# NSF 26-508: TechAccess: AI-Ready America — Submission & Eligibility Checklist **Solicitation:** NSF 26-508 **Program:** TechAccess: AI-Ready America — State/Territory Coordination Hubs **Posted:** March 25, 2026 **Funding Agency:** NSF (TIP, EDU, CISE) with DOL, USDA-NIFA, SBA **Award Type:** Standard Grant or Continuing Grant **Estimated Awards:** Up to 56 (one per state, DC, or territory) **Award Amount:** $1M/year for 3 years (possible 4th year) **Total Program Budget:** $168M–$224M --- ## A. KEY DATES | Milestone | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | |---|---|---|---| | Letter of Intent Due | June 16, 2026 | December 15, 2027 | June 1, 2027 | | Full Proposal Due | July 16, 2026 | January 15, 2027 | July 1, 2027 | > All deadlines are 5:00 p.m. submitting organization's local time. --- ## B. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS ### B1. Organizational Eligibility - [ ] Submitting organization falls within eligible categories per PAPPG Chapter I.E - [ ] Unaffiliated individuals are NOT submitting (they are ineligible) - [ ] Organization is limited to **one proposal** per institution (hard limit) ### B2. PI / Co-PI Eligibility - [ ] No restrictions on who may serve as PI — confirmed appropriate PI identified - [ ] No restrictions on number of proposals per PI or co-PI ### B3. Cost Sharing - [ ] **Voluntary committed cost sharing is PROHIBITED** — budget does not include any voluntary committed cost sharing - [ ] Any in-kind contributions mentioned in the narrative are NOT framed as committed cost sharing --- ## C. LETTER OF INTENT (REQUIRED) > LOI is required. Failure to submit an LOI may affect proposal processing. No feedback will be provided on LOIs; they are used to assess reviewer requirements. ### C1. LOI Submission Logistics - [ ] LOI submitted via Research.gov - [ ] LOI submitted by the applicable due date (see Key Dates above) - [ ] Submission by an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) is **not** required for LOI - [ ] Only **one** LOI submitted per institution (multiple LOIs not permitted) ### C2. LOI Title Requirements - [ ] Title begins with: **"[Full name of state, DC, or territory] Coordination Hub"** - [ ] Title is followed by a descriptive project title - [ ] Title uses precise, informative language (no acronyms) - [ ] A technically literate reader can understand the project from the title ### C3. LOI — PI and Senior Personnel Section - [ ] Full names listed for PI and all Co-PIs - [ ] Institutional affiliations listed for PI, all Co-PIs, and all Senior Personnel - [ ] All sub-awardee personnel included - [ ] Point of contact for NSF inquiries is the PI - [ ] PI's e-mail address included ### C4. LOI — Participating Organizations Section - [ ] All institutions involved in the project are listed - [ ] All community partners are listed ### C5. LOI — Synopsis Section - [ ] Synopsis describes the work in sufficient detail for reviewer selection - [ ] Synopsis is limited to **one page** ### C6. LOI — Supplementary Documents - [ ] **No Supplementary Documents included** (they are not allowed with the LOI) --- ## D. FULL PROPOSAL — GENERAL REQUIREMENTS ### D1. Submission Logistics - [ ] Proposal submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov - [ ] Proposal prepared according to **PAPPG Chapter II.D.2** (use version in effect on due date) - [ ] If collaborative proposal with separate submissions from multiple organizations → must use **Research.gov** (per PAPPG Chapter II.E.3) - [ ] Proposal submitted by the applicable Full Proposal deadline (see Key Dates above) ### D2. Page Limits - [ ] Project Description is **15 pages or fewer** (exceeding this = Return Without Review) - [ ] References cited are NOT counted toward the 15-page limit ### D3. PAPPG Compliance (Standard NSF Requirements) - [ ] Cover Sheet completed per PAPPG - [ ] Project Summary (1 page) included with separate sections for Overview, Intellectual Merit, and Broader Impacts - [ ] Table of Contents (auto-generated) - [ ] Project Description (≤15 pages) - [ ] References Cited - [ ] Biographical Sketch(es) for PI, Co-PIs, and Senior Personnel (per PAPPG format) - [ ] Budget and Budget Justification - [ ] Current and Pending (Other) Support - [ ] Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources - [ ] Data Management Plan (see Supplemental Materials section below) --- ## E. PROJECT DESCRIPTION — REQUIRED SECTIONS > The Project Description **must** include Sections 1–5 using the **specified section headers exactly as written below**. Failure to use these five section headers is grounds for **Return Without Review (RWR)**. ### Section 1 — Vision and Approach to Responsibilities - [ ] Section header reads exactly: **"Vision and Approach to Responsibilities"** - [ ] Describes vision for advancing statewide AI readiness - [ ] Demonstrates alignment with program goals - [ ] Addresses all **five areas of responsibility** from the Program Description: - [ ] 1. AI Learning and Resource Navigator — publicly accessible inventory of AI resources - [ ] 2. State/Territory AI Readiness Strategic Plan — collaborative plan with data collection and evaluation - [ ] 3. AI Deployment Support — hands-on assistance for AI adoption (advisory, training, technical setup, integration, customization, deployment) - [ ] 4. AI Readiness Training & Capacity Building — coordination across K–16 and workforce systems as backbone organization - [ ] 5. Coordination Within Priority Sectors — convene stakeholders in state-critical economic sectors - [ ] Describes strategies for statewide coordination and scaling - [ ] Provides evidence of prior experience delivering similar statewide or multi-sector initiatives - [ ] Addresses strategies for supporting small-scale local pilots through partnerships or future funding ### Section 2 — Organizational Background, Team Expertise, and Partnership Rationale - [ ] Section header reads exactly: **"Organizational Background, Team Expertise, and Partnership Rationale"** - [ ] Lead organization demonstrates: - [ ] Statewide convening power - [ ] Operational capacity - [ ] Experience managing multi-sector initiatives - [ ] Team can coordinate across education, workforce, industry, and government stakeholders - [ ] Team can provide hands-on support for AI adoption - [ ] Team can develop and maintain a strategic plan for statewide AI readiness - [ ] AI expertise (technical understanding + practical implementation) addressed — may be via partnerships - [ ] Key qualifications of team members and their roles described - [ ] Rationale for specific partner selections and their unique contributions explained - [ ] Governance and decision-making structures described - [ ] At least one Advisory Board described (NSF encourages this) - [ ] Gaps in proposed partnerships identified with plans for filling them - [ ] Partnerships considered from across categories: - [ ] Academic institutions (research universities, community/technical colleges) - [ ] Workforce development (American Job Centers, state-level workforce orgs) - [ ] Technology adoption (Cooperative Extension, innovation alliances, tech councils, SBDCs) - [ ] Coordination (state/local government, agencies, offices) ### Section 3 — Current State of AI Planning and Coordination - [ ] Section header reads exactly: **"Current State of AI Planning and Coordination"** - [ ] Overview of existing AI readiness efforts in the state/territory - [ ] Key stakeholders and initiatives currently involved identified - [ ] What is working well described - [ ] Gaps and unmet needs identified - [ ] How the Coordination Hub will build on existing efforts to accelerate progress explained ### Section 4 — Work Plan, Milestones, and Performance Metrics - [ ] Section header reads exactly: **"Work Plan, Milestones, and Performance Metrics"** - [ ] Clear work plan for **each** area of responsibility from Section 1 - [ ] Major milestones and timelines for implementation included - [ ] Performance metrics for tracking progress defined - [ ] Data collection and reporting plan described to support evidence-based scaling - [ ] Performance metrics address the following **required measures** (at minimum): - [ ] Number of individuals trained (by category: educators, workforce, small business owners) - [ ] Number of small businesses and government entities assisted; hours or dollars saved through AI adoption - [ ] Number of statewide convenings held and guidance facilitated for alignment - [ ] Contributions to national best-practice repositories and participation in sector-specific coordination - [ ] Number of individuals trained for AI Deployment Corps and actively providing assistance - [ ] Number of organizations provided technical assistance - [ ] Metrics designed to feed into national dashboards ### Section 5 — Resource Mobilization and Leveraging Additional Support - [ ] Section header reads exactly: **"Resource Mobilization and Leveraging Additional Support"** - [ ] Strategies for attracting additional resources beyond NSF funding described - [ ] Plans for securing financial or in-kind support from industry, philanthropy, state agencies, and/or other sources - [ ] Explanation of how additional resources will be integrated into Hub activities - [ ] Strategy for expanding reach, impact, and eventual self-sustainment addressed --- ## F. