ExpandAI (NSF 23-506) is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). Specifically designed for minority-serving institutions (HBCUs, HSIs, Alaska Native Serving Institutions, and Predominantly Black Institutions) seeking to build AI research and education capacity.

NSF 23-506: Expanding AI Innovation through Capacity Building and Partnerships (ExpandAI) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Archived funding opportunity This solicitation is archived. Important information for proposers and award recipients All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and its supplements .

All NSF grants and cooperative agreements are subject to the applicable set of NSF award terms and conditions . NSF has updated its research security policies for NSF funded projects.

NSF 23-506: Expanding AI Innovation through Capacity Building and Partnerships (ExpandAI) Broadening and diversifying the research community in collaboration with National AI Research Institutes To save a PDF of this solicitation, select Print to PDF in your browser's print options.

National Science Foundation Department of Homeland Security, Science & Technology Directorate National Institute of Food and Agriculture National Institute of Standards and Technology Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Submission Window Date(s) (due by 5 p. m.

submitting organization’s local time): January 09, 2023 - March 13, 2023 March 14, 2023 - June 26, 2023 June 27, 2023 - October 20, 2023 January 08, 2024 - March 11, 2024 March 12, 2024 - June 24, 2024 June 25, 2024 - October 18, 2024 January 06, 2025 - March 10, 2025 March 11, 2025 - June 23, 2025 June 24, 2025 - October 17, 2025 Eligible MSIs can submit a Concept Outline at any time.

Those that have been invited to submit a full proposal can submit a proposal based on that Concept Outline at any time during one of the submission windows listed above (up to one year). Important Information And Revision Notes This solicitation is a funding opportunity for Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs).

All proposers must receive an official invitation via the Concept Outline process to submit a full proposal to this solicitation.

The Concept Outline gives NSF the ability to review for appropriateness to the program objectives prior to the full proposal submission process, ensuring that proposers do not expend time or resources preparing full proposals that do not have strong potential to be responsive to the program objectives as found in solicitation-specific review criteria.

Details regarding this process as well as how to submit a Concept Outline can be found in section V. A of this document. The ExpandAI program has recurring submission windows.

Unlike deadlines, submission windows allow proposers the flexibility to submit a full proposal at any time during the specific dates listed at the top of this document. On each submission window closing date, the proposal submission system will shut down at 5:00 p. m.

submitting organization’s local time. The system will then reopen for new submissions the morning of the next window, with the exception of the final submission window. Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation should be submitted in accordance with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted.

The NSF PAPPG is regularly revised and it is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets the requirements specified in this solicitation and the applicable version of the PAPPG. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Summary Of Program Requirements Expanding AI Innovation through Capacity Building and Partnerships (ExpandAI) The National Science Foundation and its partners support the continued growth of a broad and diverse interdisciplinary research community for the advancement of AI and AI-powered innovation, providing a unique opportunity to broadly promote the NSF vision and core values, especially inclusion and collaboration.

The Expanding AI Innovation through Capacity Building and Partnerships (ExpandAI) program aims to significantly broaden participation in AI research, education, and workforce development through capacity development projects and through partnerships within the National AI Research Institutes ecosystem. Cognizant Program Officer(s): Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing.

See program website for any updates to the points of contact. email: ExpandAIProgram@nsf.

gov Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): --- USDA-NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative --- Mathematical and Physical Sciences --- Computer and Information Science and Engineering --- Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences --- NSF Technology, Innovation and Partnerships --- Department of Homeland Security, Science & Technology Directorate Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: This is the anticipated awards and available funding in the first year and an estimate of capacity in future years.

10-15 Capacity Building Pilots (CAP) awards are anticipated in FY 2023. 5-10 ExpandAI Partnership (PARTNER) awards are anticipated in FY 2023. Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds.

Anticipated Funding Amount: $10,000,000 to $17,000,000 Each CAP award is anticipated to be a standard grant up to $400,000 total budget over two years Each PARTNER award is anticipated to be a continuing award in the range of $300,000 to $700,000/year for up to 4 years.

Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: Proposals may be submitted only by a minority-serving college or university meeting the criteria listed under 'Eligible Institutions of Higher Education' in this program solicitation. Only eligible organizations that have received an official Program Officer Concurrence Email inviting a full proposal may submit a full proposal.

To receive the invitation, potential proposers must submit a Concept Outline document and receive an official response (via email) from a cognizant Program Director. Please see section V. A for details.

The Principal Investigator must hold a full-time faculty appointment or be a senior administrator at an eligible Institution as defined in the 'Eligible Institutions of Higher Education' section. In PARTNER proposals only, a co-PI must be identified to represent each partnering AI Institute. That co-PI must be verified by the Institute Director in the Institute Integration Plan as being among the senior/key personnel of the institute.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: An organization may submit one proposal per submission window. An organization must wait for a determination from NSF (e.g., Award, Decline, or Returned Without Review) on the pending proposal before submitting a new proposal in the next window.

Declined proposals require a new invitation to submit (via the Concept Outline process) and significant revision, while proposals Returned Without Review may be submitted using the same invited Concept Outline (assuming that the proposal is received within one year of the original Concept Outline invitation). Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: There are no restrictions or limits.

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions A. Proposal Preparation Instructions Letters of Intent: Not required Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required Full Proposals submitted via Research. gov: NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) guidelines apply.

The complete text of the PAPPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www. nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ.

jsp? ods_key=pappg . Full Proposals submitted via Grants.

gov: NSF Grants. gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants. gov guidelines apply (Note: The NSF Grants.

gov Application Guide is available on the Grants. gov website and on the NSF website at: https://www. nsf.

gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp? ods_key=grantsgovguide ).

Cost Sharing Requirements: Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited. Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Other Budgetary Limitations: Submission Window Date(s) (due by 5 p. m.

submitting organization’s local time): January 09, 2023 - March 13, 2023 March 14, 2023 - June 26, 2023 June 27, 2023 - October 20, 2023 January 08, 2024 - March 11, 2024 March 12, 2024 - June 24, 2024 June 25, 2024 - October 18, 2024 January 06, 2025 - March 10, 2025 March 11, 2025 - June 23, 2025 June 24, 2025 - October 17, 2025 Eligible MSIs can submit a Concept Outline at any time.

Those that have been invited to submit a full proposal can submit a proposal based on that Concept Outline at any time during one of the submission windows listed above (up to one year). Proposal Review Information Criteria National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review criteria apply.

Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. Award Administration Information Additional award conditions apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Standard NSF reporting requirements apply. The National Science Foundation and its partners support the continued growth of a broad and diverse interdisciplinary research community for the advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-powered innovation, providing a unique opportunity to broadly promote the NSF vision and core values, especially inclusion and collaboration.

The National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes program has established a national network of multisector flagship centers of AI research and workforce development that address a wide range of society's grand challenges through AI-powered innovation. AI Institutes are national activities for large-scale, long-term AI research, each pursuing use-inspired innovation in sectors of national importance.

Each AI Institute is committed to contributing to the development of a diverse, well-trained national AI workforce. In their role as nexus points for collaborative efforts, AI Institutes are well-positioned to facilitate continuing growth of that workforce by engaging diverse talent pools and perspectives. Minority-serving institutions (MSIs) are a source of untapped talent that will be critical to future AI innovation.

Diverse participants in AI research will be critical to advancing the field, conducting responsible AI research through more inclusive participatory design, and promoting positive societal outcomes of AI innovation. Where MSIs are not yet significantly engaged in AI research and education there is enormous untapped potential to increase talent development and collaboration through federally supported AI research.

This program promotes capacity development for new AI programs at MSIs, as well as partnerships between MSIs and AI Institutes. These activities are intended to be a driving force for strengthening and diversifying U.S. research and education pathways, and providing historically marginalized communities new opportunities in STEM careers.

Historically underrepresented communities in AI include persons with disabilities, African Americans/Blacks, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders.

The Expanding AI Innovation through Capacity Building and Partnerships (ExpandAI) program is a multi-year program that aims to significantly diversify participation in AI research, education, and workforce development through capacity development and partnerships within the National AI Research Institutes ecosystem. This program solicitation offers two Tracks corresponding to stages of readiness for partnerships in AI Institutes.

