National Science Foundation Offers AI Test Bed Planning Grants

The National Science Foundation is soliciting proposals for planning test beds on responsible artificial intelligence to enable research on new systems and approaches within secure, real-world settings. 

According to an NSF “Dear Colleague” letter, a one-year funding of up to $100,000  may be granted to an AI test bed plan, with a maximum two-year budget opportunity for $200,000. The planning grants will support the creation of research teams that will expand or enhance an existing AI test platform evaluating the technology’s impact and user interaction, the NSF said.

NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan stressed that AI’s potential for advancing various fields must be driven by thorough evaluations of the technology’s real-world applications.   

The NSF’s funding will be granted to proposals that involve interdisciplinary cooperation among private AI laboratories, academic institutions, civil groups and third-party evaluators.

The grant is geared to draw wide-ranging perspectives of teams from institutions under the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research jurisdictions. The grants will also facilitate preliminary data collection, design efforts and formulation of the test beds’ governance and management structure.

The funding for the test bed planning grants, budgeted for fiscal year 2025, will pave the way for full proposals on an AI-ready test platform. The planning grants’ deadline for proposal submissions is on Nov. 13.