NSF AI Education Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Senator Jerry Moran
Introduced
Summary
NSF-led national effort to expand AI and quantum education and workforce development. The bill names the NSF Director as lead implementer and requires cross‑agency coordination, definitions, reporting, and safeguards for gifts and partnerships.
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- Creates undergraduate and graduate scholarship programs that pay tuition, education-related fees, and a stipend for multiple years. Programs prioritize rural, Tribal, and minority-serving institutions and make payments to the enrolling institutions.
- Funds K–12 research, teacher professional development, and instructional materials on AI and quantum topics with emphasis on low-income, rural, and Tribal students. NSF and partner agencies must publish coordinated K–12 AI guidance within two years.
- Establishes Centers of AI Excellence at community colleges and vocational schools, runs a nationwide outreach campaign, and directs a grand challenge to train 1,000,000 workers in AI-related skills by 2030. Expands NIST workforce frameworks and updates cybersecurity workforce guidance.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Scholarships and Fellowships for AI
This bill would create new undergraduate and graduate scholarships and fellowships for AI, quantum, agriculture, advanced manufacturing, and AI teaching. Undergraduate awards could pay tuition, fees, and a stipend for up to four years; graduate awards could do the same for up to three years. NSF would also fund one-year professional development fellowships for students, teachers, faculty, and industry professionals. Some quantum fellowships placed at federal agencies would follow federal ethics rules. All awards would be paid to the recipient's school and would only happen if Congress provides money.
Community College AI Centers
This bill would require NSF to designate at least five Community College and Vocational School Centers of AI Excellence. Centers would teach AI, share best practices, offer hands-on research, and help students find job pathways. At least 20 percent of centers must be in certain NSF research-eligible States. The centers program would end seven years after enactment and would only run if Congress provides money.
K-12 AI Guidance and Resources
This bill would fund research, publish guidance, and run outreach to help K–12 schools use and teach AI. NSF and partner agencies would publish public K–12 guidance within two years, with attention to rural and economically distressed areas and differences across subjects. Grants would support teacher training, evidence-based curricula, and tools to expand access for low-income, rural, and Tribal students. NSF would also run a nationwide outreach campaign and make awards to schools and colleges to increase access to AI tools; all activities would only happen if Congress provides money.
AI Grants for Agriculture Colleges
This bill would let the Agriculture Department and NSF give grants to land‑grant colleges and universities for AI in farming. Grants could fund research, education, and the purchase or deployment of AI tools for agricultural operations and rural outreach. Awards would be limited to land‑grant colleges as defined in current law and would only happen if Congress provides money.
National AI Workforce Goals and Standards
This bill would direct NSF, Labor, and Education to run prize competitions and programs to train at least 1,000,000 U.S. workers in AI-related areas by 2030. It would require NIST to publish an AI workforce framework within 540 days and to review and update workforce frameworks at least every three years. NIST would also report on and update the cybersecurity workforce framework and share career exploration resources for all ages. These activities and reports would depend on funding provided by Congress.
NSF Gift, Security, and Eligibility Rules
This bill would tighten how NSF accepts gifts and would require updated public‑private partnership rules and reporting. It would require covered activities to follow federal research security laws and impose federal ethics rules for certain fellowships. Institutions found to have certain Title VI discrimination violations on or after January 1, 2020 could be barred from getting funds under the bill. The bill would also make most programs and awards run only if Congress provides money.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Jerry Moran
KS • R
Cosponsors
Maria Cantwell
WA • D
Sponsored 3/2/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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