These are “ExpandAI Capacity Building Pilots” and “ExpandAI Partnerships” as described below. Track 1: ExpandAI Capacity Building Pilots Capacity Building Pilots (CAP) are planning and growth efforts focused on the establishment of AI activities at the funded MSI and the early exploration of future synergistic partnerships that have the potential to be part of prospective ExpandAI Partnerships.

Successful pilots will result in establishing new AI research capacity, education/workforce development in AI, and/or AI infrastructure capacity at the proposing institution and, potentially, a basis for future AI partnerships. CAP activities should plan for engaging appropriate communities to test the feasibility of partnerships as well as developing plans for continuing capacity development.

Plans should consider required research infrastructure, plans to leverage established groups in related research areas, and inclusion of faculty training and research experiences that emphasize the diversification of investigators.

Proposals must articulate a clear vision motivating the capacity building activities, with a focus on long-term benefits to the MSI such as enhanced faculty capacity for foundational and/or use-inspired AI research or new effective models for increased education and career pathways in AI.

Proposals to this track must include a strong Institutional Need and Support Statement (see proposal preparation instructions) containing an assessment of the current AI research and instructional capacity and infrastructure, a demonstration of institutional need for capacity building in AI, and a statement of the commitment of institutional support for the proposed activities.

Proposals that substantiate a strong case in this need and support statement are likely to be most compelling for the funding opportunity. Further guidance for this supporting document can be found in Proposal Preparation Instructions. Successful proposals will feature a Capacity Building Plan that features clear and measurable outcomes/benefits of capacity building.

Suitable activities for such a plan are: establishment or significant enhancement of foundational or use-inspired AI research, marked by increased faculty research output; design of academic pathways or innovative models for teaching and learning in AI, incorporating how students learn effectively in AI activities, and bringing AI disciplinary advances into the undergraduate and graduate experience; establishment or significant expansion of AI career pathways for students resulting from new AI activities; enhanced AI research infrastructure; significant increase in the participation of investigators and students who have been traditionally underserved and underrepresented in AI; and a plan for objective process evaluation in support of the proposed efforts.

Note that this list is representative of suitable activities and outcomes for this track. CAP activities need not be limited to this list, and proposals do not have to include every type of outcome represented in that list. Proposers are encouraged to select and integrate the activities most appropriate for their institutional context and their vision for capacity building toward partnerships.

Early partnership development between the proposing MSI and one or more AI Institutes is neither required nor encouraged in a CAP proposal. Track 2: ExpandAI Partnerships The ExpandAI Partnership (PARTNER) track is an opportunity for MSIs to scale up already-established AI research and/or education programs and to initiate/leverage new collaborations with AI Institutes.

These partnerships will be multi-organization collaborations submitted by an MSI and will include a subaward to an AI Institute. PARTNER projects are centered around shared, complementary goals. Proposals will be submitted as single-organizational collaborative proposals.

PARTNER proposals may only be submitted by a qualifying MSI as indicated in Eligible Institutions in this solicitation. PARTNER proposals should scale up and make fully productive an appropriate existing capacity in AI research, education/workforce development, and/or infrastructure capacity. The proposing MSI in this track is not required to have previously been awarded a CAP project under this program.

PARTNER proposals must constitute a significant new partnership that has the clear potential to build on the institution’s current AI capacity as well as leverage the intrinsic strengths and talents of the MSI for mutual benefit in collaborative AI activities.

MSIs applying for this track must demonstrate readiness to leverage external expertise and financial resources to focus on medium- and long-range plans to leverage this funding opportunity and new partnerships to develop AI capacity within the MSI, including but not limited to further development of the MSI’s envisioned methodological thrusts, use cases, educational and/or workforce development activities, and the potential for the MSI to expand and scale these efforts through formal, mutually beneficial partnerships.

Proposals should include at least one (and if appropriate, more) established AI Institutes in developing a roadmap for collaborative work in some unifying theme or focus. PARTNER proposals must feature a compelling Partnership Roadmap for collaborative work in some unifying theme or focus. Roadmaps are the beginning of a joint strategy between organizations for collaborative work.

