By Rachel Robey
One of just 126 recipients across the US and Canada, the Sloan Foundation counts Sharon Li among the next generation of scientific leaders.
Assistant Professor Sharon Li, a researcher in algorithmic and theoretical foundations of safe and reliable AI, is one of two UW–Madison researchers to be named a 2025 Sloan Fellow. Conferred by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the awards recognize promising early-career scientists “whose creativity, innovation, and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of leaders.”
“It’s an incredible honor,” says Li, who joined the department in 2020. “This recognition not only validates the importance of my research in safe and reliable AI, but also serves as a strong encouragement to continue pushing the boundaries of this field.”
No stranger to accolades, Li has also received the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award, MIT Innovators Under 35 Award, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Young Investigator Research Program (YIP) award since arriving on campus. In 2023, she was named Innovator of the Year by MIT Technology Review; a few years prior, she was featured on Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science list.
“These awards are beyond anything I could have imagined when I started my career,” says Li. “I see them as encouragement rather than endpoints—there’s still so much to explore, and I’m excited for the road ahead.”
Sloan Fellowships, awarded to researchers within computer science, chemistry, earth system science, economics, mathematics, neuroscience, and physics, are among the most prestigious and competitive awards a young researcher can achieve. Of the over 1,000 nominees, this year’s winners comprise 126 individuals from 51 institutions. Each winner of the two-year fellowship receives $75,000 in funding, to be used flexibly in support of the recipient’s research.
“My ultimate goal is to help build AI systems that are both powerful and reliable—systems that people can trust in high-stakes settings, from healthcare to scientific discovery,” says Li, a member of UW–Madison’s machine learning research group and an affiliate of the Data Science Institute. “In the long term, I hope our work not only advances machine learning foundations but also shapes how AI is deployed responsibly in society.”
Li joins Computer Sciences faculty members Xiangyao Yu (2024), Ilias Diakonikolas (2017), AnHai Doan (2007), and Jin-Yi Cai (1994) in receiving the Sloan Fellowship throughout the department’s history.
“It’s deeply motivating to be part of a community of past and present Sloan Fellows who have made pioneering contributions to science,” she continues. “The fellowship is a testament to the collective efforts of my students, collaborators, and mentors who have supported and shaped my research journey.”
Learn more about this year’s winners via UW News.