The Existing Dairy Processor Expansion Grant is a program from the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) that funds existing dairy processing facilities in the Northeast region for capital investments to expand processing capacity and diversify the milk supply chain. Grants support acquisition of specialized equipment needed for volume expansion and existing product line expansion, with additional support possible for training, marketing, or supply chain logistics directly tied to increased production capacity. Only existing dairy processing facilities in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont are eligible. Multiple funding tiers are available based on processor size, with Tier 3 for larger applicants. Applications are now closed for the current round; past awardees are listed on the NE-DBIC website. Processors should monitor nedairyinnovation.com for future funding announcements.

The Department of Defense FY2026 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) provides funding for U.S. universities to acquire research equipment and instrumentation in areas important to national defense, including AI and machine learning hardware. The program is administered jointly by the Army Research Office (ARO), Office of Naval Research (ONR), and Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), with approximately $34 million available and 95 awards anticipated. DURIP funds the acquisition of specialized computing hardware for AI/ML research (GPU clusters, TPUs, neuromorphic processors), robotics and autonomous systems testbeds, sensor arrays and data collection systems for machine learning training, high-performance computing infrastructure for defense-relevant AI research, and laboratory equipment for human-AI interaction studies. The program specifically supports equipment that enhances research-related education in DoD-priority disciplines. While general-purpose computing is not eligible, computing equipment directly supporting DoD-relevant AI research programs qualifies. No cost sharing is required.