The Foresight Institute is inviting applications for its AI for Science & Safety Nodes Request for Proposals (RFP) 2026, supporting open-source research that advances AI safety, coordination, governance, and human empowerment. The grant programme welcomes applications from individuals, research teams, nonprofits, and for-profit organisations, with funding ranging from US$30,000 to US$100,000.
Projects must produce open-source outputs and demonstrate the potential to reduce existential risks from increasingly capable AI systems within the next one to three years. The application deadline is 31 October 2026 (23:59 PDT).
About the Foresight AI for Science & Safety Nodes Grants
The Foresight Institute’s AI for Science & Safety Nodes programme funds ambitious research that strengthens the safety, governance, and coordination of advanced AI systems. Rather than focusing only on technical alignment, the initiative also supports projects exploring how humans, AI agents, institutions, and independent evaluators can cooperate effectively in a rapidly evolving AI ecosystem.
The 2026 funding call focuses on Coordination and Accountability, encouraging researchers to develop practical tools, governance mechanisms, and incentive systems that improve both AI capabilities and societal resilience.
Funding Available
Successful applicants may request grants between US$30,000 and US$100,000 depending on the scope and focus area.
Smaller grants are typically awarded to projects under Human Empowerment and AI Insurance & Open Governance, while larger awards are generally available for broader coordination and decentralized alignment initiatives.
Grants may support both short-term and multi-year projects. Larger projects can receive funding in milestone-based tranches, while most grants are paid as a single lump-sum award.
Priority Research Areas
The 2026 RFP prioritises three major research themes.
1. Supercollaboration and Decentralized Alignment
Foresight is seeking projects that address the emerging reality of multi-agent AI systems, where numerous AI agents and humans collaborate across complex environments.
Researchers are encouraged to develop coordination protocols, distributed oversight systems, verification techniques, incentive mechanisms, and open coordination platforms that improve cooperation while preventing manipulation, collusion, or concentration of power within a single institution or model.
Projects building practical infrastructure for decentralized AI governance are particularly encouraged.
2. Human Empowerment
This focus area examines when humans should retain decision-making authority and when AI delegation produces better outcomes.
The Institute is interested in evidence-based decision frameworks, mechanisms for allocating control between humans and AI, tools that identify meaningful oversight, and methods for measuring the value gained or lost through human intervention.
Projects should combine empirical research with practical demonstrations that help preserve meaningful human agency.
3. AI Insurance and Open Governance
Foresight is also funding research into AI insurance and independent governance mechanisms that create stronger incentives for reducing AI risk.
Potential projects include frontier AI risk assessment methods for insurers, independent incident reporting systems, catastrophe bond models, liability mechanisms, developer mutuals, and frameworks for evaluating security practices without exposing proprietary information.
The objective is to build a credible middle layer between industry self-governance and government regulation.
Who Can Apply?
Applications are open globally to:
- Individual researchers
- Research teams
- Nonprofit organisations
- For-profit organisations
- Independent technical experts and interdisciplinary collaborations
For-profit applicants are welcome but should clearly explain why grant funding is necessary for their proposed research.
Foresight strongly prioritises applicants who wish to actively participate in the research ecosystem through in-person collaboration, research sprints, or regular engagement within the AI for Science & Safety Nodes community.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be assessed according to several key criteria, including:
- Alignment with one of the specified RFP focus areas
- Potential to reduce existential risks from advanced AI
- Feasibility within short AI development timelines
- Strong execution capability and relevant expertise
- High-risk, high-rereward research potential
- Efficient, AI-first use of resources and compute
- Commitment to producing fully open-source code, data, and research outputs
Projects should demonstrate concrete milestones that can be achieved within approximately one to three years.
Funding Terms
Successful applicants must complete a due diligence process that includes an itemised budget, project plan, organisational documentation, and other compliance requirements where applicable.
Foresight permits overhead costs of up to 10% of direct research expenses when they directly support the funded project. Grantees are also expected to submit brief progress reports describing milestones achieved and use of funds.
Review decisions are typically made approximately three months after the application deadline.
How to Apply
Applicants must complete the official online application form before 31 October 2026 at 23:59 PDT.
The proposal should clearly identify the selected focus area, explain the project’s expected impact on AI safety, outline milestones and deliverables, and demonstrate why the team is well positioned to execute the research.
VISIT OFFICIAL WEBSITE TO APPLY
Why This Grant Is Valuable
As AI systems become increasingly autonomous and interconnected, there is growing demand for research that addresses not only technical alignment but also governance, coordination, accountability, and meaningful human oversight.
The Foresight AI for Science & Safety Nodes Grants provide substantial funding for researchers developing practical, open-source solutions that can strengthen the safety and resilience of future AI systems while contributing to a broader international research community.
