AI Research Grants (various programs)

AI Research Grants (various programs) is sponsored by Various federal agencies and private foundations (e.g., NSF, DOE, Schmidt Sciences, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Sloan Foundation). This encompasses various grants funding artificial intelligence and AI-for-science research across federal agencies and private foundations. AI is a major funding priority for 2026, with initiatives like the AI Institutes network and dedicated AI offices.

AI Research Grants 2026 | Atom Grants AI is the clearest funding priority of 2026. NSF officials have said openly that artificial intelligence now drives agency grantmaking, backed by the AI Institutes network and major new initiatives.

The Department of Energy stood up a dedicated AI office, and philanthropic funders including Schmidt Sciences, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the Sloan Foundation have all launched substantial AI research programs. While most fields are fighting over a shrinking pool, AI funding is growing on both the federal and private side.

Updated automatically from Atom's grant database Artificial Intelligence in Materials Science Artificial Intelligence in Materials Science supports researchers combining AI and physical theories for materials discovery, simulation, inverse design, and autonomous experiments to advance scientific discovery.

Technology in the Public Interest Supports research and networks to improve oversight, evaluation, and accountability in AI governance, prioritizing public interest, equity, and transparency in high-impact sectors.

$ 2,000,000 MacArthur Foundation Forecasted Emerging Algorithms and Mathematical Paradigms for Reliable Next-Generation AI A workshop by IPAM exploring new mathematical and algorithmic methods to ensure reliable, interpretable, and robust next-generation AI systems. The opportunity is much broader than core machine learning.

A large share of new funding targets AI for science: applying modern models to problems in biology, chemistry, materials, medicine, agriculture, and the social sciences. There is also growing investment in trustworthy and safe AI, in AI infrastructure and benchmarks, and in training the research workforce.

Researchers whose work touches AI from any direction, whether building methods or applying them, have more doors open than the traditional program lists suggest. This collection tracks open grants supporting AI and machine learning research across funders. It updates automatically as new programs are announced, so it reflects the current cycle rather than last year's landscape.

Forecasted opportunities are labeled, which matters in a field where agencies are announcing programs faster than they open them. AI for Privacy, Safety, and Security Academic Research Awards Google's AI for Privacy, Safety, and Security Academic Research Awards fund interdisciplinary research using AI to tackle digital privacy, safety, and security challenges.

Forecasted Jul 15, 2027 $ 100,000 Google Forecasted The AI Safety Fund supports global research projects advancing responsible and safe development of advanced AI systems, focusing on urgent challenges like evaluation, biosecurity, cybersecurity, and governance.

Forecasted Jan 15, 2027 $ 400,000 Frontier Model Forum Forecasted Advancing Research at the intersection of Biology and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) NSF BIO supports research combining biology and AI/ML to advance biological discovery or develop AI/ML methods inspired by biological systems, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration.

Anthropic Fellows Program for AI Safety Research Anthropic Fellows Program for AI Safety Research supports engineers and researchers with mentorship and resources for empirical AI safety and security work aimed at public research outputs.

Due Oct 18, 2026 · 10 d Anthropic Exploratory Grantmaking in Technology Supports early-stage research and technology projects in science, with a focus on AI and automation, to clarify needs and inform future strategies where other funding is scarce.

Rolling submissions Sloan Foundation Utilizing the Full Power of Empire AI Utilizing the Full Power of Empire AI supports Empire AI researchers developing and using foundational machine learning models on multinode GPU clusters to solve fundamental problems in mathematics and basic science.

Due Dec 1, 2026 $ 6,000,000 Simons Foundation Artificial Intelligence and Society Fellowship Program Artificial Intelligence and Society Fellowship Program supports postdoctoral researchers bridging AI, social sciences, and humanities to bring ethical and humanistic principles into AI development and use.

Forecasted Jan 1, 2027 NYAS Forecasted Researcher Access Program Researcher Access Program supports researchers and research nonprofits with OpenAI API access to study responsible AI deployment, mitigate risks, and examine AI’s effects on people and society.

Rolling submissions $ 1,000 OpenAI Artificial Intelligence in Communication Sciences and Disorders Research Grant Supports interdisciplinary research integrating ethical and innovative AI solutions to advance clinical practice, education, and research in communication sciences and disorders.

