1,000+ Opportunities
Find the right grant
Search federal, foundation, and corporate grants with AI — or browse by agency, topic, and state.
Full proposal deadline October 9, 2026 at 5pm local time. No LOI or preliminary proposal required.
The NSF Mathematical Foundations of Artificial Intelligence (MFAI) Program is a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that funds research collaborations between mathematicians, statisticians, computer scientists, engineers, and social and behavioral scientists to develop innovative, principled approaches to AI design and analysis, including safety and reliability.
The program supports interdisciplinary efforts to establish rigorous mathematical and statistical frameworks for machine learning and artificial intelligence, addressing both foundational theory and practical challenges. Award amounts range from $500,000 to $1,500,000, with proposals due October 9, 2026. Eligible applicants include researchers at U.S. universities and research institutions.
Projects must comply with updated NSF research security policies, including training and certification requirements effective July 2025.
Get alerted about grants like this
Save a search for “National Science Foundation (NSF)” 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.
Mathematical Foundations of Artificial Intelligence (MFAI) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Mathematical Foundations of Artificial Intelligence (MFAI) 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 research collaborations between mathematicians, statisticians, computer scientists, engineers and social behavior scientists to establish innovative and principled design and analysis approaches for AI technology.
Supports research collaborations between mathematicians, statisticians, computer scientists, engineers and social behavior scientists to establish innovative and principled design and analysis approaches for AI technology.
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are enabling extraordinary scientific breakthroughs in fields ranging from protein folding, natural language processing, drug synthesis, and recommender systems to the discovery of novel engineering materials and products.
These achievements lie at the confluence of mathematics, statistics, engineering and computer science, yet a clear explanation of the remarkable power and also the limitations of such AI systems has eluded scientists from all disciplines. Critical foundational gaps remain that, if not properly addressed, will soon limit advances in machine learning, curbing progress in artificial intelligence.
It appears increasingly unlikely that these critical gaps can be surmounted with increased computational power and experimentation alone. Deeper mathematical understanding is essential to ensuring that AI can be harnessed to meet the future needs of society and enable broad scientific discovery, while forestalling the unintended consequences of a disruptive technology.
The National Science Foundation Directorates for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Engineering (ENG), and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) will jointly sponsor research collaborations consisting of mathematicians, statisticians, computer scientists, engineers, and social and behavioral scientists focused on the mathematical and theoretical foundations of AI.
Research activities should focus on the most challenging mathematical and theoretical questions aimed at understanding the capabilities, limitations, and emerging properties of AI methods as well as the development of novel, and mathematically grounded, design and analysis principles for the current and next generation of AI approaches.
Specific research goals include: establishing a fundamental mathematical understanding of the factors determining the capabilities and limitations of current and emerging generation s of AI systems, including, but not limited to, foundation models, generative models, deep learning, statistical learning, federated learning, and other evolving paradigms; the development of mathematically grounded design and analysis principles for the current and next generations of AI systems; rigorous approaches for characterizing and validating machine learning algorithms and their predictions; research enabling provably reliable, translational, general-purpose AI systems and algorithms; e ncouragement of new collaborations in this interdisciplinary research community and between institution s.
The overall goal is to establish innovative and principled design and analysis approaches for AI technology using creative yet theoretically grounded mathematical and statistical frameworks, yielding explainable and interpretable models that can enable sustainable, socially responsible, and trustworthy AI.
October 3, 2024 - Mathematical Foundations of Artificial Intelligence Office… September 19, 2024 - Mathematical Foundations of Artificial Intelligence Office… June 12, 2024 - Mathematical Foundations of Artificial Intelligence Webinar Awards made through this program Browse projects funded by this program Map of recent awards made through this program Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) Division of Mathematical Sciences (MPS/DMS) Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Division of Computing and Communication Foundations (CISE/CCF) Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (CISE/IIS) Directorate for Engineering (ENG) Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (ENG/CMMI) Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ENG/ECCS) Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SBE/SES)
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Universities and research institutions. PI or co-PI can be part of no more than one proposal per deadline. Collaborative interdisciplinary teams required across multiple disciplines. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates $500,000 - $1,500,000 Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is October 9, 2026. 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.