1,000+ Opportunities
Find the right grant
Search federal, foundation, and corporate grants with AI — or browse by agency, topic, and state.
DARPA's AI Forward initiative explores new directions for artificial intelligence research aimed at producing trustworthy systems for national security missions, organized around three research areas: foundational theory of AI, AI engineering for reliable real-world deployment, and human-AI teaming. Funding is delivered through streamlined AI Exploration (AIE) opportunities that are periodically solicited as Solicitation Notices on SAM.
gov. AIE awards are typically up to $1 million for 18-month feasibility studies, with projects required to begin within three months of the opportunity announcement and DARPA intending to make awards within roughly 90 days of posting.
Get a weekly digest of new grants like this
A free weekly digest of new foundation and federal funding opportunities as they're added to Granted. Unsubscribe anytime.
Or search similar grants →According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Open to qualified researchers and experts in AI including U.S. universities, research institutions, nonprofit research organizations, small businesses, and large defense contractors. Abstracts are typically required before full proposals. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows up to $1,000,000 per AI Exploration (AIE) award for 18-month feasibility studies. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
DARPA AI Forward Initiative for Trustworthy AI in National Security Missions (AI Exploration Opportunities) is funded by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
DARPA's FY26 Release 6 carries seven SBIR and three STTR topics closing October 21, 2026. TRIAGE-X and ICU-in-a-Box are listed at $2 million each, CORPS at $750,000 — not Phase I feasibility money. Meanwhile DoW FY-27 Release 1 pre-released October 7 with 25 topics, zero of them DARPA's, and a new one-proposal-per-topic rule that took effect October 1. Here is how to read both calendars.
Read articleDPA26BZ06-DV023 is a Direct-to-Phase-II SBIR paying $700,000 over 18 months plus a $500,000 option. The physics demands 256x more transmit power than the systems that qualify you to compete, and DARPA will not accept modeling alone as proof. Here is the eligibility wall, the five engineering problems, and who can realistically win it before the October 21 close.
Read articleRelease 6's SBIR topics got the attention. Its three STTR topics — SHIELDER, fuel-flexible electric propulsion, and hypersonic wind tunnel noise diagnostics — are all Direct-to-Phase-II, all require a research institution to perform at least 30 percent of the work, and all close October 21, 2026. The feasibility gates are the real filter.
Read article