The University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State system are applying together for federal AI money, and they've made the final round. University officials told the Board of Regents that a coalition led by the U, along with Minnesota State and partners from industry, government and the trades, is a finalist for a National Science Foundation 'AI-Ready America' proposal.
The catch: nothing has been awarded yet. Being a finalist means the proposal survived the early cuts, not that the check is in the mail.
University officials tell the Regents the AI-Ready America proposal is in the final round, say no award has been made, and lay out the plan to reapply in December if needed.10/08
TechAccess: AI-Ready America is the NSF's push to raise AI readiness in every U.S. state and territory. The plan is to build coordination hubs in each state, territory and the District of Columbia that tie together education, workforce development, industry and government. Those hubs would offer AI learning resources, hands-on help putting AI to work, and coordinated training.
There's real money behind it. Per the NSF, each hub gets $1 million a year for 3 years, and a 4th year of support is possible. The first funding round covers 10 states, and later rounds are supposed to reach every state and territory. Minnesota gets more chances even if it misses the first cut.
The program is run by the NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Labor and the Small Business Administration as federal partners. NSF has more on its program page.
The partnership matters too. Here they're on the same application, and the program is built on exactly that kind of statewide network. The U brings the research weight and Minnesota State brings campuses and technical colleges across the state. The trade partners in the coalition suggest the pitch reaches past the lab and into the workforce. Watch for the NSF's decision.
