S. 3957 — NSF AI Education Act of 2026

This section defines 21 terms for purposes of the Act, including multiple terms from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (e.g., local educational agency); "artificial intelligence" or "AI" (as defined in 15 U.S.C. 9401); "community college" (i.e., junior or community colleges, public associate-degree-granting institutions, eligible Tribal Colleges or Universities, and qualifying branch campuses of four-year public institutions); "Director" (i.e., National Science Foundation Director); "EPSCoR institution"; "foreign country of concern" and "foreign entity of concern"; types of minority-serving institutions and research institutions (e.g., historically Black colleges and universities, emerging research institutions); "institution of higher education" (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1001(a)); "key emerging technologies"; "National Laboratory"; "quantum hybrid computing" and "quantum information science"; "rural-located" and "rural-serving" institutions of higher education; "STEM"; and "Tribal College or University."

This section directs the Director to award merit- or need-based undergraduate scholarships, paid directly to institutions of higher education to cover tuition, education-related fees, and stipends for up to four years, to enable students to study (1) the development, deployment, integration, or application of artificial intelligence or quantum hybrid computing; (2) artificial intelligence and agriculture or its integration into agricultural operations, with priority for students at rural-located, rural-serving, Tribal, or minority-serving institutions (including historically Black colleges and universities); (3) teaching artificial intelligence and artificial intelligence skills at elementary, secondary, career and technical education, higher education, or professional education programs; or (4) artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing or its integration into advanced manufacturing operations. The Director may implement the scholarships through new or existing programs.

This section directs the Director to award merit- or need-based scholarships to graduate students at institutions of higher education for studies related to artificial intelligence (AI), as follows: (1) the development, deployment, integration, or application of AI or quantum hybrid computing; (2) AI and agriculture or the integration of AI into agricultural operations, prediction, and decisionmaking, with priority for students at rural-located institutions, rural-serving institutions, Tribal Colleges or Universities, or minority-serving institutions (including historically Black colleges and universities); (3) teaching AI and AI skills at elementary schools, secondary schools, career and technical education schools, institutions of higher education, or other higher education and professional education programs; and (4) AI and advanced manufacturing or the integration of AI into advanced manufacturing operations. Scholarships are annual grants for up to three years covering tuition, education-related fees, and a stipend, paid directly to the student's institution, and may be awarded through new or existing programs.

This section directs the Director of the National Science Foundation to establish a program promoting collaborations between institutions of higher education and industry partners in artificial intelligence (AI) and key emerging technologies through merit-based fellowships for students, teachers, faculty, and industry professionals. The fellowships support professional development programs in STEM fields or education administered by or affiliated with institutions of higher education, providing one annual award per recipient to cover tuition, education-related fees, and a stipend for training in AI-related subjects (e.g., AI development, deployment, integration, or application; prompt engineering; quantum hybrid computing).

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and in collaboration with the Director of the National Science Foundation, to award grants to land-grant colleges and universities (as defined in 7 U.S.C. 3103) for artificial intelligence in agriculture, subject to section 15. Grant funds may be used for (1) research and development on the use of artificial intelligence in agriculture or the integration of artificial intelligence into agricultural operations, predictions, and decision making; (2) dissemination of educational resources for artificial intelligence in rural areas; and (3) acquisition and deployment of artificial intelligence tools for agriculture. The Director may carry out this section through new or existing programs.

This section authorizes the Director to establish or use existing programs to provide fellowships and scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in or graduated from STEM degree programs at institutions of higher education. The program aims to increase student exposure to quantum information science, engineering, and technology and to expand post-graduation employment opportunities in quantum fields; awards are competitive via merit review (prioritizing those with industry financial partners), may include temporary positions at federal or state agencies, National Laboratories, private entities, or other quantum-relevant organizations, and subjects federal agency fellows to Office of Management and Budget ethics requirements.

This section directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) Director to carry out a nationwide outreach campaign to students, teachers, principals, and other school leaders at elementary schools, secondary schools, career and technical education schools, institutions of higher education, or through other higher education and professional education programs to increase awareness of NSF's AI and quantum education opportunities. The section requires prioritizing outreach to underserved and rural areas and authorizes implementation through new or existing programs.

This section establishes Community College and Vocational School Centers of AI Excellence, designating not less than 5 regionally and geographically diverse eligible applicants—defined as community colleges, vocational schools, or area career and technical education schools partnering with government entities, institutions of higher education, private industry, economic or venture development organizations, or certain nonprofits—as such centers, in coordination with the Department of Commerce's Regional Technology Hubs program and National Science Foundation's Regional Innovation Engines program. Not less than 20% of centers must be located in Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) jurisdictions (i.e., states and territories eligible under 42 U.S.C. 1862g with historically low NSF funding success rates). Eligible applicants must apply to the NSF Director specifying focus areas such as AI education and training related to agriculture, manufacturing, AI-based technology and literacy, or other areas specified by the applicant. Centers must develop and disseminate best practices for (1) AI research and education at community colleges and area career and technical education schools; (2) scaling successful AI research or education programs; (3) providing hands-on AI research and learning opportunities; and (4) identifying AI-enabled employment pathways for students. The NSF Director must develop metrics to assess center performance, require final reports from centers on federally supported activities, and submit annual reports to congressional committees on assessment results. The NSF Director may implement the program through new or existing programs. The section sunsets 7 years after enactment.

