1,000+ Opportunities
Find the right grant
Search federal, foundation, and corporate grants with AI — or browse by agency, topic, and state.
NSF's America's Seed Fund runs a dedicated Artificial Intelligence topic within its SBIR/STTR program, providing non-dilutive funding to U.S. small businesses commercializing high-risk AI technologies.
The topic is divided into eight subtopics: AI1 Cognitive Science-based Technologies, AI2 Computer Vision Based AI Technologies, AI3 Conversational AI Technologies, AI4 Language-Based AI Technologies, AI5 Novel AI Hardware Technologies, AI6 Sustainable AI Technologies for Low Resource Environments, AI7 Technologies for Trustworthy AI, and AI8 Other Novel Technologies.
Companies enter through a required Project Pitch — a short screening submission that NSF responds to within about three weeks — and only invited companies may submit a full Phase I proposal. Phase I supports a feasibility study of up to $305,000, and successful Phase I awardees may apply for Phase II of up to $1,000,000, with total NSF investment per company reaching up to $2,000,000 including supplements.
NSF takes no equity and claims no intellectual property, and the program is explicitly designed for startups with a credible commercial path rather than academic research groups. NSF began accepting Project Pitches against new solicitations on June 2, 2026.
Get alerted about grants like this
Get emailed when new opportunities from “U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), America's Seed Fund” or related funders appear. Free, weekly, unsubscribe anytime.
Or search similar grants →According to the current listing, eligibility includes: U.S.-based for-profit small businesses with fewer than 500 employees. At least 50% of the company's equity must be owned by U.S. citizens or permanent residents; NSF does not fund companies majority-owned by multiple venture capital firms, private equity firms, or hedge funds. All funded work, including work by consultants and contractors, must be performed in the United States. The principal investigator must be employed by the company at least 20 hours per week and commit a minimum of one month (173 hours) per six-month project period. A Project Pitch and NSF invitation are prerequisites for full proposal submission. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows phase I awards of up to $305,000 for a 6-to-12-month feasibility study, followed by Phase II awards of up to $1,000,000 over two years; NSF invests up to $2,000,000 in total seed funding per company across phases and supplements. Awards are non-dilutive — NSF takes no equity or intellectual property. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
NSF SBIR/STTR Artificial Intelligence Topic (AI1-AI8) for Deep Tech AI Startups is funded by U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), America's Seed Fund. Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
The FY2026 Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program supports basic research in science and engineering at U.S. institutions of higher education, with emphasis on multidisciplinary research where more than one traditional discipline interacts. The Army, Navy, and Air Force basic research offices are seeking applications across 22 topic areas including artificial intelligence and autonomy, information sensing and processing, and systems manipulation. MURI grants typically provide $1.25 million to $1.5 million per year for three years with option to extend two additional years. Approximately $170 million in total funding is available annually across all topics. The program is administered through the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Army Research Office (ARO), and Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).
The NSF Convergence Accelerator is a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that funds multidisciplinary teams working to solve national-scale societal challenges through convergence research and innovation. Launched in 2019 under NSF's Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, the program operates in two phases: Phase 1 awards are up to $750,000, with successful teams advancing to larger Phase 2 awards. Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education and nonprofit or for-profit organizations. Track I and Track K focus on specific high-priority topics announced each funding cycle. The next deadline is June 15, 2026. Proposals must comply with updated NSF research security policies effective July 2025.
The AI3 Action Institute is a federal effort to build dedicated AI capacity within Native communities rather than fund a single applied AI project. The awardee establishes and operates an AI resource hub for Native communities, providing technology information, facilitating information sharing and technology deployment across tribal and Native-serving organizations, and conducting stakeholder engagement and coalition building across industry, government and academic sectors. Notably, allowable costs cover short-to-medium-term staff costs including the Institute's director as well as facility setup - a recognition that the binding constraint in this space is institutional infrastructure and staffing, not project ideas. The financial structure is the detail that most shapes strategy: with a $2,500,000 floor, a $3,500,000 ceiling and $3,500,000 in total expected program funding across a three-year period, this is effectively a single-award competition, so applicants should assume they are competing for the entire program rather than for a slot in a cohort. Eligibility is restricted to Native-serving entities - federally recognized Indian tribes, incorporated non-federally or state-recognized tribes, consortia of Indian tribes, Native community-based organizations, Urban Indian Organizations, Alaska Native villages and entities, Native Hawaiian serving agencies, Native Pacific Islander serving agencies, and tribal colleges and universities. That eligibility list is broader than many ACF opportunities, extending to Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander serving agencies as well as tribal entities. Applicants should expect the strongest proposals to combine an existing convening role in Native technology or education with a realistic plan for standing up durable staff capacity within the grant period, since a hub that dissolves when funding ends would not serve the program's purpose. The deadline is August 27, 2026, and applications are submitted through Grants.gov under opportunity number 362270.
NSF's rebuilt SBIR/STTR program (NSF 26-510) pairs a $305,000 Phase I with a brand-new Strategic Breakthrough award worth up to $30 million for the strongest Phase II companies. The next Project Pitch deadline is July 27, 2026. Here is how the non-dilutive funding ladder now works, why the Project Pitch gate decides everything, and how a founder should sequence the next twelve months.
Read articleAfter months dark, NSF's SBIR/STTR program relaunched with $250M, a July 27, 2026 Phase I deadline, and a new $30M Strategic Breakthrough escalator. This is the deep dive on NSF 26-510, the 26-511 instrumentation pilot, the mandatory Project Pitch on-ramp, and how to sequence a non-dilutive raise that starts at $305K and can reach eight figures.
Read articleAmerica's Seed Fund powered by NSF reopened for FY2026 with two parallel solicitations: NSF 26-510 for deep technologies and a new pilot, NSF 26-511, dedicated to scientific instrumentation. Project Pitch is the mandatory first gate, the first full-proposal deadline is July 27, 2026, and Phase I runs up to $305K. Here is how the topic-agnostic NSF model differs from agency-directed SBIR — and how to use the new pilot.
Read article