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NSF AI Research Institutes is a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that funds the development of new AI research institutes focused on themes of national importance, including AI for astronomical sciences, AI for discovery in materials research, and new methods for strengthening AI.
This multisector program is led by NSF in partnership with the Simons Foundation, NIST, the Department of Defense, Capital One, and Intel Corporation. Eligible applicants include universities and research institutions. Each theme has distinct funding cycles and review timelines.
Institutes are expected to advance AI research and development across sectors including healthcare, national security, transportation, and education. Grant amounts vary by theme and award scope.
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National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes Status: Waiting for new publication NSF's implementation of the revised 2 CFR NSF Financial Assistance awards (grants and cooperative agreements) made on or after October 1, 2024, will be subject to the applicable set of award conditions, dated October 1, 2024, available on the NSF website .
These terms and conditions are consistent with the revised guidance specified in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2024.
Important information for proposers All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets these requirements.
Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.
Updates to NSF Research Security Policies On July 10, 2025, NSF issued an Important Notice providing updates to the agency's research security policies, including a research security training requirement, Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program annual certification requirement, prohibition on Confucius institutes and an updated FFDR reporting and submission timeline.
Supports the development of new AI Institutes that focus on one of the following themes: astronomical sciences, materials research and new methods for strengthening AI. Supports the development of new AI Institutes that focus on one of the following themes: astronomical sciences, materials research and new methods for strengthening AI.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has advanced tremendously and today promises personalized healthcare; enhanced national security; improved transportation; and more effective education, to name just a few benefits.
Increased computing power, the availability of large datasets and streaming data, and algorithmic advances in machine learning (ML) have made it possible for AI research and development to create new sectors of the economy and revitalize industries.
Continued advancement, enabled by sustained federal investment and channeled toward issues of national importance, holds the potential for further economic impact and quality-of-life improvements .
This program is a multisector effort led by the National Science Foundation (NSF), in partnership with the Simons Foundation (SF), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Department of Defense (DOD) Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD (R&E)), Capital One Financial Corporation (Capital One), and Intel Corporation (Intel).
Group 1 - Awards anticipated in FY 2024: Theme 1: AI for Astronomical Sciences Group 2 - Awards anticipated in FY 2025: Theme 2: AI for Discovery in Materials Research Theme 3: Strengthening AI For the institute themes listed in Group 1, NSF anticipates awards to start in FY 2024; and for themes listed in Group 2, NSF anticipates awards to start in FY 2025.
Each group has a specific set of due dates and review timeline pertaining only to that group. More detail is found under Due Dates and in the timeline provided in the Program Description. For general inquiries regarding this program (not theme specific) please email the program leads at: AIInstitutesProgram@nsf.
gov Program Leads (Reachable at the above address) For inquiries related to the responsiveness of your ideas for the Themes listed in this solicitation, please contact the program officers listed below. You are advised to address theme-specific questions to all program contacts listed for that theme Theme 1: AI for Astronomical Sciences Andreas Berlind, MPS/AST, aberlind@nsf. gov Gioia Rau, MPS/AST, grau@nsf.
gov Vladimir Pavlovic , CISE/IIS, vpavlovi@nsf. gov Elizabeth Roy, Simons Foundation, telephone: (212) 524-6966, email: eroy@simonsfoundation. org Theme 2: AI for Discovery in Materials Research Serdar Ogut, MPS/DMR, sogut@nsf.
gov Sylvia Spengler, CISE/IIS, sspengle@nsf. gov Theme 3: Strengthening AI Hector Munoz Avila, CISE/IIS, hmunoz@nsf. gov Raj Acharya, CISE/IIS, racharya@nsf.
gov Tatiana D. Korelsky, CISE/IIS, tkorelsk@nsf. gov Eleni Miltsakaki , CISE/IIS, emiltsak@nsf.
gov Juan Wachs, CISE/IIS, jwachs@nsf. gov AI Research Institutes Program Team AIInstitutesProgram@nsf.
gov June 2, 2025 - NSF at the AI+ Expo October 29, 2024 - ExpandAI Program Webinar (October 2024) September 5, 2023 - AI Institutes Webinar November 16, 2021 - National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Institutes… September 25, 2020 - National AI Research Institute in Dynamic Systems Webinar Additional program resources Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Institutes Program (NSF 22-502) AI Institutes Webinar ,September 5th ,2023 , 1:30 pm 3:00 pm -- Register here AI Institutes Webinar ,September 5th ,2023 , 1:30 pm 3:00 pm -- Webinar Recording Awards made through this program Browse projects funded by this program Map of recent awards made through this program Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE)
Key questions and narrative sections extracted from the solicitation.
Project Summary (1 page): overview of project vision and goals
Project Description Section 3.a: Overview and Rationale
Project Description Section 3.b: Research Plan — foundational AI objectives, use-inspired integration, five-year timeline, partner roles
Project Description Section 3.c.1: Education and workforce development broader impacts
Project Description Section 3.c.2: Broadening participation plans with evidence-based strategies
Project Description Section 3.c.3: Collaboration and knowledge transfer
Project Description Section 3.d: Key Personnel, Management, and Integration Plan — organizational structure, management team roles, external advisory board plan
Scoring criteria used to review proposals for this grant.
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Universities and research institutions. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates Varies 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.
Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education & Human Resources (IUSE: EHR) Program is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). This program promotes novel, creative, and transformative approaches to generating and using new knowledge about STEM teaching and learning to improve STEM education for undergraduate students. It supports projects that bring recent advances in STEM knowledge into undergraduate education, adapt, improve, and incorporate evidence-based practices, and lay the groundwork for institutional improvement in STEM education. Professional development for instructors to ensure adoption of new and effective pedagogical techniques is a potential topic of interest.
Agricultural Technologies (AG) - NSF SBIR/STTR is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). The Agricultural Technologies topic supports innovations enabling farm production ecosystems that support the proper utilization of natural resources. Such technologies may encompass systems-level and multidisciplinary solutions to enable complex agricultural practices that support increased biodiversity balanced with yield production. Sub-topics include food waste mitigation, resilient supply & distribution, and other agricultural technologies.
Fire Science Innovations through Research and Education (FIRE) program is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). This program invites innovative multidisciplinary and multisector investigations focused on convergent research and education activities in wildland fire. It supports research that can inform risk management and response, adaptation, and resilience across infrastructures, communities, cultures, and natural environments. Relevant topics include developing novel materials and methods for retrofitting existing buildings and remediating buildings following wildfire and smoke events.