Expanding AI Innovation through Capacity Building and Partnerships

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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:

• 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.

Due Dates

• June 23, 2025 (Submission window closes at 5 p.m. local time)
• October 17, 2025 (Submission window closes at 5 p.m. local time)

Eligible MSIs may submit Concept Outlines at any time. Full proposals are accepted only by invitation based on Concept Outline review and must be submitted within one year of invitation during a submission window.

Funding Amount

• Total program budget: $10,000,000 to $17,000,000 (subject to availability)
• Capacity Building Pilots (CAP): Up to $400,000 total over 2 years per award
• Partnerships (PARTNER): $300,000 to $700,000 per year for up to 4 years per award
• Estimated 15 to 25 awards annually (10-15 CAP and 5-10 PARTNER)

Eligibility

• Eligible Institutions: Accredited Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) including Alaska Native Serving Institutions, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Predominantly Black Institutions, Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Native American-serving non-Tribal Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and other MSIs with majority underrepresented student populations.
• Who May Submit: Only MSIs that have received an official Program Officer Concurrence Email (invitation) after submitting a Concept Outline.
• Principal Investigator: Must be full-time faculty or senior administrator at the eligible MSI. For PARTNER proposals, co-PIs representing partnering AI Institutes must be identified and verified.
• Proposal Limits: One proposal per organization per submission window; must await decision on pending proposals before submitting new ones. No limits on proposals per PI/co-PI.

Application Process

• Concept Outline (Required):
  Submit a 2-page Concept Outline describing MSI status, current AI capacity, capacity building or partnership goals, and prospective PIs/co-PIs. Submit as PDF via email to ExpandAIProgram@nsf.gov. Invitations to submit full proposals are issued via email and valid for 12 months.

• Full Proposal (By Invitation Only):
  Submit via Research.gov or Grants.gov following NSF Proposal & Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Proposals must include required sections tailored to the track (CAP or PARTNER), institutional need and support statements, and for PARTNER track, an Institute Integration Plan from collaborating AI Institute(s).

• Budget:
  CAP proposals limited to $400,000 total over 2 years; PARTNER proposals $300,000–$700,000/year for up to 4 years. Cloud computing resources requested via CloudBank must be detailed separately and not included in the NSF budget.

• Supporting Documents:
  Institutional Need and Support Statement, Institute Integration Plan (PARTNER only), Results from Prior NSF Support (if applicable), Cloud Computing Resources description (if applicable), Letters of Collaboration (not letters of support).

• Submission Windows:
  Proposals accepted only during specified submission windows; system closes at 5 p.m. local time on closing date.

Additional Information

• Review Process:
  Proposals undergo merit review by NSF Program Officers and external reviewers based on Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts criteria, plus solicitation-specific criteria. PARTNER proposals may include reverse site visits.

• Reporting:
  Annual and final project reports required via Research.gov.

• Special Conditions:
  Compliance with Build America, Buy America Act; acknowledgment of NSF and partner support required in publications.

• Resources:
  PIs encouraged to utilize NSF-supported cyberinfrastructure and cloud computing resources.

External Links

• Program Solicitation and Details (NSF)
• NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG)
• AI Institutes Virtual Organization (AIVO)
• CloudBank - Cloud Computing Resources
• NSF Merit Review Process
• Build America, Buy America - NSF

Contact Information