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS ### F1. Required Supplemental Materials - [ ] **Letters of Collaboration** from **all** partners identified in the proposal - [ ] Letters follow the format described in the PAPPG - [ ] Each partner has a letter confirming commitment - [ ] **Data Management Plan** included (consistent with PAPPG requirements — data collection and reporting are required) - [ ] **Mentoring Plan** included IF the proposal requests funding for postdoctoral researchers or graduate students ### F2. Prohibited Supplemental Materials - [ ] **No letters of support** included (they are not permitted) - [ ] **No additional narrative materials** included beyond what is permitted by PAPPG and this solicitation --- ## G. BUDGETARY REQUIREMENTS - [ ] Budget requests up to **$1M per year for 3 years** ($3M total) - [ ] If requesting a 4th year: compelling need for phase-out/transition demonstrated - [ ] **No voluntary committed cost sharing** (prohibited) - [ ] No indirect cost (F&A) limitations noted — standard institutional rates apply - [ ] No other budgetary limitations noted — standard PAPPG rules apply --- ## H. MERIT REVIEW CRITERIA — ALIGNMENT CHECK > Beyond standard NSF Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts criteria, proposals will be evaluated against these **additional solicitation-specific criteria**. PIs should ensure the proposal explicitly addresses each. - [ ] **Criterion 1 — Vision & Approach:** Clear vision and approach for advancing statewide AI readiness aligned with program goals, national priorities, and Hub responsibilities - [ ] **Criterion 2 — Organization & Team:** Lead organization and partners demonstrate statewide/territory-wide convening and coordination capacity plus expertise for implementation - [ ] **Criterion 3 — Current State Understanding:** Reflects understanding of current state/territory AI efforts with strategies to address gaps and accelerate progress - [ ] **Criterion 4 — Milestones & Outcomes:** Realistic milestones, measurable outcomes, and mechanisms for evidence-based implementation and scaling - [ ] **Criterion 5 — Resource Mobilization:** Credible strategies for mobilizing additional resources to expand impact beyond NSF funding --- ## I. SPECIAL AWARD CONDITIONS & POST-AWARD REQUIREMENTS > Items below do not affect submission compliance but should be acknowledged during proposal development. - [ ] Hub will be required to **actively collaborate with the National Coordination Lead** once established - [ ] Collaboration includes: participation in Hub convenings, contributing to national dashboards and best-practice repositories, engaging in AI Deployment Network activities, coordinating sector-specific initiatives - [ ] Regular progress updates to the National Lead required for program monitoring - [ ] Structure/frequency of interactions will be determined collaboratively by NSF and National Lead - [ ] Round 1 awardees will play a critical role in shaping these interactions - [ ] Occasional engagement with other federal agencies (DOL, USDA-NIFA, SBA) anticipated - [ ] Annual project reports required - [ ] Project outcomes report for the general public required - [ ] Performance metrics reporting required (see Section 4 measures above) --- ## J. IMPORTANT DEVIATIONS FROM STANDARD PAPPG > These solicitation-specific deviations should be flagged during OSP compliance review. 1. **Proposal limit:** One proposal per institution for State/Territory Coordination Hub awards 2. **Additional review criteria:** Solicitation introduces five additional review criteria beyond standard NSF merit review (see Section H above) 3. **Special award conditions:** Hubs must work with the National Coordination Lead (selected via separate OT instrument) 4. **Program structure:** Three distinct components (Hubs, National Lead, Catalyst Awards) operate through separate solicitations — this solicitation covers **Hubs only** --- ## K. CONTACTS & RESOURCES - **Program Directors:** ai-ready@nsf.gov - **Research.gov Help:** rgov@nsf.gov / 1-800-381-1532 (M–F 7am–9pm ET) - **Grants.gov Help:** support@grants.gov / 1-800-518-4726 - **CFDA Numbers:** 17.280, 47.070, 47.076, 47.084, 59.037 - **PAPPG:** Use the version in effect on the proposal's due date - **Workshop Report:** Available on the TechAccess: AI-Ready America program page --- *Checklist extracted from NSF 26-508, posted March 25, 2026. Always verify against the current solicitation and PAPPG.*