Ao
• Kokborok
• Meitei
• Assamese
• Other regional and tribal languages

Core Research Areas

1. Language Modeling and NLP

• Transformer-based language models
• Multilingual NLP systems
• Low-resource language modeling

2. Dataset Creation and Curation

• Text dataset development
• Speech dataset collection
• Multimodal data annotation
• High-quality linguistic resource building

3. Translation and Cross-Lingual Systems

• Machine translation systems
• Cross-lingual learning models
• Parallel corpus development

4. Speech Technologies

• Speech recognition systems
• Speech synthesis tools
• Benchmarking for low-resource languages

Fellowship Structure

Duration and Commitment

• Duration: 8–12 weeks
• Mode: Fully remote
• Weekly commitment: 8–12 hours
• Flexible schedule for students

Mentorship and Learning

Fellows receive:

• Direct mentorship from MWire Labs researchers
• Regular progress check-ins
• Group learning and collaboration sessions
• Guidance on NLP and AI research methods

Research Experience

Participants gain hands-on experience in:

• Fine-tuning transformer models
• Evaluating AI systems
• Working with low-resource datasets
• Open-source AI development

Who is Eligible?

Eligible applicants include:

• Undergraduate students
• Graduate students
• Early-career researchers

Preferred academic backgrounds:

• Computer Science
• Artificial Intelligence
• Linguistics
• Related technical fields

Additional eligibility considerations:

• Native or heritage speakers of Northeast Indian languages strongly encouraged
• Open to global applicants
• Preference for candidates from Northeast India or diaspora communities

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit:

• Statement of interest explaining motivation and research focus
• CV or resume
• Portfolio of prior work (projects, GitHub, Hugging Face, or repositories)

Optional advantages:

• Prior machine learning or NLP experience
• Demonstrated coding or data skills

How It Works / Selection Process

Application Steps

• Submit application materials (statement + CV + projects)
• Applications reviewed on a rolling monthly basis
• Shortlisted candidates may be invited for a call or task
• Final selection of fellows

Fellowship Experience

• Join mentored research projects
• Participate in weekly discussions and reviews
• Contribute to datasets, models, or tools
• Collaborate with linguists and researchers

Outcomes and Benefits

Fellows may receive:

• Certificate of completion from MWire Labs
• Co-authorship opportunities on research papers
• Letters of recommendation (for top performers)
• Portfolio development on GitHub and Hugging Face
• Exposure to academic and open-source AI ecosystems
• Collaboration with NGOs and cultural organizations

Why This Fellowship Matters

This fellowship is important because it:

• Advances AI for underrepresented languages
• Supports digital preservation of indigenous languages
• Builds inclusive multilingual AI systems
• Strengthens research capacity in Northeast India
• Encourages open-source and collaborative AI development

It directly contributes to reducing the global language technology gap.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Weak or unclear statement of interest
• No focus on Northeast Indian languages
• Lack of basic project or coding evidence
• Ignoring low-resource NLP challenges
• Submitting generic AI interest without research direction
• Missing resume or portfolio links

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Northeast India AI Research Fellowship?

It is a remote research fellowship focused on building AI tools for indigenous Northeast Indian languages.

How long is the fellowship?

It runs for 8–12 weeks.

Is the fellowship remote?

Yes, it is fully remote and flexible.

Who can apply?

Students and early-career researchers in AI, CS, linguistics, or related fields.

Do I need prior NLP experience?

Not mandatory, but it is an advantage.

What languages are supported?

Languages include Khasi, Garo, Adi, Ao, Kokborok, Meitei, Assamese, and others.

What do fellows receive after completion?

A certificate, potential publication opportunities, and research experience with MWire Labs.

Conclusion

The Northeast India AI Research Fellowship provides a structured pathway for students and researchers to contribute to AI-driven language preservation and development. Through mentorship, hands-on research, and real-world NLP projects, it strengthens the future of indigenous language technologies and inclusive artificial intelligence.

For more information, visit MWire Labs.