AI Grand Challenges Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would create an AI Grand Challenges Program at the National Science Foundation to run large prize competitions aimed at major national priorities. It focuses prize-driven R&D across areas like health, security, energy, environment, and AI safety and transparency.
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- Researchers and companies would compete for substantial cash and non-cash prizes. Winners must meet U.S. eligibility rules and would receive not less than $1 million per prize, with prizes allowed to exceed $50 million.
- Patients and medical researchers would get a dedicated AI cancer grand challenge. That challenge would target detection, diagnostics, treatments, or other AI innovations to increase quality-adjusted life years and must offer at least $10 million to each winner.
- Federal science agencies and the public would get more shared resources and transparency. The NSF Director must publish problem statements, success metrics, and validation plans and post competitions on Challenge.gov, while the Office of Science and Technology Policy would coordinate agencies to publish foundational datasets.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
New AI prizes for U.S. innovators
This bill would create an NSF AI Grand Challenges Program within 12 months to run large prize competitions in areas like health, energy, national security, and core AI problems. The Director would award at least $1,000,000 in cash to each winner, require at least one AI cancer grand challenge with at least $10,000,000 per winner, and would be allowed to award prizes over $50,000,000. The Director would publish problem statements, targets, success metrics, and validation protocols on the NSF website and Challenge.gov, and would report prize winners to Congress within 60 days. The Director would be able to accept funds from federal, state, local, tribal, and private entities to support the program, but such support would not be considered when choosing winners.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36]
CA • D
Cosponsors
Obernolte
CA • R
Sponsored 2/9/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov