U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) have introduced the bipartisan NSF AI Education Act of 2026, aiming to expand educational and professional development opportunities in artificial intelligence with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
“By authorizing scholarships, fellowships, AI Centers of Excellence and a new grant program focused on land-grant universities, this bill will open doors to AI for students at all levels and will give our workforce the skills they need to continue to drive American tech innovation and entrepreneurship,” said Sen. Cantwell. “Demand for AI expertise is already high and will continue to grow, and we must meet that demand if we are to out-compete China and make the American AI tech stack the global standard.”
Sen. Moran stated: “The future of our state depends on a strong workforce that is equipped with the tools needed to meet tomorrow’s challenges. As the capabilities of AI increase, we must make certain the next generation can utilize its full potential, supporting a strong economy, building thriving communities and maintaining America’s global leadership. Through investments in STEM education, fellowships and hands-on-learning from kindergarten to college, this legislation takes an all-of-the-above approach that will provide critical opportunities to students from all across the country.”
The proposed legislation would allow NSF to offer undergraduate and graduate scholarships focused on various aspects of artificial intelligence including applications in agriculture, education, and advanced manufacturing. It also proposes fellowships for current professionals in STEM fields as well as educators.
For K-12 classrooms, NSF would be tasked with collaborating with educators and academics to develop guidance for introducing AI skills into curricula. The bill also calls for establishing Centers of Excellence at community colleges aimed at developing best practices for teaching artificial intelligence.
Additionally, grants would be available for research, development, and training related to AI in agriculture through Land-Grant Universities and the Cooperative Extension Service.
The act includes several key components:
- It authorizes NSF scholarships for both undergraduate and graduate studies related to AI development or application.
- It supports professional development opportunities for existing educators and STEM workers.
- The bill seeks private sector financial support alongside public funding.
- It aims to advance agricultural technology by enabling collaboration between USDA officials and NSF through grants targeting rural communities.
- At least five community college or vocational school Centers of Excellence would be created nationwide as part of a broader effort tied into programs established under prior laws such as the CHIPS & Science Act.
- The legislation establishes NSF Grand Challenges designed to find strategies for educating one million or more U.S. workers about artificial intelligence by 2028.
- Efforts include making sure underrepresented groups—including women and rural residents—have access to these resources without displacing existing jobs.
NSF would lead research on using artificial intelligence in classrooms by creating publicly available guidance tailored especially toward K–12 students from low-income or rural backgrounds.
This bill follows previous legislative efforts by Sens. Cantwell, Moran, Todd Young (R-Ind.), among others—including acts introduced earlier in February 2026—aimed at supporting small businesses’ use of artificial intelligence tools as well as broader initiatives focused on maintaining U.S. leadership in emerging technologies like AI.
Senator Cantwell serves as Ranking Member on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation—a standing committee responsible for reviewing legislation concerning commerce, science, transportation issues during congressional sessions according to its official website. This committee consists of senators from both parties who address policies involving interstate commerce along with scientific advancement; its main office is located within Washington D.C.’s Russell Senate Office Building (source).
