NSF State and Regional AI Infrastructure Hubs: 2026 Grant Opportunity

The U.S. National Science Foundation State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs: Expanding Access to Compute for Scientific Discovery is a major grant opportunity for U.S.-based institutions and nonprofit research or education organizations building state or multi-state AI infrastructure hubs. The programme focuses on expanding access to compute for AI-enabled scientific discovery, while also supporting workforce development, faculty training, and AI for science activities.

This is not a small individual award or a startup competition. It is designed for institutional applicants that can coordinate regional access, training, and support around artificial intelligence infrastructure. The 2026 full proposal deadline is November 4, 2026, with submissions due by 5 p.m. in the submitting organization’s local time.

Applicants should review the official solicitation on the NSF website before preparing materials: NSF State and Regional AI Infrastructure Hubs solicitation.

Overview

The programme supports the creation of U.S. state or multi-state regional hubs that expand access to AI-related compute and infrastructure for scientific discovery. Its focus areas include AI infrastructure, compute access, AI-enabled research, workforce development, and faculty training.

NSF describes this as a grant or cooperative agreement opportunity. Typical requests cover a 5-year period. The programme is especially relevant for higher education institutions, community colleges, research-linked nonprofits, and consortium-style efforts that can serve broader scientific and educational communities in a state or region.

What selected applicants can receive

NSF lists approximately $100,000,000 as available for this programme. Typical 5-year award requests are expected to fall between $4,000,000 and $12,000,000, and NSF anticipates about 10 awards in each award cycle.

The funding is intended to support coordination, workforce development, training, and coursework elements tied to AI infrastructure access and scientific discovery. According to the NSF notes, consortia are responsible for funding the actual AI infrastructure, while NSF supports the surrounding hub activities that help broaden access and use.

Who can apply

Eligible applicants include U.S.-campus institutions of higher education, including two-year and four-year institutions and community colleges. U.S.-located nonprofit, non-academic organizations may also apply if they are directly associated with education or research activities.

Examples of eligible nonprofit, non-academic organizations include independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies, and similar organizations connected to educational or research work. Individuals are not the target applicants for this opportunity.

The solicitation notes that there are no restrictions on who may serve as principal investigator, but applicants should check the official page for proposal limits and all current submission rules.

How to apply

  1. Read the NSF solicitation carefully. Confirm that your organization is eligible and that your proposed hub fits the programme’s AI infrastructure, compute access, science, training, and workforce goals.
  2. Define the hub model. Identify whether your proposal serves a state or multi-state region, who the participating partners are, and how the hub will expand access to AI compute for scientific discovery.
  3. Build the proposal package. Prepare the full proposal according to the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide or the Grants.gov Application Guide requirements.
  4. Choose the submission system. Full proposals may be submitted through Research.gov or Grants.gov.
  5. Submit before the deadline. For the 2026 cycle, submit by November 4, 2026, at 5 p.m. local time for the submitting organization.

Key dates

  • Current full proposal deadline: November 4, 2026.
  • Submission time: 5 p.m. submitting organization’s local time.
  • Typical request period: 5 years.
  • Future full proposal deadline: November 3, 2027.
  • Later cycles: First Wednesday in November annually thereafter.

Practical tips for a stronger proposal

  • Show regional need clearly. Explain the specific compute access gaps your state or region faces and how the hub will help researchers, educators, and learners use AI infrastructure for scientific discovery.
  • Make workforce development concrete. NSF’s focus includes faculty training, coursework, and workforce development, so describe practical training plans, target audiences, and how participants will benefit.
  • Clarify roles and sustainability. If your proposal involves multiple institutions or organizations, define partner responsibilities, governance, and how the consortium will support the actual AI infrastructure while NSF-funded activities coordinate access and training.

Before applying, confirm every deadline, eligibility rule, budget instruction, and submission requirement on the official NSF website. Legitimate programmes never charge an application fee.