1,000+ Opportunities
Find the right grant
Search federal, foundation, and corporate grants with AI — or browse by agency, topic, and state.
Nittany AI Challenge - Prototype Phase is a grant from Nittany AI Alliance at Penn State that funds multidisciplinary student teams competing to develop AI-based solutions to real-world problems. Open to all Penn State students—no technical background required—teams receive up to $300 per team (with a total pool of up to $4,500) to prototype AI applications.
The 2025–2026 competition runs September 1, 2025 through January 2026, with prototype submissions due January 19, 2026. Teams progress through multiple phases culminating in an MVP submission deadline of March 19, 2026. The competition encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration and provides resources including events and mentorship to help teams develop innovative AI solutions.
Get alerted about grants like this
Save a search for “Nittany AI Alliance at Penn State” or related topics and get emailed when new opportunities appear.
Search similar grants →Extracted from the official opportunity page/RFP to help you evaluate fit faster.
Nittany AI Challenge - Nittany AI Alliance College of Information Sciences and Technology Machine Learning Bootcamp Full site navigation menu This dialog contains the full navigation menu for nittanyai. psu. edu.
Machine Learning Bootcamp Challenge Yourself to Make the World a Better Place. The Nittany AI Challenge is an annual competition that spans the fall and spring semesters where multidisciplinary student teams compete for funding to develop AI-based solutions to pressing real-world issues.
Through the Challenge, students can apply their knowledge in new ways and experience the innovation that happens when working collaboratively to harness the power of AI. The best part? No technical background is required!
Nittany AI Challenge Phases Nittany AI Challenge Results 2025-2026 Challenge Timeline Monday, September 1, 2025, to Sunday, January 18, 2026 Attend events so you can start to brainstorm and explore project ideas, find team members, learn about prototyping tech, and everything else you need to know about getting involved in the Challenge. When you're ready to participate—even if you don't have a team, team members, or an idea!
—complete the Team Interest Form . Monday, January 19, 2026, by 5 p. m.
(ET) Deadline for teams to submit prototypes. Prototype winners are announced. Thursday, March 19, 2026, by 11:59 p.
m. (ET) Deadline for teams to submit their MVP code and supporting documentation for internal review. Monday, March 23, 2026 by 4:00 p.
m. (ET) All teams are notified about the status of their code review. Wednesday, March 25, to Friday, March 27, 2026 Teams that pass the internal code review will provide an in-person demo of their functioning MVP.
This demo, along with the submitted code, will be evaluated to determine which teams will advance to the MVP Pitch Contest phase. Up to ten teams are notified about their selection for the MVP Pitch Contest. Teams will be evaluated based on the completeness of their MVP, the in-person demo, and the accompanying documentation.
Thursday, April 9 and Friday, April 10, 2026 Teams notified about their selection for the MVP Pitch Contest will demo their pitch in front of Nittany AI Alliance staff to gain feedback prior to the final contest date on Thursday, April 16, 2026. Thursday, April 16, 2026, noon to 8:00 p. m.
(ET) MVP Pitch Contest and Nittany AI Challenge Celebration and Networking Event, including the announcement of the top five MVPs and the winner of various sub-prizes. Learn More from Student Participants Challenge alumni say the top benefits of competing are: From hands-on experience with AI technologies to critical leadership skills, the Challenge provides learning opportunities for each role on a team.
Each year, 30–40% of all participants in the Challenge are from non-technical majors. In fact, we find that the most successful and innovative teams often have a healthy combination of technical and non-technical members. Many Challenge alumni have gained job offers, valuable résumé additions, capstone course submissions, startup ideas, patent applications, and so much more through the Challenge.
Teams that advance to the MVP phase of the Challenge can win funding dollars to support the development of their AI application and get significant exposure through multiple marketing channels across the University. University Park, PA 16802 Advancing AI for Good across Pennsylvania and beyond. The Pennsylvania State University © 2026
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Penn State University students Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates $300 per team (up to $4,500 total) Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is rolling deadlines or periodic funding windows. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
Federal grant success rates typically range from 10-30%, varying by agency and program. Build a strong proposal with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and a well-justified budget to improve your chances.
Requirements vary by sponsor, but typically include a project narrative, budget justification, organizational capability statement, and key personnel CVs. Check the official notice for the complete list of required attachments.
Yes — AI tools like Granted can help research funders, draft proposal sections, and check compliance. However, always review and customize AI-generated content to reflect your organization's unique strengths and the specific requirements of the solicitation.
Review timelines vary by funder. Federal agencies typically take 3-6 months from submission to award notification. Foundation grants may be faster, often 1-3 months. Check the program's timeline in the official solicitation for specific dates.
Many federal programs offer multi-year funding or allow competitive renewals. Check the official solicitation for continuation and renewal policies. Non-competing continuation applications are common for multi-year awards.