K–12 AI Infrastructure Program (via Digital Promise)

K-12 AI Infrastructure Program is a grant from Digital Promise (with partners including Penn GSE) that funds the development of public goods including datasets, benchmarks, and models designed to support multiple applications of AI in K-12 education.

The program aims to lower barriers for developers to create high-quality, valid, and fair AI products serving every student, with an initial focus on AI-enabled formative assessment practices. This first grant cycle supports Track 1 proof-of-concept projects and Track 2 projects enhancing existing assets. Awards range from $50,000 to $250,000 for a 6 to 12 month period.

Eligible applicants are universities and educational researchers.

Apply Now for the K-12 AI Infrastructure Program’s First Grant Cycle – Digital Promise Apply Now for the K-12 AI Infrastructure Program’s First Grant Cycle February 4, 2026 | By Digital Promise Digital Promise is pleased to launch the first request for proposals of the new K-12 AI Infrastructure Program .

This program invites projects developing public goods—including datasets, benchmarks, and models—designed to support multiple applications of AI in K-12 education. By creating modular open-license public goods, we aim to lower the barrier for all developers to create high-quality, valid, and fair AI products that serve every student.

The vision of the initial RFP is to produce public goods that will be widely adopted and will improve how AI can enable strong formative assessment practices. We are seeking high-quality proposals that operationalize learning science constructs, center populations furthest from opportunity through Targeted Universalism, and directly support educators.

This funding cycle supports two tracks: Track 1 for proof-of-concept projects and Track 2 for enhancing existing assets. The program will award grants between $50,000 to $250,000 for a 6-12 month period of performance. The application is now open and will close on Sunday, March 8, 2026 at midnight Pacific Standard Time.

“We are building the shared technical infrastructure needed to develop learning science-based AI approaches,” said Jeremy Roschelle, Director of the Infrastructure Program. “Our vision for this work was shaped by input from educators, developers, and researchers through our request for information and market research.

While the learning sciences have firmly established that well-implemented formative assessment can have powerful impacts on learning, formative assessment can be difficult to implement. By making public goods freely available to all educational products, we aim to enable state-of-the-art formative assessment practices across the board.

” The K-12 AI Infrastructure Program , a multi-year initiative led by global education nonprofit Digital Promise, aims to bridge the gap between the scientific principles of teaching and learning and the growing potential of artificial intelligence. Core partners include Learning Data Insights, DrivenData, Massive Data Institute at Georgetown University, and Catalyst @ Penn GSE.

“We’re seeing huge energy among innovative developers to use AI as they incorporate adaptive formative assessment in their products and services,” said John Gamba, Director of Innovative Programs at Penn GSE.

“We see companies participating in this project in two ways; first, by responding to the RFP and proposing innovative datasets, models or benchmarks for public good, and second, by incorporating the resulting public goods into their development work going forward. ” Want to stay up-to-date with the K-12 AI Infrastructure Program?

Find more resources here: Register for RFP Informational Sessions: Info Session: Learn more about the K-12 AI Infrastructure Program’s First Grant Cycle : Mon. , Feb. 9 at 4 p.

m. ET/1 p. m.

PT Targeted Universalism Office Hour: Tues. , Feb. 17 at 5 p.

m. ET/2 p. m.

PT Public Good/Technical Office Hour Registration: Mon. , Feb. 23 at 3 p.

m. ET/12 p. m.

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