AI3 Action Institute - Artificial Intelligence for American Indians

The AI3 Action Institute - Artificial Intelligence for American Indians is a forecasted federal funding opportunity expected to be released by the Administration for Native Americans (ANA), which operates within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The opportunity is designed to support the establishment of a national institute focused on advancing responsible and practical applications of artificial intelligence within Native American communities. According to the forecast notice, ANA anticipates funding a single recipient through a cooperative agreement mechanism to establish and operate the AI3 Action Institute. The initiative aligns with the broader ACF mission of strengthening families and promoting work as a pathway to self-sufficiency, while emphasizing economic development, workforce participation, governance modernization, and efficient service delivery in Tribal and Native communities. The purpose of the AI3 Action Institute is to help Native communities understand, evaluate, and responsibly integrate rapidly evolving artificial intelligence technologies. The funded organization will be expected to monitor developments in AI, identify opportunities for implementation across socioeconomic sectors, and support Native communities in deploying AI tools in ways that align with Tribal priorities and community leadership. ANA specifically notes that the institute should help reduce the learning curve associated with AI adoption across hundreds of Native communities while simultaneously creating a centralized knowledge-management function capable of capturing lessons learned and strengthening long-term expertise. The program intends to support practical and ethical implementation approaches that maximize community capacity while reinforcing Tribal governance structures and resilience. The funding opportunity is categorized under Opportunity Zone Benefits and is expected to provide a total program funding amount of $3,500,000. ANA anticipates issuing one award with an award ceiling of $3,500,000 and an award floor of $2,500,000. The opportunity includes a cost-sharing or matching requirement, although the forecast notice does not specify the percentage or formula for the required match. The selected recipient will likely be responsible for developing operational infrastructure for the institute, conducting outreach and technical assistance activities, developing AI implementation guidance, and coordinating engagement efforts with Tribal governments and Native-serving organizations. Because the award will be issued as a cooperative agreement, substantial federal involvement in project implementation and oversight may occur throughout the performance period. Eligibility for this opportunity is broad within the Native-serving ecosystem and includes federally recognized Indian tribes, incorporated non-federally recognized tribes, state-recognized tribes, Tribal consortia, Native community development financial institutions, Urban Indian Organizations, nonprofit Native organizations, Native Hawaiian-serving agencies, Native Pacific Islander-serving organizations, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and nonprofit Alaska Native organizations. The notice also allows nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status, provided they meet eligibility requirements outlined under 42 U.S.C. 2991b. Additional eligible entities include public and nonprofit private agencies serving Native populations in Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Applications from individuals, sole proprietorships, and foreign entities are explicitly prohibited and will be disqualified from review. Faith-based and community organizations that otherwise meet eligibility criteria are also permitted to apply. The funding opportunity is currently in forecast status and has not yet officially opened for submissions. The estimated posting date is June 20, 2026, and the estimated application due date is July 21, 2026. Applications submitted electronically must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date. The estimated award date and estimated project start date are both September 30, 2026. The notice does not reference a letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal requirement, or separate pre-application phase. It also does not specify evaluation criteria, scoring methodology, application narrative requirements, or mandatory submission forms, though these details are expected to be included in the full notice of funding opportunity once officially posted. The forecast notice identifies Carmelia Strickland as the program contact for applicant inquiries. Interested organizations may contact the program office by phone at 833-262-4636 or by email at carmelia.strickland@acf.hhs.gov. Additional program information is available through the Administration for Native Americans website. The opportunity appears to be a new initiative intended to support long-term AI readiness and governance capacity across Indian Country. Although the current notice does not explicitly state whether the opportunity will recur annually, the structure and strategic nature of the institute suggest the possibility of future funding cycles or continued federal investment in AI-related Native community capacity building.

Emphasize responsible and practical AI implementation aligned with Tribal priorities; demonstrate strategies for strengthening Tribal governance community capacity workforce participation and economic development outcomes through artificial intelligence integration