This section establishes a competitive award program administered by the Director (presumably of the National Science Foundation) to promote research on teaching models, tools, and materials for artificial intelligence (AI) integrated with emerging technologies such as quantum information science and photonics, focused on elementary and secondary school students from low-income, rural, or Tribal populations. Eligible entities include institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, or consortia involving such entities and private sector partners. Award applications must describe targeted student demographics, regional partnerships, expected impacts on student engagement and achievement, AI-related ethical concerns, and consultations with educators, academia, and private sector organizations. Award recipients must use funds for (1) professional development for teachers, principals, and school leaders on integrating AI, emerging technologies, and computational thinking; and (2) research to develop, pilot, implement, or test evidence-based instructional materials, new teacher preparation models, scalable professional development, and tools supporting student access to these technologies across diverse populations.

This section authorizes the Director of the National Science Foundation to make awards to eligible entities—state or local educational agencies, educational service agencies, specified institutions of higher education (i.e., emerging research institutions, EPSCoR institutions, minority-serving institutions, historically Black colleges or universities, Tribal Colleges or Universities, community colleges), or technical and vocational schools (defined as area career and technical education schools under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006)—to provide or increase access to artificial intelligence tools and applications for students and researchers served by those entities. In making the awards, the Director must give preference to eligible entities that expand geographic diversity or are the specified institutions or community colleges or technical and vocational schools and may carry out the awards through new or existing programs.

This section directs the Director, in coordination with the Secretary of Education, the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, to develop and publicly release guidance on introducing and using artificial intelligence in elementary and secondary education not later than two years after enactment. The guidance must include (1) considerations for AI use in rural and economically distressed areas and for differing applications in STEM versus liberal arts and (2) a description of its development through consultations with educators, academia, and private sector organizations.

This section directs the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), in coordination with the Secretaries of Labor and Education, to support grand challenges—defined as prize competitions under the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719)—to stimulate innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) education and training. Specifically, it covers (1) training 1,000,000 or more U.S. workers, including educators, technical and vocational workers, and professionals, by 2030 in AI-related areas such as foundational knowledge, critical thinking, programming skills, machine learning, or deep learning; (2) overcoming barriers to developing AI education and training; (3) methods and strategies for AI education and training that do not displace workers, including teachers; (4) increasing the number of women receiving AI education and training; and (5) ensuring rural areas benefit from AI education and training. The NSF Director may carry out these grand challenges through new or existing programs, subject to Section 15.

This section directs the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish, within 180 days of enactment, criteria for determining whether accepting gifts of money, services, facilities, or personal property would reflect unfavorably on NSF's or its employees' ability to perform duties fairly, objectively, and transparently or compromise program integrity. The criteria must (1) include verification processes, developed with other federal agencies, to ensure no ties to a foreign entity of concern, foreign country of concern, or entity under foreign ownership, control, or influence (defined as a foreign interest capable of directing U.S. entity management or operations to enable unauthorized access to classified information or adversely affect classified contracts); and (2) prohibit gifts from a foreign country of concern or foreign entity of concern. If criteria exist, the Director must review and update them as needed and report to specified Senate and House committees on the criteria, any changes, and compliance. This section further directs the NSF Director to establish principles guiding public-private partnerships to ensure alignment with NSF's statutory obligations without compromising integrity or the appearance thereof. If principles exist, the Director must review and update them as needed and report to the same committees on the principles and any changes.

This section conditions the implementation of activities under this Act on the availability of sufficient funds appropriated by Congress or otherwise made available.

This section requires activities authorized under this Act to be carried out in accordance with subtitle D of title VI of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 19231 et seq.)—which addresses research security—and section 223 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (42 U.S.C. 6605). Section 223 requires federal research agencies, as a condition of R&D award applications, to obtain disclosures of all current and pending research support from covered individuals (with entity certifications), ensure agency requirements are consistent, and enforce compliance through application rejection, award suspension or termination, funding discontinuation, debarment, or Inspector General referral.

This section defines in the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (NIST Act) the terms "competencies" (knowledge and skills), "workforce categories" (high-level grouping of tasks across an organization as defined by work roles), and "workforce framework" (common taxonomy and lexicon for a domain that includes tasks, knowledge, or skills structured into work roles or competency areas). This section expands the functions of the NIST Director under the NIST Act by adding a new paragraph (14) requiring the Director to develop, maintain, and provide to industry, government, research institutions, nonprofits, labor organizations, and educational institutions workforce frameworks for critical and emerging technologies and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics domains to bolster scientific and technical education, training, and workforce development. The new function requires updates at least every three years (with congressional reports after each review), inclusion of professional/employability skills, support/operations roles (e.g., administration, ethics, supply chain security), career pathway and credential information, consultations with stakeholders, and production of resources in multiple languages. (As background, NIST develops measurement standards and promotes U.S. innovation and competitiveness; workforce frameworks provide standardized descriptions of job roles, tasks, knowledge, and skills to align education, training, and hiring.) This section further directs the NIST Director to submit to Congress (1) within 180 days of enactment—and subsequently pursuant to the new reporting requirement—a report on the process, proposed changes, consultations, timeline, and incorporation of additional roles for updating the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (i.e., NIST Special Publication 800-181 or successor); and (2) within three years of enactment and every three years thereafter for nine years, in consultation with stakeholders, a report identifying the framework's applications and uses, adoption guidance for employers and educators, usage data, effectiveness for individuals with nontraditional backgrounds, and additional promotion actions.

This section prohibits the Director from awarding funds or initiating programs under this Act to an elementary or secondary education institution, an institution of higher education, a nonprofit entity related to or affiliated with any such institution, a nonprofit entity that engages in established curriculum-related clinical training of students registered at any such institution, a nonprofit research organization, or a governmental research organization if the recipient has been found in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 due to discrimination on the basis of shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics on or after January 1, 2020. (Thus, such entities are ineligible for funding under this Act following a Title VI violation determination for the specified discrimination after that date.)