NSF AI Infrastructure Hubs 2026: Major U.S. Funding Opportunity for Artificial Intelligence Research

The NSF AI Infrastructure Hubs 2026 programme is a major U.S. funding opportunity designed to expand access to advanced computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure for scientific research. Led by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), the programme will support state and regional partnerships that bring together government, universities, industry and philanthropic organisations to accelerate AI-enabled scientific discovery and workforce development.

Under NSF 26-513, approximately $100 million is available, with NSF anticipating around 10 awards. Typical proposals are expected to request between $4 million and $12 million over five years, making this one of the larger current opportunities for organisations developing regional AI research capacity.

The State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs programme aims to make advanced computing and AI resources more accessible to researchers working across science and engineering.

The initiative recognises the growing importance of AI, high-performance computing, data infrastructure and related technologies in modern scientific research.

Rather than funding isolated AI projects, NSF intends to establish regional consortia capable of expanding research infrastructure while developing the human expertise required to use those resources effectively.

Each AI Infrastructure Hub will operate through a partnership involving organisations such as state and local governments, research institutions, private-sector partners and philanthropies.

How Much Funding Is Available?

NSF states that approximately:

$100 million is available through the programme.

The programme anticipates approximately:

10 awards

NSF expects typical proposals to request:

$4 million–$12 million over five years

Only one award per state or multi-state region is expected to be made.

This structure means prospective applicants may need to develop broad partnerships and establish a strong regional case for investment rather than approaching the opportunity as a conventional single-institution research grant.

What Will NSF Funding Support?

The programme has a specific division of responsibilities between NSF and the regional consortium.

The consortium will be responsible for funding new or expanded computing, data and AI resources. These resources may be deployed on premises or through cloud-based infrastructure.

NSF funding, meanwhile, will support activities including:

Consortium coordination
AI infrastructure workforce development
Faculty training
Development of coursework focused on using AI for science

This distinction is important for applicants because the NSF award is not simply intended to pay for all new computing infrastructure. The consortium itself is expected to bring contributions toward infrastructure expansion.

Who Can Participate?

The programme is built around state and regional partnerships rather than individual researchers working alone.

Potential consortium members may include:

State and local governments

Government partners can contribute to regional coordination, infrastructure investment and broader economic and workforce-development objectives.

Higher-education and research institutions

Universities and research institutions can provide scientific expertise, researchers, students, computing capacity and educational programmes.

Industry

Technology companies and other private-sector organisations can contribute infrastructure, technical expertise, cloud resources and partnerships.

Philanthropic organisations

Foundations and philanthropic partners can provide additional financial support and help broaden the regional ecosystem.

The exact organisational eligibility requirements are governed by NSF Solicitation 26-513, so organisations should consult the full solicitation before preparing a proposal.

What Is the Purpose of an AI Infrastructure Hub?

The initiative has two closely connected goals.

Expand AI-enabled scientific discovery

Researchers increasingly require significant computing and data resources to conduct advanced scientific work. AI Infrastructure Hubs are intended to expand access to those resources and help researchers use AI more effectively across science and engineering.

Develop the AI workforce

Infrastructure alone is not enough. Researchers, faculty and technical professionals need the skills to use AI and advanced computing in scientific settings.

The programme therefore includes workforce development, faculty training and curriculum development as core elements.

This makes the programme relevant not only to computing and AI departments but also to institutions seeking to integrate AI into broader scientific research and education.

Why the Programme Is Significant

The NSF describes the programme as part of a broader effort to strengthen U.S. research and development and adapt the country’s scientific enterprise to the increasing role of artificial intelligence.

The solicitation references federal priorities calling for expanded investment in AI for science, including greater access to advanced computing and data infrastructure needed for frontier scientific discovery.

For universities and regional research ecosystems, the opportunity therefore extends beyond acquiring technology. A successful Hub could help establish a long-term regional AI research network involving scientists, educators, businesses and public institutions.

Proposal Requirements and Limits

NSF has established several important participation rules.

