NIST and MITRE Launch $90 Million Push to Secure AI and Manufacturing

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is building out a major new layer of federal AI safety infrastructure, partnering with MITRE on $20 million in AI cybersecurity research centers while preparing a separate $70 million investment in an AI for Resilient Manufacturing Institute — a combined $90 million commitment that positions NIST as the federal government's operational hub for AI security standards.

The initiative comes as NIST's FY2026 appropriation includes $55 million specifically for AI research and measurement science, including expanded capacity for the AI Safety Institute's work on red-teaming, model evaluation, and trustworthy AI benchmarks.

Two New Centers Take Shape

The NIST-MITRE partnership funds two specialized centers. The first focuses on AI applications in advanced manufacturing. The second — the AI Economic Security Center to Secure U.S. Critical Infrastructure from Cyberthreats — addresses how water utilities, power grids, internet providers, and essential services can defend against AI-enabled attacks.

MITRE's managing director set an aggressive target: "exponential impact on U.S. manufacturing and critical infrastructure cybersecurity within three years." The $70 million AI for Resilient Manufacturing Institute, expected to be awarded as a five-year grant in 2026, will combine AI, manufacturing, and supply chain expertise to promote resilience across the sector.

The AI Agent Standards Initiative Adds Urgency

In February, NIST's Center for AI Standards and Innovation also launched the AI Agent Standards Initiative, tackling security and interoperability standards for autonomous AI agents — a recognition that the next wave of AI deployment demands new safety frameworks before, not after, widespread adoption.

Opportunities for AI Security Researchers and Companies

The manufacturing institute award will be one of the largest single AI grants available in 2026. Companies and research institutions working on AI safety, adversarial robustness, supply chain security, or critical infrastructure protection should watch for the formal solicitation. Grant seekers tracking AI safety funding on grantedai.com will find NIST's expanding portfolio increasingly relevant.

For more on federal AI safety funding, visit the Granted blog.