There is no single AI grant. Public money for artificial intelligence reaches researchers and companies through named programs with their own rules, and two current examples are the U.S. National Science Foundation's National AI Research Resource, which received a USD 35 million, five-year operations award in 2026, and Canada's AI Compute Access Fund, which pays up to two-thirds of eligible computing costs for small Canadian AI companies. Unsolicited offers of personal "AI grants" match the red flags the Federal Trade Commission lists for grant scams.
Key takeaways
- The NSF solicitation for the National AI Research Resource Operations Center offered up to USD 35 million over up to five years, and the San Diego Supercomputer Center announced on September 1, 2026 that it leads the center.
- Canada's AI Compute Access Fund has a budget of up to CAD 300 million and funds CAD 100,000 to CAD 5 million per project, but its program page states that it is not accepting applications.
- NSF's May 4, 2023 announcement of seven new AI institutes (USD 140 million) described a network that had drawn close to USD 500 million in total from NSF and partners.
- Real federal grants require a formal application for a specific purpose, and no agency asks for a fee to award one.
The National AI Research Resource in the United States
The National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) is an NSF-led effort to connect U.S. researchers and educators with computing, data, and training resources. Its pilot launched in January 2024. According to the San Diego Supercomputer Center, the pilot connected approximately 900 research teams and educators across all 50 states in its first two and a half years.
NSF solicitation 25-546 sought a single operator for a permanent Operations Center, with up to USD 35 million available for up to five years and a possible five-year renewal. The letter of intent was due December 15, 2025 and full proposals were due February 4, 2026. The solicitation says the center will run a unified portal and coordinate with pilot partners, but will not conduct research, buy or run the hardware, or hold competitions to select resources. On September 1, 2026, the San Diego Supercomputer Center at UC San Diego announced a USD 35 million cooperative award over five years, working with the Texas Advanced Computing Center.
NSF AI Research Institutes
NSF has funded university-led institutes since 2020. On May 4, 2023, it announced seven new institutes with USD 140 million in funding and said that NSF and partners had invested close to half a billion dollars in the network, which reaches almost every state. The seven covered themes that included trustworthy AI, cybersecurity agents, climate-smart agriculture and forestry, decision making, and AI-augmented learning. These awards go to institutions through competitive solicitations, and an individual cannot apply for a place in an institute as a grantee.
Canada's AI Compute Access Fund
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) designed this fund to lower the cost of computing for Canadian AI small and medium-sized businesses. Its program guide sets a total budget of up to CAD 300 million. It pays two-thirds of eligible costs for Canadian cloud-based compute, and one-half for non-Canadian cloud compute until March 31, 2027. Projects must have total eligible costs between CAD 100,000 and CAD 5 million and finish by March 31, 2028.
Applicants must be active Canadian-registered for-profit companies building AI products or services, with fewer than 500 full-time-equivalent employees, a Canada-based research and development team, and either revenue or investor interest at least at the Series A stage. Eligible costs are payments under contracts with compute providers for training, inference, or related fine-tuning, and ineligible costs include sales taxes, data transfer fees, and legal fees. The page was last modified on June 24, 2026 and states that the fund is not accepting applications.
Programs compared
| Program | Funder | Who it serves | Status on October 24, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAIRR Operations Center | NSF (United States) | An organization that runs shared access for researchers and educators | Award announced by the San Diego Supercomputer Center on September 1, 2026 |
| National AI Research Institutes | NSF and partners | University-led research teams | Seven institutes announced May 4, 2023; later cohorts not checked |
| AI Compute Access Fund | ISED (Canada) | Canadian for-profit AI companies with fewer than 500 staff | Not accepting applications per the program page |
How to tell a real program from a fake one
The FTC states that the government will not contact people unexpectedly about grants, that real grants require a formal application for a specific purpose, and that no agency demands payment to award one. It also warns about requests for payment by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency, and about offers to sell lists of grants. The federal grants portal is the official site for federal grant opportunities in the United States, and its home page notes that agencies do not publish personal financial assistance there.
- Find the program on the funder's own site and match the program name and number.
- Read who is eligible: institutions, companies, or individuals.
- Check the status, because a program may be closed or may have been awarded already.
- Treat any request for a fee, a bank number, or a Social Security number as a reason to stop.
FAQ
Can an individual get an AI grant from NSF or ISED?
The programs described here fund institutions or companies. The NAIRR solicitation was open to higher-education institutions, non-profits, for-profit organizations, and some federal bodies, and the Canadian fund is for incorporated businesses with an Indigenous-ownership exception for some unincorporated ones.
Is the AI Compute Access Fund open now?
The ISED program page states that the fund is not accepting applications and lists no intake dates. The page should be checked again before any plan depends on it.
Does the NAIRR give cash to researchers?
The Operations Center described in the NSF solicitation coordinates access and runs a portal. It does not buy hardware or run competitions. Access to compute and data is the form of support, not payments.
Are websites that sell lists of AI grants reliable?
The FTC lists offers to sell grant lists among its red flags. Federal opportunities are listed free on the federal grants portal, and Canadian programs are published by the federal department that runs them.
Related reading
- How AI affects measured business productivity
- The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence
- Open-source AI and shared research
- How fast AI development has moved
More in AI and Society.
Last verified: October 2026
Sources
- NSF 25-546, NAIRR Operations Center solicitation, National Science Foundation (source page)
- SDSC to lead the NAIRR Operations Center, San Diego Supercomputer Center, UC San Diego, September 1, 2026
- NSF announces 7 new National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes, National Science Foundation, May 4, 2023
- Program Guide: AI Compute Access Fund, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (source page)
- Government Grant Scams, Federal Trade Commission
- Federal grants portal, U.S. federal grant opportunities