Is this bugged? When mousing over the Academy Grants inside the Diplomacy screen with another faction its says:

"It can be used for many activities such as buying resources, paying heroes, or trading with other empires"

As far as I can tell, the Academy Grants can only be used for trading with other empires - which I think is the weakest of the three (in my experience, the major factions strongly undervalue dust in contract terms. Its hardly ever a bargaining chip). I don't know what it means by "paying heroes" - buying them from the market? Healing them if damaged? I don't see that activity or "buying resources" in the market - such as how the United Empire has a secondary resource (influence).

I thought there was something about Master of Dust giving you access to using a batch of Isyander's influence (instead of your own) in negotiations? That would make this role much more useful. I think it should.

If this is intended than Master of Dust is really under-powered in my mind.  The best thing about it is the Carrier (The Sum of All Pains) but if I wanted a military I would just go for Spear of Isyander.

The reference to buying resources and paying heroes is unfortunately incorrect in the final version of the game.

It would be useful, if you'd use those grant for technology. This way it would have ANY use.