Mathematical Foundations of Artificial Intelligence
This funding opportunity supports U.S. universities and nonprofit organizations in conducting interdisciplinary research to develop the mathematical foundations necessary for creating explainable and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems.
The Mathematical Foundations of Artificial Intelligence (MFAI) grant is an initiative by the National Science Foundation (NSF) designed to foster collaborative, interdisciplinary research into the mathematical and theoretical underpinnings of artificial intelligence (AI). Administered jointly by several NSF directorates—including Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Engineering (ENG), and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE)—the program supports rigorous, multidisciplinary efforts that integrate mathematics, statistics, engineering, computer science, and social sciences to advance understanding and development of AI systems. This funding opportunity arises from the recognition that contemporary breakthroughs in AI, such as in natural language processing and deep learning, are founded on empirical results and computation, yet still lack robust mathematical explanations. As AI technologies evolve and become more integral to society, the NSF seeks to ensure that these systems are explainable, interpretable, sustainable, and trustworthy. To this end, the MFAI program emphasizes theoretical and mathematical approaches to understanding AI models’ capabilities and limitations, encouraging innovation that reduces reliance on large data sets and computational power. The program invites full proposals from U.S.-based accredited institutions of higher education and qualified nonprofit, non-academic organizations directly involved in educational or research activities. Each applicant must hold a tenured or tenure-track position or a full-time, paid teaching or research position. Proposals must be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov and must include a detailed collaboration plan. Participation in an annual Principal Investigator meeting is a requirement for all awardees. Cost sharing is not permitted, and indirect cost limitations do not apply. Funding proposals must align with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide. MFAI grants will provide up to $8.5 million annually, awarding up to 15 projects per cycle with funding ranging between $500,000 and $1.5 million over a three-year period. The program supports both standard and continuing grants. Submissions are limited to one per principal investigator (PI) or co-PI per deadline. The due dates for full proposals are October 10, 2024; October 10, 2025; and October 9, 2026. The program is expected to recur annually. Proposal review will be based on NSF’s established merit review criteria, including intellectual merit and broader impacts. Additionally, reviewers will assess the quality of the collaboration plan and the originality and significance of the proposed mathematical contributions. Applications should detail technical challenges, methodologies, team qualifications, alternative strategies in case of negative outcomes, and plans for developing future interdisciplinary research talent. For questions, applicants may contact any of the listed program directors using the shared email mfai@nsf.gov or by calling the individual phone numbers listed for each contact.
Award Range
$500,000 - $1,500,000
Total Program Funding
$8,500,000
Number of Awards
15
Matching Requirement
No
Additional Details
Estimated Number of Awards: up to 15 We anticipate making up to 15 awards in each competition. Each award size may vary and is expected to range from $500k to $1.5M total. Each award is expected to take place for a duration of 36 months. Award size is contingent upon the scope, scale and complexity of the proposed project. The number of awards will be subject to the availability of funds and quality of proposals received. Anticipated Funding Amount: $8,500,000 Up to $8,500,000 per year is expected for new awards, subject to availability of funds and receipt of meritorious proposals.
Eligible Applicants
Additional Requirements
Proposals may only be submitted by the following: 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. Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) - Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Who May Serve as PI: any PI, co-PI, or senior/key personnel must hold either: a primary, full-time, paid appointment in a research or teaching position at a US-based campus of an organization eligible to this solicitation (see above), with exceptions granted for family or medical leave, as organization. Individuals with appointments at for-profit non-academic organizations or at overseas branch campuses of U.S.
Geographic Eligibility
All
Application Opens
May 2, 2024
Application Closes
October 10, 2025
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