FUNDING MEMO

Title: Cooperative AI Research Grants 2025 - Pre-Proposal

Funding Agency: Cooperative AI Foundation

External Deadline(s):

01/18/2025 11:59 PM PST (Pre-Proposal)

Cognizant Office: Office of Sponsored Research/Office of Foundation Relations

Description:

The Cooperative AI Foundation (CAIF) is seeking proposals for research projects in Cooperative AI. The Foundation's mission is to support research that will improve the cooperative intelligence of advanced AI systems for the benefit of all of humanity. For 2025, the grant program priorities have been updated and an early-career track has been introduced.

Frequency: Typically annual

Total Award: Varies

• Standard grant: The Foundation has not set any upper bound for how much funding you can apply for. However, the budget should be for a maximum of two years, and you should ensure a prudent use of funds and consider the criteria on cost-effectiveness. At this time, the Foundation will not consider/process applications for less than GBP 10,000 (approx. $12,500 USD). This may change in the future.
  • The Foundation aims to cover all costs for completing accepted projects. This could include:
    • Personnel costs for research staff;
    • Materials (including software and compute);
    • Travel expenses;
    • Publication expenses.
  • The Foundation will not cover personnel costs for teaching.
• Early-career track: Up to GBP 100,000 (approx. $125,000) for up to 12 months.

Indirect Costs: 10% of Direct Costs

• Caltech’s minimum overhead rate is based on the award’s annual gross funding. Please refer to the FY25 Annual Rate Memo for applicable minimum overhead requirements. Applicants must work within their division to account for the required overhead via an approved MORA form.

Duration: 1-2 years

• Standard grant: The project you propose can be up to two years long, and should begin within at most one year from the application deadline.
• Early-career track: Up to 12 months.

Discipline(s): Engineering and Applied Science; Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy

Eligibility: Grad Student, Postdoc, Research Faculty, Staff, Tenure-Track Faculty, Tenured Faculty, Undergraduate

• Standard grant: Anyone is welcome to apply.
  • Formal training and degrees (such as a doctoral degree) can strengthen your proposal, but are not required.
  • Caltech researchers other than tenured/tenure-track faculty will need to obtain approval from the Division Chair and Vice Provost for Research prior to submitting an application.
• Early-career track: CAIF expects most early-career applicants to apply within 2-3 years of completing their PhD (or to be at a similar career stage if they do not have a PhD), but they are open to receiving applications to this track from slightly more junior and slightly more senior researchers.
  • The difference with the early-career track compared to a regular application is that the assessment will consider to what extent the grant would further the career of a promising researcher, in addition to the merits and expected impact of the project itself. You can check a box in your application form to indicate that you want to apply in the early-career track.
• CAIF staff and trustees are not eligible for grant funding. Advisors, affiliates, and contractors of CAIF are eligible for grant funding.

Research Areas of Interest:

• Proposals need to correspond to at least one of the research areas listed below. Please see guidelines for details:
  • High Priority: Understanding and Evaluating Cooperation-Relevant Capabilities;
  • High Priority: Understanding and Evaluating Cooperation-Relevant Propensities;
  • Incentivizing Cooperation Among AI Agents;
  • AI for Facilitating Human Cooperation;
  • Collusion;
  • Monitoring and Controlling Dynamic Networks of Agents and Emergent Properties;
  • Information Asymmetries and Transparency;
  • Multi-Agent Security.
• The proposal must be for a research project (as opposed to, for example, an educational or advocacy project).

Post-Award Obligations:

TBD

Recent Caltech Recipients:

• None

Guidelines & Other Information:

Guidelines, FAQ, and Supporting Documents: https://www.cooperativeai.com/grants/2025

Prior Grantees: https://www.cooperativeai.com/post/grant-summaries

Submissions and awards for this grant program will be processed through the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR). However, please notify the Office of Foundation Relations (OFR) if you anticipate making a submission, have any questions, or would like a content review of your proposal. OFR is available to help ensure that Caltech’s proposals are competitive and can assist with proposal development and advise you on the routing of your paperwork. Interested researchers should work with their division grant manager to prepare the budget, the MORA form, and the Division Approval Form (DAF).

Opportunity ID: 2158