About the event
The U.S. National Science Foundation is advancing artificial intelligence through investments in foundational research, infrastructure and talent that drive the next generation of AI breakthroughs. NSF invests approximately $700 million annually in AI research, education and infrastructure across all 50 states.
NSF invites the research community and public to visit booths #1124 and #749 in the AI+ Expo Exhibit Hall to explore how AI innovations are created, scaled and brought to market. NSF's exhibits will showcase the full AI innovation pipeline — from discovery to deployment to workforce development.
Booth #1124
Will feature researchers from four NSF programs that support the development and translation of breakthrough AI technologies:
National AI Research Institutes
Launched in 2019, the NSF-led National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes program consists of 29 AI institutes that connect over 500 funded and collaborative institutions across the U.S. and around the world.
The AI Institute for Advances in Optimization will be featured at the AI Expo. The institute focuses on:
- Applying AI to real-world systems like supply chains, energy systems, manufacturing, precision agriculture and chip design.
- Bridging theory and application to improve efficiency across critical sectors.
America's Seed Fund, powered by NSF
Since 1977, America's Seed Fund (also known as the NSF Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer program) has supported thousands of startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology, including AI systems and AI-based hardware, can receive up to approximately $2 million to support research and development, helping de-risk technology for commercial success.
The company TerraAI will be featured at the AI+ Expo and focuses on developing AI-driven decision-support tools for critical mineral exploration, energy systems and subsurface resource development. It also uses advanced machine learning and geophysical modeling to improve resource discovery and support the development of materials essential for energy and defense.
NSF Engines
The NSF Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) program aims to cultivate multiple flourishing regional innovation ecosystems across the U.S., spurring economic growth in regions that have not fully participated in the technology boom of the past few decades.
Each NSF Engine can receive up to $160 million to support the development of regional coalitions of researchers, institutions and companies to conduct research and development.
The NSF ASCEND Engine, strategically centered between Colorado and Wyoming, will be featured at the AI+ Expo and focuses on:
- Advancing sensing and computational analytics technologies to monitor natural resources and improve the prediction of natural hazards risks.
- Developing solutions for water resource management, agriculture and community resilience through research, workforce development and deployment programs.
Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure
The Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure program funds high-impact, high-reward, community-driven infrastructure that fills the gap between individual research grants and large-scale national facilities. Advanced AI depends on access to large-scale models, tools and computing resources. NSF is expanding access to these resources through national infrastructure investments, including:
- Advanced AI models.
- High-performance computing.
- AI-ready test beds.
- NSF-led National AI Research Resource.
The Open Multimodal AI Infrastructure to Accelerate Science project, a public-private partnership between NSF and NVIDIA, will be featured at the AI+ Expo and focuses on:
- Fully open, multimodal large language models designed to support scientific research across disciplines.
- Enabling AI-driven breakthroughs, including the discovery of new materials and protein function prediction for biomedical advancements.
Booth #749
We will showcase NSF's investments in the next generation of AI innovators through the Advanced Technological Education, Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers, NSF STEM K-12, and Discovery Research PreK-12 programs. Featured projects and initiatives advance AI literacy, workforce development and hands-on STEM education, including:
The National Applied AI Consortium, which focuses on:
- Applied AI education and workforce development through faculty training, curriculum design and accessible learning resources.
- Building connections among academic institutions, industry partners and educators to align AI education with workforce needs and expand national pathways to AI careers.
Another project that will be featured is the 7th Patient, an educational AI game developed by Ning Wang from the University of Southern California, designed to teach probability and artificial intelligence while addressing the need to help the nation's youth learn the fundamentals of AI.