National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes Upcoming Proposal Deadline

Preliminary proposals for new National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Institutes are due by January 14, 2022 with full proposals due in mid-May. NSF plans to make seven awards: one each in Themes 1-5 and two awards in Theme 6. Awards will be between $16,000,000 and $20,000,000 over four to five years. The new AI Research Institutes will fund long-term AI research and work with the current network of 18 Institutes to build a broader nationwide network that will accelerate AI research on a larger scale. The request for proposals was originally posted in early October. 
 
AI Research Institutes are long-term investments that have the potential for even longer-term impact, which is a key objective outlined in the National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan.
 
The program seeks to impact every sector of society touched by AI, including healthcare, transportation, national security, and more. The Institutes focus on large scale, long term, multidisciplinary, multi-stakeholder research. The program seeks to accelerate the development of transformational technologies by funding research in critical sectors. In funding the next round of Institutes, the program is focused on pursuing research in the following themes:

• Theme 1: Intelligent Agents for Next-Generation Cybersecurity
• Theme 2: Neural and Cognitive Foundations of Artificial Intelligence
• Theme 3: AI for Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry
• Theme 4: AI for Decision making
• Theme 5: Trustworthy AI
• Theme 6: AI-Augmented Learning to Expand Education Opportunities and Improve Outcomes  

A full description of each theme can be found at:

• https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2022/nsf22502/nsf22502.htm?WT.mc_ev=click&WT.mc_id=USNSF_34&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.