Forecasted Mar 4, 2027 $ 50,000 ASHA Forecasted AI Opportunity supports Chicago youth, communities, and nonprofits through work on AI, the economy, and workforce, community-centered development, and nonprofit uses to expand equitable participation in AI.

MacArthur Foundation Forecasted Request for Proposals: AI Governance Request for Proposals: AI Governance supports researchers and organizations with research, training, and governance project funding to reduce catastrophic risks from advanced AI.

Forecasted Jan 25, 2027 Coefficient Giving Forecasted U.S. National Science Foundation State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs NSF’s State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs fund consortia to build advanced AI research infrastructure and workforce training across states and territories.

Due Nov 4, 2026 $ 12,000,000 NSF Limited submission Funding for work that builds capacity to address risks from transformative AI Funding for work that builds capacity to address risks from transformative AI supports new and existing AI-risk talent through training, networks, and shared knowledge to help society navigate transformative AI.

Rolling submissions Coefficient Giving AstroAI Fellowship at the Center for Astrophysics The AstroAI Fellowship at the Center for Astrophysics supports early-career researchers using AI to tackle innovative astrophysics research, with mentorship from both AI and astrophysics experts.

Forecasted Dec 1, 2026 $ 167,484 CfA Forecasted Science of Learning and Augmented Intelligence (SL) The Science of Learning and Augmented Intelligence (SL) grant supports transformative research on learning mechanisms and how human cognition can be enhanced through interactions with technology or others, emphasizing collaborative models with potential technological applications.

AI and the Workforce supports academic scholars researching how artificial intelligence affects employment, productivity, occupational change, and economic opportunity over time to deepen understanding of work.

Due Dec 15, 2026 $ 20,000 IHS Technical Postdoctoral Fellowships The Technical Postdoctoral Fellowships from the Future of Life Institute support postdocs conducting technical research to reduce existential risks from advanced AI. Forecasted Jan 5, 2027 $ 90,000 Future of Life Forecasted Frequently asked questions Who funds AI research grants?

Federal agencies fund the largest share: NSF through the AI Institutes and programs like Mathematical Foundations of AI, NIH through AI-focused initiatives and the National Library of Medicine, and the Department of Energy. Private funders include Schmidt Sciences, the Sloan Foundation, the Simons Foundation, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and AI companies such as Anthropic and Google run their own academic research programs.

Can researchers outside computer science get AI grants? Yes. Much of today's AI funding supports applying AI to other fields, such as biology, chemistry, materials science, medicine, agriculture, and the social sciences.

Several programs explicitly prefer interdisciplinary teams that pair domain scientists with machine learning researchers, so a strong scientific question can matter as much as AI expertise. Are there AI research grants for students and postdocs? Yes.

Beyond standard faculty grants, AI funding includes PhD and postdoctoral fellowships, industry-sponsored fellowship programs, and early career awards. Eligibility varies by program, so check each listing for career stage, citizenship, and institutional requirements. What is the difference between AI research grants and AI safety grants?

AI research grants cover the full field, from new methods to AI for science. AI safety grants focus on making advanced AI systems reliable and beneficial: alignment, interpretability, evaluations, security, and governance. Atom keeps a separate AI Safety Research Grants collection for those programs.

Climate and Environmental Research Grants 2026 Open foundation grants for climate change, environmental, ocean, and energy research in 2026, for researchers looking beyond federal agencies. Updated daily. AI Safety Research Grants Open grants and fellowships for AI safety, alignment, interpretability, and AI governance research, from AI labs, foundations, and federal agencies.

Updated daily. Cancer Research Grants 2026 Open grants for cancer and oncology research, from NCI and DOD programs to disease-focused foundations. A live list sorted by relevance and updated daily.

AI in Healthcare Research Grants Open grants for AI and machine learning research in medicine, clinical care, and biomedical science, from NIH and NSF to disease foundations. Updated daily. New Research Grants This Month Research grants and fellowships newly added in the last 30 days, across federal agencies, foundations, and societies.

A rolling list that updates daily. Added in the last 30 days Postdoc Fellowships and Research Grants Fellowships and grants open to postdoctoral researchers, from NIH and NSF fellowships to foundation awards. Updated automatically as new funding opens.

Unlock AI built for research development Lists like this are just the start. Atom matches grants to your researchers, assembles collaborators, and helps your team win more proposals.