These roadmaps may also include community building activities (e.g., workshops) to further develop common interests, objectives, and goals for the growth of collaborative activities. Effective roadmaps are both depicted visually (e.g., conceptual diagram, logic model, table, etc.) and fully explained by a descriptive narrative.

The roadmap should address all proposed projects involving research, education/workforce development, infrastructure, and any other types that are applicable to the collaboration.

Roadmaps might address: enhancement of existing projects by virtue of new collaboration; initiation of new projects made possible by the collaboration; community building activities (e.g., workshops) to further develop common interests, objectives, and further growth of the partnership; potential and plans for scaling nascent programs; an evaluation plan for measuring the growth and mutual benefit of activities in all projects.

Note that this list is representative of suitable features of a Partnership Roadmap. Proposers may adapt this list and depict the roadmap in the way that best suits the unique vision of the PARTNER proposal.

Proposals to this track must include a strong Institutional Need and Support Statement from the proposing MSI (see proposal preparation instructions) containing an assessment of the current AI research and instructional capacity and infrastructure, progress in AI capacity development and how that relates to the outlook for partnership development, and a demonstration of the commitment of institutional support for the proposed activities.

In addition, each proposal to this track must include an Institute Integration Plan submitted by the collaborating institute demonstrating thoughtful and well-resourced commitment to coordination mechanisms that will bring together the various participants of the project. Further guidance for these supporting documents can be found in Proposal Preparation Instructions.

(considerations for all proposals) PIs are encouraged to consider utilizing NSF-supported research infrastructure (such as the Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research , FABRIC , Chameleon , CloudLab , and CISE Community Research Infrastructure projects ) when formulating their research plans and submitting proposals. Descriptions of the capabilities of each system and their availability can be found on their websites.

For projects requiring access to high-performance computing resources, data infrastructure, or advanced visualization resources at scales beyond what is available locally, PIs are encouraged to consider production scale and testbed advanced research cyberinfrastructure, such as those supported by the ACSS Program , the Frontera Leadership-class system , the Partnership to Advance Throughput Computing (PATh) , and others.

Access to the broadening array of advanced cyberinfrastructure systems is coordinated through the ACCESS program . Descriptions of such infrastructure can be found on their websites. More information about high-performance computing resources available to NSF PIs can be found in the PAPPG Chapter II.

D. 7. Proposals may request cloud computing resources to use public clouds such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), IBM Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.

Cloud computing resources described in proposals may be obtained through an external cloud access entity ( CloudBank ) supported by NSF’s Enabling Access to Cloud Computing Resources for CISE Research and Education (Cloud Access) program .

Proposers should describe this request in a Supplementary Document including: (a) which public cloud providers will be used; (b) anticipated annual and total costs for accessing the desired cloud computing resources, based on pricing currently available from the public cloud computing providers; and (c) a technical description of, and justification for, the requested cloud computing resources.

Proposers should describe this request in a Supplementary Document (as described in proposal preparation instructions below). The proposal budget should not include the costs for accessing public cloud computing resources via CloudBank. Also, the total cost of the project, including the cloud computing resource request, may not exceed the budget limit described in this solicitation.

For example, a proposal submitted to the CAP track has a total proposal budget limit of $400,000. If a PI wishes to request $20,000 in cloud computing resources through CloudBank, then the proposal budget should not exceed $380,000. The remaining $20,000 for cloud computing resources should be specified in the Supplementary Document.

If incorporating this request into the proposal, a proposer should include “CloudAccess” (one word without space) as a keyword on the Project Summary page, at the end of the Overview section (before the section on Intellectual Merit). Proposers may contact CloudBank (see https://www. cloudbank.

org/faq ) for consultation on estimating the costs for using cloud computing resources. See Section V. A.

Proposal Preparation Instructions, Supplementary Documents, for more information on how to describe the cloud computing resource request as well as the associated budget. Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: 15 to 25 This is the anticipated awards and available funding in the first year and an estimate of capacity in future years.

