---
kind: "section"
citation: "15 U.S.C. § 9431"
title: "15"
title_heading: "Commerce and Trade"
number: "9431"
heading: "National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/15/9431"
units:
  - "Chapter 119 — National Artificial Intelligence Initiative"
  - "Subchapter II — National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes"
---

# §9431. National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes

- (a) **In general—** Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for this purpose, the Director of the National Science Foundation shall establish a program to award financial assistance for the planning, establishment, and support of a network of [Institutes](/usc/15/9401.md?p=7) (as described in [subsection (b)(2)](#b-2)) in accordance with this section.
- (b) **Financial assistance to establish and support National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes—**
  - (1) **In general—** Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for this purpose, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Commerce, the Director of the National Science Foundation, and every other [agency head](/usc/15/9401.md?p=2) may award financial assistance to an eligible entity, or consortia thereof, as determined by an [agency head](/usc/15/9401.md?p=2), to establish and support an [Institute](/usc/15/9401.md?p=7).
  - (2) **Artificial intelligence institutes—** An [Institute](/usc/15/9401.md?p=7) described in this subsection is an [artificial intelligence](/usc/15/9401.md?p=3) research [institute](/usc/15/9401.md?p=7) that—
    - (A) is focused on—
      - (i) a particular economic or social sector, including health, education, manufacturing, agriculture, security, energy, and environment, and includes a component that addresses the ethical, societal, safety, and security implications relevant to the application of [artificial intelligence](/usc/15/9401.md?p=3) in that sector; or
      - (ii) a cross-cutting challenge for [artificial intelligence](/usc/15/9401.md?p=3) systems, including trustworthiness, or foundational science;
    - (B) requires partnership among public and private organizations, including, as appropriate, Federal agencies, institutions of higher education, including [community colleges](/usc/15/9401.md?p=4), nonprofit research organizations, Federal laboratories, [State](/usc/15/15g.md?p=2), local, and Tribal governments, industry, including startup companies, and civil society organizations, including civil rights and disability rights organizations (or consortia thereof);
    - (C) has the potential to create an innovation ecosystem, or enhance existing ecosystems, to translate [Institute](/usc/15/9401.md?p=7) research into applications and products, as appropriate to the topic of each [Institute](/usc/15/9401.md?p=7);
    - (D) supports interdisciplinary research and development across multiple institutions of higher education and organizations;
    - (E) supports interdisciplinary education activities, including curriculum development, research experiences, and faculty professional development across undergraduate, graduate, and professional academic programs; and
    - (F) supports workforce development in [artificial intelligence](/usc/15/9401.md?p=3) related disciplines in the United States, including increasing participation of historically underrepresented communities.
  - (3) **Use of funds—** Financial assistance awarded under [paragraph (1)](#b-1) may be used by an [Institute](/usc/15/9401.md?p=7) for—
    - (A) managing and making available to researchers accessible, curated, standardized, secure, and privacy protected data sets from the public and private sectors for the purposes of training and testing [artificial intelligence](/usc/15/9401.md?p=3) systems and for research using [artificial intelligence](/usc/15/9401.md?p=3) systems, pursuant to subsections (c), (e), and (f) of [section 278h–1 of this title](/usc/15/278h–1.md) (as added by [section 5301](/usc/15/5301.md) of this division);
    - (B) developing and managing testbeds for [artificial intelligence](/usc/15/9401.md?p=3) systems, including sector-specific test beds, designed to enable users to evaluate [artificial intelligence](/usc/15/9401.md?p=3) systems prior to deployment;
    - (C) conducting research and education activities involving [artificial intelligence](/usc/15/9401.md?p=3) systems to solve challenges with social, economic, health, scientific, and national security implications;
    - (D) providing or brokering access to computing resources, networking, and data facilities for [artificial intelligence](/usc/15/9401.md?p=3) research and development relevant to the [Institute](/usc/15/9401.md?p=7)’s research goals;
    - (E) providing technical assistance to users, including software engineering support, for [artificial intelligence](/usc/15/9401.md?p=3) research and development relevant to the [Institute](/usc/15/9401.md?p=7)’s research goals;
    - (F) engaging in outreach and engagement to broaden participation in [artificial intelligence](/usc/15/9401.md?p=3) research and the [artificial intelligence](/usc/15/9401.md?p=3) workforce; and
    - (G) such other activities that an [agency head](/usc/15/9401.md?p=2), whose agency’s missions contribute to or are affected by [artificial intelligence](/usc/15/9401.md?p=3), considers consistent with the purposes described in [section 9411(a) of this title](/usc/15/9411.md?p=a).
  - (4) **Duration—**
    - (A) **Initial periods—** An award of financial assistance under [paragraph (1)](#b-1) shall be awarded for an initial period of 5 years.
    - (B) **Extension—** An established [Institute](/usc/15/9401.md?p=7) may apply for, and the [agency head](/usc/15/9401.md?p=2) may grant, extended funding for periods of 5 years on a merit-reviewed basis using the merit review criteria of the sponsoring agency.
  - (5) **Application for financial assistance—** A [person](/usc/15/7a.md?p=6) seeking financial assistance under [paragraph (1)](#b-1) shall submit to an [agency head](/usc/15/9401.md?p=2) an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the [agency head](/usc/15/9401.md?p=2) may require.
  - (6) **Competitive, merit review—** In awarding financial assistance under [paragraph (1)](#b-1), the [agency head](/usc/15/9401.md?p=2) shall—
    - (A) use a competitive, merit review process that includes peer review by a diverse group of individuals with relevant expertise from both the private and public sectors; and
    - (B) ensure the focus areas of the [Institute](/usc/15/9401.md?p=7) do not substantially and unnecessarily duplicate the efforts of any other [Institute](/usc/15/9401.md?p=7).
  - (7) **Collaboration—**
    - (A) **In general—** In awarding financial assistance under [paragraph (1)](#b-1), an [agency head](/usc/15/9401.md?p=2) may collaborate with Federal departments and agencies whose missions contribute to or are affected by [artificial intelligence](/usc/15/9401.md?p=3) systems.
    - (B) **Coordinating network—** The Director of the National Science Foundation shall establish a network of [Institutes](/usc/15/9401.md?p=7) receiving financial assistance under this subsection, to be known as the “[Artificial Intelligence](/usc/15/9401.md?p=3) Leadership Network”, to coordinate cross-cutting research and other activities carried out by the [Institutes](/usc/15/9401.md?p=7).
  - (8) **Limitation—** No funds authorized in this subchapter shall be awarded to [Institutes](/usc/15/9401.md?p=7) outside of the United States. All awardees and subawardees for such [Institute](/usc/15/9401.md?p=7) shall be based in the United States, in addition to any other eligibility criteria as established by each [agency head](/usc/15/9401.md?p=2).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 116–283, div. E, title LII, § 5201, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4534.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 5301 of this division, referred to in subsec. (b)(3)(A), means section 5301 of div. E of Pub. L. 116–283, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4536.