Accelerating Applied AI in Massachusetts
The Massachusetts AI Models Innovation Challenge is a grant program designed to inspire the development of domain-specific AI models capable of catalyzing scientific discoveries, accelerating commercialization of AI applications or generating substantial public benefits. The Challenge seeks to fund projects that develop, fine-tune or adapt AI models to unlock breakthroughs in priority industry sectors with potential for significant downstream applications within the next three years.
Context
The Massachusetts AI Models Innovation Challenge is a flagship initiative under MassTech’s new Massachusetts AI Hub, announced by Governor Healey on December 19, 2024. The AI Hub will serve as the central entity for coordinating and managing key assets required for AI innovation and ecosystem growth including data resources, high-performance compute power, interdisciplinary research, talent development and more. This Innovation Challenge aligns with the AI Hub’s mission to foster ethical, impactful and forward-looking AI advancements in Massachusetts.
Building on the recommendations of the Healey-Driscoll administration's Strategic AI Task Force, the AI Hub leverages insights from Massachusetts’ thriving innovation ecosystem to prioritize projects that drive transformative impacts across the state’s key industry sectors, including health care, life sciences, financial services, robotics, advanced manufacturing, climate tech and education. The MA AI Models Innovation Challenge will further inform the work of the AI Hub towards the discovery of priority applied AI use cases and the resources needed to bring AI advancements to life.
Funding Opportunity
The MA AI Models Innovation Challenge provides an opportunity for AI researchers and developers to secure up to $1 million towards the curation of high-quality datasets and the development of domain-specific Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/MI) models.
Applicants are invited to present novel methods of training new foundation models or fine-tuning open-source models, adapting them to their use cases. By leveraging existing models, applicants can focus on innovating within their domain and curating new high-quality datasets rather than building entirely new architectures. Applicants may propose the development of entirely new AI models, provided the approach is feasible within the $1 million funding cap and there is clear justification for building a new model architecture.
As the MA AI Models Innovation Challenge is a bond-funded program under MassTech’s Tech & Innovation Fund, all grant funded equipment, materials, tools and activities must be capitalizable and accounted for as capital expenditures. Thus, operating expenses must be covered by the applicant and its partners.
All applicants must provide a 25% match of the requested funding, which can be in cash or in-kind.
Eligibility
The lead or primary applicant must be a college, university, non-profit research institution or other non-profit entity legally organized in Massachusetts. Collaboration with other academic or research institutions and private companies, including startups, SMEs or large corporations is encouraged. All applications must demonstrate a genuine collaboration with key industry participants. Private companies may participate as key partners or subcontractors under a nonprofit lead applicant.
Key Dates
- Application Period Opens: January 13, 2025
- Informational Webinar: January 29, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. EST
- Application Deadline: February 28, 2025, by 5:00 p.m. EST
- Award Notification: May 2025
Informational Webinar
Join us on Wednesday, January 29 at 11:30 a.m. for an informational webinar to learn more about the AI Models Innovation Challenge. We will provide an overview of the application process, discuss eligibility requirements, and answer your questions in real time.
Register
Apply
To apply, submit your completed application electronically to proposals@masstech.org as well as the program manager, Megan Marszalek at marszalek@masstech.org by Friday, February 28 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Applicants are encouraged to read the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) carefully and conform to its requirements.