Expanding AI Innovation through Capacity Building and Partnerships
Limited submission
NSF's ExpandAI program fosters AI innovation by building capacity and partnerships to broaden participation in research, education, and workforce development.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
U.S. National Science Foundation has archived this opportunity.
Funder: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Due Dates: June 23, 2025 | October 17, 2025
Funding Amounts: $10M to $17M total program budget; individual awards: up to $400,000 over 2 years (Capacity Building Pilots) or $300,000–$700,000/year for up to 4 years (Partnerships)
Summary: Supports Minority-Serving Institutions to build AI research, education, and workforce capacity and foster partnerships with National AI Research Institutes to broaden participation in AI innovation.
Key Information: Requires prior invitation via Concept Outline; proposals accepted only from eligible MSIs; two tracks: Capacity Building Pilots and Partnerships; recurring submission windows.
Description
The National Science Foundation’s Expanding AI Innovation through Capacity Building and Partnerships (ExpandAI) program aims to significantly broaden participation in AI research, education, and workforce development by supporting Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). It promotes capacity building at MSIs and fosters partnerships between MSIs and the National AI Research Institutes ecosystem to diversify and strengthen the AI research community.
The program offers two tracks:
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Track 1: Capacity Building Pilots (CAP)
Focuses on establishing or enhancing AI research, education, and infrastructure at MSIs that may not yet have significant AI programs. Proposals should demonstrate institutional need and support, and present a clear capacity building plan with measurable outcomes such as increased faculty research, new academic pathways, expanded career opportunities, and greater participation of underrepresented groups. -
Track 2: Partnerships (PARTNER)
Enables MSIs with existing AI capacity to scale up programs and establish formal collaborations with one or more AI Institutes. Proposals must include a partnership roadmap outlining collaborative research, education, infrastructure, and community-building activities. An Institute Integration Plan from the AI Institute(s) is required to demonstrate commitment and coordination.
The program encourages leveraging NSF-supported research cyberinfrastructure and allows requests for cloud computing resources through CloudBank, which must be detailed separately from the NSF budget.
This initiative supports NSF’s core values of inclusion and collaboration, targeting historically underrepresented groups in AI such as persons with disabilities, African Americans/Blacks, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders.
