UPDATE — NOVEMBER 2025: The public comment period for the National Science Foundation’s 2025 National AI R&D Strategic Plan closed on May 29, 2025, with feedback from universities, industry partners, and federal agencies now under review. The NSF’s Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) National Coordination Office confirmed in August that it had analyzed submissions and compiled a summary report, which was filed in September under the official docket (NSF-2025-OGC-0001). A draft of the updated strategy entered interagency review in October 2025, and officials from the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) say the final version will be released in December 2025 or early January 2026 to coincide with the rollout of the White House’s broader AI Action Plan mandated by Executive Order 14179.
According to a recent OSTP progress memo, the plan will align federal AI R&D with national security and economic competitiveness goals, emphasizing trusted AI procurement, AI workforce expansion, and AI integration in defense and infrastructure. Once finalized, it will replace the 2023 framework as the government’s central roadmap for AI research funding and interagency collaboration, with implementation guidance expected in early 2026.
ORIGINAL NEWS STORY:
U.S. Invites Public Input to Shape 2025 National AI R&D Strategic Plan
The U.S. federal government is seeking public input to help shape the nation’s next Artificial Intelligence (AI) research and development (R&D) strategy, as outlined in a Request for Information (RFI) released by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
The new 2025 National AI R&D Strategic Plan aims to position the United States as the world leader in AI innovation, with an emphasis on economic competitiveness, national security, and human flourishing. The NSF’s Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) National Coordination Office (NCO) is coordinating the effort and will consider input submitted by May 29, 2025.
This strategic planning initiative follows President Trump’s January executive order (EO 14179), “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence,” which calls for a government-wide action plan to accelerate AI adoption and ensure U.S. dominance in the field.
While industry investment in AI has grown rapidly, the RFI stresses the government’s unique role in funding long-term, high-risk research not immediately profitable but essential to public good and national interest. Areas of focus include AI for national security, critical infrastructure, public sector services, cybersecurity, and education, as well as foundational advances in AI theory, hardware, and reasoning capabilities.
“The federal government has a responsibility to fund breakthrough AI research that serves the American public—especially where commercial incentives fall short,” the RFI states. Respondents are encouraged to identify priority research challenges and propose new mechanisms for public-private R&D partnerships.
Public input will inform the strategic direction of U.S. AI policy for the next three to five years. It will also help align the 2025 plan with the broader AI Action Plan being developed under EO 14179.
Submissions must be made via Regulations.gov under Docket ID No. NSF-2025-OGC-0001. Further information is available at www.nitrd.gov.
The finalized plan is expected later this year.
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