National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Institutes Program to Fund New Institutes

The National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Institutes program has released a new program solicitation aimed at creating new AI Research Institutes to fund long-term AI research. The current network of 18 Institutes will be expanded in an effort to build a broader nationwide network that will accelerate AI research on a larger scale. 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.
 
The AI Research Institute program is a collaboration between the National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), U.S. Department of Education (ED) Institute of Education Sciences (IES), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology Directorate (S&T), 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)), and IBM Corporation (IBM).
 

Preliminary proposals are required and are due by January 14, 2022.