The AI Grand Challenges Act of 2026 directs the National Science Foundation to establish a competitive prize program that awards cash prizes to researchers and organizations who develop artificial intelligence solutions to major national problems. The program covers 16 challenge areas ranging from national security and cybersecurity to health, energy, agriculture, manufacturing, and quantum computing, with one mandatory competition focused on using AI to improve cancer detection and treatment that must award at least $10 million per winner. Eligible participants must be U.S. companies or U.S. citizens and permanent residents, and the NSF must establish clear problem statements and success metrics for each challenge on a public website. The NSF has 12 months from enactment to launch the program and must coordinate with other federal agencies, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the public to identify challenges; it can also seek funding support from other government agencies and private entities to support the prize competitions. The law requires the NSF to report to Congress within 60 days of each prize award and submit biennial progress reports to Congress and the public on the program's activities and results.
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