NSF 26-513 solicitation

Citation

U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Directorate for STEM Education and Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. “NSF 26-513: U.S. National Science Foundation State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs: Expanding Access to Compute for Scientific Discovery (AI Infrastructure Hubs).” Program solicitation, posted July 31, 2026. https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/us-national-science-foundation-state-regional-artificial/nsf26-513/solicitation.

Read 2026-10-26.

Bottom line

The first full proposal deadline is November 4, 2026, “due by 5 p.m. submitting organization’s local time”. It is nine days after this reading.
“Only one award per state or multi-state region will be made.” NSF expects “10 awards in each award cycle”, typically “5 years and between $4,000,000 - $12,000,000 total budget”.
NSF does not pay for the compute. The consortium of each hub “will be responsible for all funding for new or expanded computing, data, and AI resources, whether on-premises or cloud-based”.
Only institutions of higher education and some research nonprofits may submit. UC Riverside (UCR) is a partner in the bid that the October 6 email discusses. That email lists the lead institution as still open.

Background

The program “aims to expand access to the compute required for AI-enabled scientific discovery and to transform the research, education, and training opportunities offered by institutions of higher education” (Synopsis). Each hub “will be organized as a flexible state or regional consortium of state and local governments, research institutions, philanthropies, and the private sector” (Synopsis). NSF “will fund each Hub’s consortium coordination, AI infrastructure workforce development, and faculty training and coursework development in leveraging AI for science” (Synopsis).

Key claims

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization’s local time):

November 04, 2026

November 03, 2027

First Wednesday in November, Annually Thereafter

“Letters of Intent: Not required”. “Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required” (Proposal Preparation Instructions).
“States or regions that need additional time to develop their consortia strategies are encouraged to submit planning proposals” (Important Information and Revision Notes).

Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the U.S., acting on behalf of their faculty members.

Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 1

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

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 1

An individual may participate in at most one State and Regional AI Infrastructure Hubs proposal as PI, co-PI, or Senior/Key Personnel for each deadline. If an individual exceeds this limit, only the first proposal received will be accepted, and the remainder will be returned without review. This rule does not apply to advisory roles.

“Collaborative proposals must be submitted as a single proposal, in which a single award is being requested (with subawards administered by the lead organization)” (Important Information and Revision Notes).

“Hub consortium stakeholders, vision, and key deliverables.”
“Computing, data, and AI infrastructure.”
“Partnerships with regional stakeholders.”
“Development of an AI infrastructure workforce.”
“Faculty training and instructional material development to leverage AI infrastructure for scientific discovery.”

“A responsive proposal must address all five elements.” “NSF investments will specifically support elements 1), 3), 4), and 5); each AI Infrastructure Hub will identify resources for 2).”

Other requirements:

Compute: “Described resources must be available and suitable for the full duration of the 5-year award.” “On-premise resources, cloud-computing, or a combination of both are acceptable models” (section II, element 2).
Commitment: proposals need “Sufficient documentation (e.g., letters of commitment or vendor quotes) to indicate the commitment of university, philanthropic, state or other partners to fund compute resources for the five-year duration of the award” (section V.A, item 2).
“NSF does not provide funding for acquisition of AI infrastructure, including computing, data, software, networking, storage, cloud services, or other AI systems or services” (section II).
Governance: “The Hub should have an agreed-upon governance structure and charter”. Proposals describe “how key decisions will be made” and “The mechanism for requests and allocation of AI infrastructure resources from members” (sections II and V.A).
State support: “State-government-level support and funding is strongly encouraged, but is not required.” “An external advisory board is strongly encouraged” (section II, element 1).
Reach: hubs show how they “will expand access to compute across a range of institution types and sizes, including smaller institutions and community and technical colleges” (section II, element 1).
Partners: “At least one regional industry or non-profit partner”. “A letter of collaboration is encouraged” (section V.A, item 3).
Faculty training: “A brief description of 5-10 new or enhanced courses, workshops, or other activities from faculty in the region” (section V.A, item 5).
Workforce: NSF “will fund AI infrastructure professionals”, including “systems administrators”, “cybersecurity specialists” and “training and user support experts” (section II, element 4).
National links: hubs “will also be expected to engage with the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) initiative”. They can work with the “Tech Access: AI-Ready America Coordination Hubs”. Hubs with on-site resources “are encouraged to integrate with national resources through mechanisms such as the NRP or PATh” (sections I and II).
Cost share: “Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is allowed but not required” (Budgetary Information).
Review: “all else being equal after merit review, NSF may give preference to institutions with lower indirect cost rates” (section VI.A).

Evidence and method

A federal program solicitation, the primary record of the program’s rules. It states requirements, not results. No awards exist yet.

Limits

The copy is the web page as fetched on October 26, 2026. NSF can change the solicitation. Check the live page before the deadline.
The page refers to the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) for most format rules.