Mitigating Proliferation Risks Posed by Artificial Intelligence Enabled Molecular Models and Leveraging Nonproliferation Opportunities
Closed Posted
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- Opportunity number
- DFOP0018449
- Agency
-
Department of State
- Applications due
- Award size
- Up to $4,000,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Cooperative Agreement
- Category
-
- Science and Technology and other Research and Development
- Eligible applicants
-
- 501(c)(3) Nonprofits
- Points of contact
- Full announcement
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Department of State's Office of the Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund is soliciting applications for cooperative agreements to develop safeguards countering misuse risks from chemical and biological artificial intelligence models, with an application deadline of July 21, 2026.
Eligible applicants include domestic 501(c)(3) nonprofits, educational institutions, and for-profit organizations. Cost share is not required. The NOFO makes available $4 million in funding supporting 2–5 awards, with cooperative agreements issued under CFDA 19.224. Projects must address one or more of the following objectives: identifying key foreign stakeholders in AI-enabled molecular design; conducting technical evaluations and risk assessments of training data, model architectures, and computing systems; developing and testing safeguards and mitigation measures; piloting methodological approaches for evaluating misuse risks; developing tools and resources leveraging AI for detection and counter-proliferation; publishing international guidelines and codes of ethics; and organizing workshops to promote adoption of best practices.
The maximum period of performance is 24 months. Applicants must submit a 10-page project narrative, detailed budget with narrative justification, key personnel documentation (one page or less per person, consolidated), and a performance monitoring and evaluation plan. All applicants must obtain a Unique Entity Identifier and maintain active registration in SAM.gov. The proposal cover page requires a NDF Unique Identifier, SAM.gov Entity Identifier, project title, country(ies) of impact, applicable line(s) of effort, total cost in U.S. dollars, and an executive summary not exceeding 200 words. Applicants proposing workshops or training must submit participant information at least 45 days before any engagement. Expected outcomes include enhanced global security posture, concrete tools and standards for responsible AI development, enhanced detection and response capabilities, and enduring impact through self-sustaining communities of practice. Recipients must comply with trafficking in persons compliance, anti-discrimination certifications, and foreign funding disclosure requirements for institutions of higher education.
Synopsis
The Department of State's Office of the Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund (ACN/NDF) is pleased to announce an open competition for assistance awards through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). ACN/NDF invites domestic non-profit/non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, and for-profit organizations to submit proposals for projects that will advance the mission of NDF's efforts to identify, evaluate, and develop safeguards to counter the misuse risks enabled by the proliferation of chemical and biological Artificial Intelligence (AI) models (CBAIMs). Proposals may not exceed the total availability of funds under this NOFO. ACN/NDF welcomes proposals that fully address all or a clearly articulated, targeted subset of the key objectives of this NDF line of effort (Section II). Please indicate whether the proposal involves collaboration with a partner organization that is separately responding to this solicitation.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| DFOP0018449 Solicitation.pdf | ||
| Key Personnel Document.docx | DOCX document | |
| Budget Narrative Template.docx | DOCX document | |
| Budget Detail & Budget Summary - TEMPLATE.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| FY26 NDF Project Proposal Template.docx | DOCX document | |
| NOFO Sample Performance Indicators Template.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet |
Posting history
| Listing | Posted | Applications due |
|---|---|---|
| Opportunity | ||
| Opportunity |
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