The PI institution may submit only one proposal for each competition specified in the solicitation.

In addition, an individual may participate in only one State and Regional AI Infrastructure Hubs proposal as a PI, co-PI or Senior/Key Personnel for each deadline. This restriction does not apply to advisory roles.

Applicants should review the complete NSF solicitation carefully because additional eligibility and proposal requirements apply.

Application Deadline

The deadline for the full proposal is:

November 4, 2026

Proposals are due by:

5:00 p.m. submitting organization’s local time

This is a substantial proposal that may require coordination among multiple organisations, so prospective applicants should begin partnership development, budgeting and proposal preparation well before the deadline.

Upcoming NSF Webinar

NSF is scheduled to hold a webinar on the State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs programme on:

September 2, 2026

Prospective applicants can use the session to better understand the opportunity and proposal expectations.

NSF also lists programme contacts for questions:

AI Infrastructure Hubs Program Team
AIInfrastructureHubs@nsf.gov

What Should Applicants Consider?

Organisations interested in this programme should consider the opportunity as a regional ecosystem-building initiative, rather than simply a conventional technology grant.

A compelling proposal will need to establish why the proposed state or region is well positioned to build an effective AI research infrastructure network.

Applicants should be prepared to demonstrate the value of collaboration among universities, governments, industry and other partners.

The regional strategy should also explain how the Hub will expand access to computing resources, accelerate scientific research and create educational and workforce-development benefits.

Because NSF expects only one award per state or multi-state region, coordination among institutions could be particularly important.

Potential Areas of Impact

The programme could have implications across a wide range of scientific disciplines where AI and advanced computing are increasingly important.

Depending on the regional ecosystem, AI infrastructure could support areas such as scientific modelling, data-intensive research, engineering, environmental research, biomedical discovery and other computationally demanding fields.

The specific scientific priorities of each proposed Hub, however, should be grounded in the capabilities and needs of the participating region.

How to Apply

Interested organisations should first obtain and review the complete NSF 26-513 solicitation.

Applicants should then determine their eligibility and identify the appropriate institutions and regional partners needed to form a competitive consortium.

The proposal should be developed around a coherent strategy for:

Regional collaboration: Identify the governments, research institutions, industry partners and philanthropies that will participate.

AI infrastructure access: Explain how the consortium will expand computing, data and AI resources.

Scientific impact: Show how researchers will use the infrastructure to advance AI-enabled discovery.

Workforce development: Describe plans for developing AI skills among students, researchers, faculty and technical professionals.

Faculty and curriculum development: Explain how training and coursework will help institutions integrate AI into scientific education and research.

Long-term sustainability: Demonstrate how the partnership and infrastructure ecosystem can continue generating value beyond the NSF award period.

Applicants should also make sure that their proposal complies with NSF’s applicable proposal policies, research security requirements and award terms.

Key Facts at a Glance

Programme: U.S. National Science Foundation State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs

Solicitation: NSF 26-513

Funding available: Approximately $100 million

Expected awards: Approximately 10

Typical award request: $4 million–$12 million

Expected duration: Five years

Deadline: November 4, 2026

Submission time: 5:00 p.m. local time of the submitting organisation

Webinar: September 2, 2026

Contact: AIInfrastructureHubs@nsf.gov

Final Takeaway

The NSF AI Infrastructure Hubs 2026 programme provides a significant opportunity for U.S. state and regional research ecosystems to expand access to advanced computing and AI infrastructure while strengthening the workforce needed for AI-driven scientific discovery.

With approximately $100 million available and around 10 awards anticipated, competition is likely to be substantial. The strongest proposals will need to demonstrate more than technological ambition: they should present a credible regional partnership, a clear scientific rationale, meaningful workforce-development plans and a sustainable approach to expanding AI capabilities.

Universities, governments, research organisations and eligible partners considering participation should review NSF Solicitation 26-513 in full and begin coordinating well before the November 4, 2026 deadline.

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