Utah’s $5 million AI Moonshot program will fund research addressing challenges in mental health, water, healthcare and autonomous systems, with university-sponsored proposals due October 15.
Applications are open for competitive grants supporting AI research in mental health, water, healthcare, autonomous systems and emerging applications; proposals are due Oct. 15.
Salt Lake City, Utah — August 10, 2026
Utah has launched a new $5 million competitive grant program aimed at accelerating artificial intelligence research from the laboratory into real-world applications across the state.
Gov. Spencer Cox announced the Utah AI Moonshot program as part of his Pro-Human AI Initiative. The program is designed to support research addressing significant challenges facing Utah while strengthening the state's technology and research ecosystem.
The program is administered by the Nucleus Institute in partnership with the Utah System of Higher Education and is funded through the Higher Education Research Funding Pilot (HERFP).
The initiative is organized around five focus areas:
Three levels of funding are available:
Applications due October 15
Proposals are due by October 15, 2026. Applications must be sponsored and presented by the president of a Utah university. The program is designed to include student researchers and rural innovators alongside established research institutions.
Award notifications are scheduled for November 30, with recipients expected to be recognized at the 2026 Utah AI Summit on December 8, 2026
According to the state, competitive proposals should demonstrate the potential to create lasting impact in Utah, address meaningful challenges, strengthen strategic industries and provide a clear pathway toward real-world application.
The program also encourages student participation and partnerships designed to extend the impact of state investment.
"We are stepping forward with the ingenuity that has always defined our state," Cox said in announcing the initiative.
The Utah AI Moonshot is part of a broader effort by Utah to connect university research, government resources and industry applications around emerging technologies.
Nucleus and Utah's innovation ecosystem
The Moonshot program is one of several initiatives being developed through the Nucleus Institute, which was launched in 2025 to bring government, higher education and industry together around innovation, commercialization, funding, workforce development and economic growth.
TechBuzz previously covered the launch of Nucleus in August 2025 and its effort to create a more coordinated statewide innovation ecosystem.
For researchers and universities considering an application, the program represents a potentially significant source of non-dilutive funding for AI projects that can move beyond research and toward measurable applications in Utah.
Researchers and university teams interested in applying should review the full Notice of Funding Opportunity and eligibility requirements before the October 15 deadline.
More information: nucleusutah.org/aimoonshot