The National Science Foundation announces three new topics for its X-Labs program, part of a $1.5 billion, decade-long effort to accelerate breakthrough science and technology through milestone-based, interdisciplinary funding.

The newly opened topic, NSF X-Labs: AI for Physical Systems, seeks early-stage technologies that fuse AI with physical environments and systems—including sensors, robotics, embodied systems, human-robot interfaces, and cyber-physical platforms.

Two additional topics to be unveiled later this year—From Sequence to Function and Computation at the Limit of Physics—will require large, multidisciplinary teams, with full details and timelines coming in forthcoming announcements.

An introductory webinar on AI for Physical Systems is scheduled for October 14, 2026, at 1 p.m. Eastern, with registration through the NSF X-Labs page and TIP communications.

NSF is inviting public input on future topics through a Request for Information, with responses due by October 30, 2026.

The initiative aligns with the administration’s goal of strengthening America’s science and technology ecosystem and exploring new funding models for high-value research infrastructure and outcomes.

NSF seeks to broaden participation and accelerate impact by funding high-risk, high-impact research beyond traditional mechanisms, boosting competitiveness and economic leadership.