[Schmidt Sciences](https://www.schmidtsciences.org)

May 17, 2026 (Full proposal/application deadline)

Tier 1: Up to $1M (1–3 years) | Tier 2: $1M–$5M+ (1–3 years)

Supports technical research to understand, measure, and control risks from advanced AI systems, enabling trustworthy AI deployment.

Indirect costs capped at 10%; open globally to non-profit research institutions.

--- ## Description The Science of Trustworthy AI program from Schmidt Sciences seeks proposals for technical research that advances the scientific understanding, evaluation, and control of risks from frontier AI systems. The initiative is grounded in a detailed research agenda with three core aims: (1) characterizing and forecasting misalignment in advanced AI, (2) developing generalizable measurements and interventions for AI evaluation and control, and (3) overseeing AI systems with superhuman capabilities and addressing multi-agent risks. Projects should focus on deep, field-shaping contributions aligned with these aims and may request access to advanced computing resources, software engineering support, and API credits as part of their proposal. The program is open to global, multi-institution collaborations and encourages ambitious, high-impact research. --- ## Due Dates - May 17, 2026: Full proposal/application deadline (by 11:59 PM AoE/EDT) --- ## Funding Amount - **Tier 1:** Up to $1,000,000 for 1–3 years - **Tier 2:** $1,000,000–$5,000,000+ for 1–3 years (ambitious, collaborative projects preferred) - Indirect costs are limited to a maximum of 10% of the total budget --- ## Eligibility - Open to individual researchers, research teams, research institutions, and multi-institution collaborations at universities, national laboratories, institutes, and non-profit research organizations worldwide - For-profit entities cannot lead projects, but may participate as partners with non-profit leads - International institutions are eligible; Schmidt Sciences will work with NGOSource to verify charitable status if needed - Indirect (overhead) costs must not exceed 10% - There are no restrictions on the geographic distribution of collaborators --- ## Application Process - Submit a full proposal by May 17, 2026, via the [application portal](https://schmidtsciences.smapply.io/prog/science_of_trustworthy_ai_rfp_2026/) - Applicants may submit more than one proposal and may apply to either or both funding tiers - Proposals should clearly articulate their fit to the [research agenda](https://www.schmidtsciences.org/trustworthy-ai-research-agenda/) - Selection criteria include research agenda fit, scientific quality and rigor, potential impact, feasibility, team expertise, and cost effectiveness - Preference for Tier 2 will be given to collaborative projects with multiple PIs/labs and a clear primary focus for the lead investigator(s) - Notification of decisions is expected in summer 2026 --- ## Additional Information - Awarded funds may be structured as gifts or grants, depending on institutional requirements and project needs - Funding can support salaries, PhD students, postdocs, equipment, travel (with some restrictions for non-US recipients), and other standard research expenses - Schmidt Sciences offers access to advanced computing resources, software engineering support, and opportunities for community engagement - No-cost extensions are not guaranteed and will be evaluated case by case - Out-of-scope topics include projects focused solely on interpretability, jailbreak discovery, generic capability evaluations, near-term product engineering, policy/AI governance, and certain high-security risk areas --- ## External Links - [Program & Application Portal](https://schmidtsciences.smapply.io/prog/science_of_trustworthy_ai_rfp_2026/) - [Schmidt Sciences Main Page](https://www.schmidtsciences.org) - [Science of Trustworthy AI Program Overview](https://www.schmidtsciences.org/trustworthy-ai/) - [Research Agenda](https://www.schmidtsciences.org/trustworthy-ai-research-agenda/) - [Trustworthy AI FAQ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nuqku7P9yQaxLPkeIhs10-21SEX77LwxexRwVmqSxkI/edit?usp=sharing) - [Virtual Institute for Scientific Software](https://www.schmidtsciences.org/viss/) --- ## Contact Information | Purpose | Contact | |--------------------|------------------------------------------------| | General Inquiries | trustworthyai@schmidtsciences.org | | FAQ | [Trustworthy AI FAQ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nuqku7P9yQaxLPkeIhs10-21SEX77LwxexRwVmqSxkI/edit?usp=sharing) | ---

2026 Science of Trustworthy AI RFP

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