10-15 Capacity Building Pilots (CAP) awards are anticipated in FY 2023. 5-10 ExpandAI Partnership (PARTNER) awards are anticipated in FY 2023. Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds.

Anticipated Funding Amount: $10,000,000 to $17,000,000 Each CAP award is anticipated to be a standard grant up to $400,000 total budget over two years Each PARTNER award is anticipated to be a continuing award in the range of $300,000 to $700,000/year for up to 4 years. Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds. IV.

Eligibility Information Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: Proposals may be submitted only by a minority-serving college or university meeting the criteria listed under 'Eligible Institutions of Higher Education' in this program solicitation. Only eligible organizations that have received an official Program Officer Concurrence Email inviting a full proposal may submit a full proposal.

To receive the invitation, potential proposers must submit a Concept Outline document and receive an official response (via email) from a cognizant Program Director. Please see section V. A for details.

The Principal Investigator must hold a full-time faculty appointment or be a senior administrator at an eligible Institution as defined in the 'Eligible Institutions of Higher Education' section. In PARTNER proposals only, a co-PI must be identified to represent each partnering AI Institute. That co-PI must be verified by the Institute Director in the Institute Integration Plan as being among the senior/key personnel of the institute.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: An organization may submit one proposal per submission window. An organization must wait for a determination from NSF (e.g., Award, Decline, or Returned Without Review) on the pending proposal before submitting a new proposal in the next window.

Declined proposals require a new invitation to submit (via the Concept Outline process) and significant revision, while proposals Returned Without Review may be submitted using the same invited Concept Outline (assuming that the proposal is received within one year of the original Concept Outline invitation). Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: There are no restrictions or limits.

Additional Eligibility Info: Eligible Institutions of Higher Education ExpandAI proposals may be submitted only by accredited Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) that belong to at least one of the following classifications as Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI): Alaska Native Serving Institutions (ANSI) - Accredited IHEs that award bachelor level degrees that have a 20 percent or greater enrollment of Alaska Native undergraduate students.

Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) - Accredited IHEs that award bachelor level degrees that have a 25 percent or greater full-time equivalent enrollment of Hispanic undergraduate students.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) - Identified in the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, as any accredited historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of Black Americans. Predominantly Black Institutions as defined by the Department of Education and that award bachelor level degrees.

Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions (NHSI) - Accredited IHEs that award bachelor level degrees that have a 10 percent or greater enrollment of Native Hawaiian undergraduate students. Native American-serving, non-Tribal Institutions and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU) – The definition of Native American-Serving, Nontribal Institutions can be found in Section 319 (b) (2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, 20 U.S.C. 1059 (f).

TCUs are accredited IHEs that are formally controlled, or have been formally sanctioned or chartered by the governing body of a Federally recognized Native American tribe or tribes. Specifically, TCUs are those institutions cited in section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C.

301 note), any other institution that qualifies for funding under the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) , and Dine' College, authorized in the Navajo Community College Assistance Act of 1978, Public Law 95- 471, title II (25 U.S.C.

640a note). Other Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI) - Accredited IHEs that award bachelor level degrees that have an aggregate undergraduate enrollment of African Americans/Blacks, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders exceeding 50 percent of total undergraduate enrollment.

Eligibility as a minority-serving institution may be determined by reference to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) of the US Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics ( http://nces. ed. gov/ipeds/ ).

Organizations eligible as AI Institutes subawardees in PARTNER submissions PARTNER track submissions must be submitted by an organization meeting the criteria listed under Eligible Institutions of Higher Education, above, and in partnership with at least one AI Institute funded by NSF or its partners under the National AI Research Institutes Program.

The proposal 1) must include collaboration with one or more AI Institutes, and 2) such collaboration may be with any of the collaborative organizations directly funded under an AI Institute award, and 3) the collaboration(s) must be proposed in the form of subaward(s) under the lead institution on the PARTNER proposal.

The subaward(s) may therefore be made to the AI Institute lead organization or any of the subawardee organizations in that Institute’s award budget. Any category of organization (see PAPPG Chapter I. E), may be proposed in this subawardee role, as long as that organization otherwise qualifies as described here.

