AI3 Action Institute - Artificial Intelligence for American Indians

The AI3 Action Institute – Artificial Intelligence for American Indians is a federal funding opportunity administered by the Administration for Native Americans within the Administration for Children and Families under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The program is authorized under the Native American Programs Act and is designed to promote long-term socioeconomic development and self-determination among Native communities through the responsible adoption and governance of artificial intelligence technologies. The initiative reflects a broader federal priority to ensure that emerging technologies contribute to resilient, economically secure, and culturally aligned community outcomes. The purpose of the program is to establish a national institute that will serve as a centralized hub for AI knowledge, leadership, and advocacy for Native American communities. The institute will provide education, technical assistance, and strategic partnerships to help tribal governments and Native-serving organizations understand, adopt, and govern AI technologies in alignment with community priorities. The program aims to reduce barriers such as limited technical capacity and lack of access to culturally appropriate resources, while promoting innovation across sectors including healthcare, education, agriculture, and governance. Funding supports a single cooperative agreement award to establish and operate the institute over a three-year project period. Allowable uses of funds include staffing, operational infrastructure, development of physical and digital resources, training delivery, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge-sharing activities. The program explicitly prohibits expenditures on construction, real property acquisition, major renovations, and certain administrative or service delivery activities not aligned with long-term socioeconomic development. Recipients must also comply with federal regulations and restrictions, including limitations on certain programmatic activities and adherence to fiscal stewardship and accountability standards. A mandatory cost-sharing requirement of 20 percent of the total project cost applies, which may be met through cash or in-kind contributions. Applicants may request a waiver under specific regulatory criteria, though approval is not guaranteed. Eligibility is restricted to a defined set of Native-serving entities, including federally and non-federally recognized tribes, tribal consortia, nonprofit Native organizations, Native community development financial institutions, tribal colleges, and certain public or nonprofit agencies serving Native populations. Individuals, foreign entities, and federal agencies are explicitly excluded from eligibility. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov and require active registration with both SAM.gov and Grants.gov systems. The application package includes a project narrative, budget, attachments, and standard federal forms. Required components include documentation of organizational capacity, governance approval, eligibility verification, and alignment with federal priorities. Applications are evaluated through a merit review process based on criteria such as project design, impact, organizational capacity, budget justification, and alignment with agency priorities. The review process assigns a total of 110 points across multiple evaluation categories. The application deadline is August 27, 2026, with an expected project start date of September 30, 2026. The program is not described as recurring and is structured as a single competitive funding opportunity. Successful applicants will enter into a cooperative agreement with the federal agency, which includes ongoing collaboration, reporting requirements, and participation in federal evaluation activities. Key contacts include program and grants management staff within the Administration for Native Americans, who provide technical assistance and application support throughout the process.

Align clearly with ACF priorities; demonstrate measurable outcomes; provide strong partnership strategy; ensure compliance with eligibility documentation; present detailed implementation plan