Updated September 26, 2026
AI Research Grants 2026
Open AI research grants and funding opportunities for 2026, from NSF, DOE, and NIH to Schmidt Sciences and Sloan. A live list, updated daily.
AI is the clearest funding priority of 2026. NSF officials have said openly that artificial intelligence now drives agency grantmaking, backed by the AI Institutes network and major new initiatives. The Department of Energy stood up a dedicated AI office, and philanthropic funders including Schmidt Sciences, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the Sloan Foundation have all launched substantial AI research programs. While most fields are fighting over a shrinking pool, AI funding is growing on both the federal and private side.
Featured grants
Updated automatically from Atom's grant databaseMathematical Foundations of Artificial Intelligence
This grant aims to address foundational gaps in AI through interdisciplinary research on mathematical and theoretical foundations for sustainable, trustworthy, and socially responsible AI.
Artificial Intelligence in Materials Science
This IPAM program advances AI-driven materials science by integrating machine learning with physical laws, simulation, and autonomous experimentation for scientific discovery.
Technology in the Public Interest
Supports research and networks to improve oversight, evaluation, and accountability in AI governance, prioritizing public interest, equity, and transparency in high-impact sectors.
The opportunity is much broader than core machine learning. A large share of new funding targets AI for science: applying modern models to problems in biology, chemistry, materials, medicine, agriculture, and the social sciences. There is also growing investment in trustworthy and safe AI, in AI infrastructure and benchmarks, and in training the research workforce. Researchers whose work touches AI from any direction, whether building methods or applying them, have more doors open than the traditional program lists suggest.
This collection tracks open grants supporting AI and machine learning research across funders. It updates automatically as new programs are announced, so it reflects the current cycle rather than last year's landscape. Forecasted opportunities are labeled, which matters in a field where agencies are announcing programs faster than they open them.
Emerging Algorithms and Mathematical Paradigms for Reliable Next-Generation AI
A workshop by IPAM exploring new mathematical and algorithmic methods to ensure reliable, interpretable, and robust next-generation AI systems.
AI for Privacy, Safety, and Security Academic Research Awards
Google's AI for Privacy, Safety, and Security Academic Research Awards fund interdisciplinary research using AI to tackle digital privacy, safety, and security challenges.
AI Safety Fund
The AI Safety Fund supports global research projects advancing responsible and safe development of advanced AI systems, focusing on urgent challenges like evaluation, biosecurity, cybersecurity, and governance.
Advancing Research at the intersection of Biology and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML)
NSF BIO supports research combining biology and AI/ML to advance biological discovery or develop AI/ML methods inspired by biological systems, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration.
Exploratory Grantmaking in Technology
Supports early-stage research and technology projects in science, with a focus on AI and automation, to clarify needs and inform future strategies where other funding is scarce.
Artificial Intelligence in Communication Sciences and Disorders Research Grant
Supports interdisciplinary research integrating ethical and innovative AI solutions to advance clinical practice, education, and research in communication sciences and disorders.
AI and the Workforce
The Institute for Humane Studies' AI and the Workforce grant funds research on how artificial intelligence is reshaping employment, productivity, and economic opportunity.
AI Opportunity
The MacArthur Foundation's AI Opportunity initiative supports equitable, community-driven AI research and applications, focusing on youth, workforce, and nonprofit sectors, especially in Chicago.
Anthropic Fellows Program for AI safety research: applications open for May & July 2026
The Anthropic Fellows Program supports mentored, hands-on AI safety research projects aligned with Anthropic’s scientific priorities.
U.S. National Science Foundation State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs
NSF’s State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs fund consortia to build advanced AI research infrastructure and workforce training across states and territories.
AstroAI Fellowship at the Center for Astrophysics
The AstroAI Fellowship at the Center for Astrophysics supports early-career researchers using AI to tackle innovative astrophysics research, with mentorship from both AI and astrophysics experts.
Utilizing the Full Power of Empire AI
The Simons Foundation's Utilizing the Full Power of Empire AI grant supports innovative AI-driven basic science projects using Empire AI's high-performance GPU clusters to solve foundational research problems.
Technical Postdoctoral Fellowships
The Technical Postdoctoral Fellowships from the Future of Life Institute support postdocs conducting technical research to reduce existential risks from advanced AI.
Request for Proposals: AI Governance
Coefficient Giving’s Request for Proposals: AI Governance funds research and projects tackling governance challenges and catastrophic risks from transformative artificial intelligence.
AI-human collaborations in cancer
This grant funds global teams to develop advanced AI agents that work with human researchers to generate and test new cancer research hypotheses, transforming how cancer is studied.
Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology
This fellowship funds recent PhDs to conduct research and training at the intersection of AI and biology, aiming to advance biotechnology innovation and develop future leaders in the field.
Funding for work that builds capacity to address risks from transformative AI
Coefficient Giving funds capacity-building projects that help society address risks from transformative AI through training, events, groups, and resource development.
Frequently asked questions
Federal agencies fund the largest share: NSF through the AI Institutes and programs like Mathematical Foundations of AI, NIH through AI-focused initiatives and the National Library of Medicine, and the Department of Energy. Private funders include Schmidt Sciences, the Sloan Foundation, the Simons Foundation, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and AI companies such as Anthropic and Google run their own academic research programs.
Yes. Much of today's AI funding supports applying AI to other fields, such as biology, chemistry, materials science, medicine, agriculture, and the social sciences. Several programs explicitly prefer interdisciplinary teams that pair domain scientists with machine learning researchers, so a strong scientific question can matter as much as AI expertise.
Yes. Beyond standard faculty grants, AI funding includes PhD and postdoctoral fellowships, industry-sponsored fellowship programs, and early career awards. Eligibility varies by program, so check each listing for career stage, citizenship, and institutional requirements.
AI research grants cover the full field, from new methods to AI for science. AI safety grants focus on making advanced AI systems reliable and beneficial: alignment, interpretability, evaluations, security, and governance. Atom keeps a separate AI Safety Research Grants collection for those programs.