Current AI Institutes : A listing of Institutes and links to their web sites can be found at the AI Institutes Virtual Organization (AIVO) . V. Proposal Preparation And Submission Instructions A.

Proposal Preparation Instructions Full Proposal Preparation Instructions : Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Research. gov or Grants. gov. Full Proposals submitted via Research.

gov: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines contained in the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). The complete text of the PAPPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www. nsf.

gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp? ods_key=pappg .

Paper copies of the PAPPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-8134 or by e-mail from nsfpubs@nsf. gov . The Prepare New Proposal setup will prompt you for the program solicitation number.

Full proposals submitted via Grants. gov: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation via Grants. gov should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the NSF Grants.

gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants. gov . The complete text of the NSF Grants.

gov Application Guide is available on the Grants. gov website and on the NSF website at: ( https://www. nsf.

gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp? ods_key=grantsgovguide ).

To obtain copies of the Application Guide and Application Forms Package, click on the Apply tab on the Grants. gov site, then click on the Apply Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package and Application Instructions link and enter the funding opportunity number, (the program solicitation number without the NSF prefix) and press the Download Package button. Paper copies of the Grants.

gov Application Guide also may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-8134 or by e-mail from nsfpubs@nsf. gov . See PAPPG Chapter II.

D. 2 for guidance on the required sections of a full research proposal submitted to NSF. Please note that the proposal preparation instructions provided in this program solicitation may deviate from the PAPPG instructions.

CONCEPT OUTLINES (REQUIRED FOR BOTH TRACKS) : Organizations must receive an invitation to submit a full proposal in the form of a Program Officer Concurrence Email. Concept Outlines may be submitted by an eligible PI in the organization. NSF will review Concept Outlines on an ongoing basis.

Submitting organizations (“proposers”) are encouraged to submit their first Concept Outline at any time, regardless of the solicitation windows. NSF will review the submitted Concept Outline and officially respond via email. NSF may ask for more information before making a final decision.

If the proposed project is determined to have strong potential to be responsive to the program objectives as found in solicitation-specific review criteria, the program will respond to the submitter with a Program Officer Concurrence Email as invitation to submit a full proposal.

This invitation entitles the recipient to submit a full proposal to the corresponding track in this program and is valid for 12 months from the date of the email. The invitation email must be uploaded in the Supplementary Documents of the full proposal.

If the Concept Outline is determined not to have strong potential to be responsive to the program objectives the potential proposer will receive a notice stating that the proposing organization is not invited to submit a proposal.

Proposers who are not invited to submit a full proposal in response to a Concept Outline may submit a new Concept Outline after the start of the next submission window (sooner, by exception, if specifically invited by the program). A proposer that has received an invitation to submit a full proposal must wait for that proposal to be submitted and resolved before submitting another Concept Outline.

If the organization decides not to pursue that project and wishes to submit another, different Concept Outline, they should reach out to ExpandAIProgram@nsf. gov to request that their existing invitation be withdrawn. Potential proposers who do not receive an invitation to submit a proposal are not eligible to apply for ExpandAI funding.

Proposals submitted without a Program Officer Concurrence Email will be Returned Without Review. Concept Outline Format and Preparation Concept Outlines may be up to two pages and must contain the required section headings indicated below. Please do not include other headings.

Word length for each section below is provided as a guideline, not as a strict limit. Please follow the " Proposal Font, Spacing and Margin Requirements" found in the proposal preparation instructions section of the PAPPG. Address the following aspects of the concept under the following headings.

TITLE : [CAP or PARTNER]: Concise, descriptive title of project PIs/Co-PIs (using this format, list up to five prospective PIs and co-PIs in a full proposal. For PARTNER concepts, include the prospective co-PI from the relevant AI Institute here and on the email submission, below).

MSI STATUS ( all concept outlines ): Describe the lead institution’s MSI status and address the relevant requirements for Eligible Institutions of Higher Education in this solicitation. CURRENT AI CAPACITY ( all concept outlines, up to 250 words ): Briefly describe the lead institution’s AI capacity in research, instruction, and infrastructure as it relates to the