DOS Fueling AI Innovation and Adoption

Please see the full solicitation for complete information about the funding opportunity. Below is a summary assembled by the Research & Innovation Office (RIO).

Program Summary

The Fueling AI Innovation and Adoption program (FAIIA) addresses foundational barriers to AI deployment and adoption abroad. FAIIA promotes the U.S. approach to AI innovation, competition, application, and governance. The program addresses critical challenges. First, it pushes back against excessive and onerous regulation that would stifle private sector innovation and threaten American technological leadership. Second, it counters China’s campaign to spread its authoritarian influence globally through AI technologies, which amplifies a pro-China narrative, technological dependencies, and enables censorship. In addition, China is also pushing a false narrative that the United States is restricting access to AI solutions to international partners.

FAIIA is organized around three lines of effort:

  1. Roadmaps to AI Readiness –assistance to support partner countries in mapping and developing their national AI strategies, frameworks, guidelines, standards, best practices, infrastructure, and governance models which will serve as institutional scaffolding to drive maturation of AI readiness in alignment with American commercial interests.
  2. Environments for AI Adoption –assistance to support the adoption of policy and regulatory environments conducive to secure investment, adoption, and innovation in AI; technical and legal support for policies that enable local experimentation and innovation with American AI systems. Foreign partners need support both to build these environments and navigate challenges that may constrain them.
  3. Upskilling for “AI-First” Partners – assistance to build a cohort of local experts trained to develop and deploy AI models, tools and governance frameworks that align with and promote the U.S. approach. This is an upskilling program that strengthens local capacity to use, operate, and sustain AI technology.

This project should be designed to achieve the following high-level goal: maintain U.S. leadership in AI by helping 1) U.S. technology companies grow their global market share while appropriately safeguarding U.S. technology and innovation from hostile exploitation and theft; 2) counter China’s efforts to disseminate Chinese ICT and AI tech ecosystem; and 3) emerging economies adopt American AI and related technologies.

Activities include conducting AI readiness assessments, facilitating national AI strategy development, shaping AI innovation environments, developing policy and regulatory frameworks, and building local government capacity to implement AI strategies.

Refer to the full solicitation for complete details.

Deadlines

  • CU Internal Deadline: 11:59pm MT April 12, 2026
  • Sponsor Deadline: 9:59pm MT May 11, 2026

Internal Application Requirements (all in PDF format)

  • Project Summary (2 pages maximum): Please include a Project Overview outlining the proposed project, objectives, and anticipated impact, including a short Introduction to the Organization and Project Partners as relevant. Include the Project Design and Logic Model, with a clear Problem Statement, Project Goals and Objectives, a summary of Project Activities, Project Performance Management including indicators, Key Personnel and Subject Matter Experts, and brief notes on Sustainability, Risk Analysis and Mitigation Strategies, and Contingency Plan. See Section D. of the solicitation for complete details.
  • PI Curriculum Vitae
  • Budget Overview (1 page maximum): A basic budget outlining project costs is sufficient; detailed OCG budgets are not required.

To access the online application, visit:

Eligibility

Applicants must possess deep expertise in artificial intelligence technologies, policy and regulatory reform, capacity building, and government modernization. Applicants must have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with relevant stakeholders and have demonstrated experience in administering successful and preferably similar projects. Ideal applicants will have a multidisciplinary team including AI technical experts, policy advisors, regulatory specialists, training and curriculum developers, and change management consultants. Ideal applicants will also have regional or country experts who have established relationships in target partner countries. Preference may be given to applicants with demonstrated regional experience and strong networks in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Island Countries (PICs).

Limited Submission Guidelines

CU Boulder is limited to one submission.

Award Information

  • Award Amount: $4M
  • Award Duration: 36 months
  • Expected Number of Awards: 1

Review Criteria

The internal evaluation will follow an abbreviated version of the DOS criteria below.

Quality of Project Design (20points)

  • The project idea is well developed and responsive to the policy and program objective(s) in the NOFO.
  • The applicant clearly defines the problem; its causes; stakeholders; and existing research/data; the approach taken to solve the problem; realistic milestones to indicate progress.
  • The project’s potential contribution to solving the problem is addressed in the problem statement.

OrganizationalCapacity (30 points)

  • The application demonstrates an institutional record of successful projects in the content area proposed and relevant experience in the proposed country/territory/region.
  • The organization has expertise in its stated field and has adequate staffing to manage the proposed project.
  • The application demonstrates the organization’s capacity for responsible fiscal management of donor funding.

Project PlanningandAbility to Achieve Objectives (30points)

  • Goals and objectives are clearly stated, and project approach illustrates logical and plausible pathways to achieving project outcomes.
  • Proposed project activities are feasible, practical, and/or experiential in nature to encourage innovation.
  • Key assumptions and risks have been identified and their potential influences described.
  • If similar activities have taken place, the applicant explains how proposed activities will produce new impact and not simply duplicate past efforts.

Monitoring & Evaluation Plan (5 points)

  • The proposal demonstrates a sound methodology for monitoring appropriate indicators to oversee the project’s timely progress toward stated objectives, capture key project results, and to assess and mitigate any challenges encountered in implementation.
  • Includes output and outcome indicators, explains how and when those will be measured, and by whom.

Budget & Budget Narrative (10 points)

  • The budget justification is a detailed and realistic financial expression of the proposed project and does not include estimated costs that are not allocable, reasonable, or allowable.
  • Proposed costs are linked to project objectives and demonstrate efficient use of U.S. Government funds.
  • Proposal budget, including salaries and honoraria, are explained, and justified for the work involved.

Sustainability of Impact/Multiplier Effect(5 points)

  • The proposal clearly details how project activities will produce benefits and impact lasting beyond the funding period.

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