State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs Program

The U.S. National Science Foundation administers the State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs program as part of its broader mission to support fundamental research and education across science and engineering disciplines. As an independent federal agency established by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, NSF plays a central role in advancing national research capacity. This program aligns with federal priorities to strengthen the United States research ecosystem, particularly in response to increasing reliance on artificial intelligence in scientific discovery and the growing need for equitable access to advanced computing resources. The purpose of the AI Infrastructure Hubs program is to expand access to advanced computing, data, and AI resources required for AI-enabled scientific discovery. The initiative is designed to transform research, education, and workforce training opportunities by establishing regional or multi-state consortia. These hubs will connect researchers, educators, and students with cutting-edge infrastructure while fostering collaboration among higher education institutions, private industry, philanthropy, and state and local governments. The program emphasizes accelerating discovery across science and engineering fields and developing a technically skilled workforce capable of leveraging AI in research environments. Funding provided by NSF under this program is specifically intended to support consortium coordination, workforce development, faculty training, and instructional material development. Importantly, NSF does not fund the acquisition of AI infrastructure itself, such as computing hardware or cloud services. Instead, participating consortia are responsible for securing those resources through partnerships and external funding. Awards are structured as cooperative agreements with a typical duration of five years and expected funding requests ranging from four million to twelve million dollars per award. Approximately one hundred million dollars is available across the program, with an estimated ten awards issued per cycle. Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based institutions of higher education, including both two-year and four-year institutions, as well as certain nonprofit, non-academic research organizations such as museums, observatories, and professional societies. These entities must form consortia that include multiple stakeholders. Each institution and individual investigator is limited to participation in a single proposal per cycle, reinforcing the program’s emphasis on coordinated regional collaboration. Proposals must be submitted as a single unified application rather than separate collaborative submissions. The application process requires submission of a full proposal through either Research.gov or Grants.gov, following the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide. No letters of intent or preliminary proposals are required. Proposals must comprehensively address five core components: consortium structure and governance, AI infrastructure resources, regional partnerships, workforce development, and faculty training. Applicants must also include supporting documentation such as letters of collaboration, a roles and responsibilities document, and a list of participating institutions. Evaluation is based on NSF’s merit review criteria of intellectual merit and broader impacts, along with additional program-specific considerations such as governance strength, workforce development plans, and adequacy of infrastructure. The program operates on a recurring annual timeline, with full proposal deadlines scheduled for early November each year. For the current cycle, proposals are due by November 4, 2026, with subsequent deadlines following on the first Wednesday in November annually. Awards are expected to support long-term infrastructure coordination and workforce development efforts over a five-year performance period. Applicants may also engage with related national initiatives such as the National AI Research Resource to enhance collaboration and resource sharing. Program inquiries can be directed to the AI Infrastructure Hubs Program Team via email at AIInfrastructureHubs@nsf.gov. Standard NSF award conditions and reporting requirements apply, including annual project reports and final outcomes reporting. The program reflects a strategic national investment in AI-driven research infrastructure and workforce capacity, aiming to ensure broad and equitable access to the tools necessary for next-generation scientific discovery.

Strong governance structure and demonstrated partnerships with industry philanthropy and government are critical success factors Emphasize workforce development and scalable infrastructure access across institutions