Requests for Proposals : AI for Earth

The National Geographic Society (NGS) and Microsoft’s AI for Earth program are partnering to support the exploration of how AI can help us understand, engage, and protect the planet. The $1 million AI for Earth Innovation Grant will provide grants to 5-15 novel projects that improve the way we monitor, model, and ultimately manage Earth’s natural systems for a more sustainable future.

To qualify, applications should outline a proposal to use AI for conservation in at least multiple areas, including:

Climate change: Extreme weather events, rising sea levels, higher global temperatures, and increased ocean acidity threaten human health, infrastructure, and the natural systems we rely on for life itself. AI can help in areas like:

  • Climate resilience
  • Extreme weather and climate modeling
  • Sustainable land-use change
  • Ecosystem services (including carbon sequestration and afforestation/reforestation)

An example of the types of tools that the program is interested in supportingis:

Climate change: temperature and precipitation model downscaling, risk optimization

Find more information and details on the program webpage  

The deadline for the AI for Earth Innovation RFP is:  October 8, 2018 at 11:59 PM EST.

Timelines: Please note the RFP deadline and also the project timeline is different from other National Geographic grant programs. On the Eligibility Requirement popup, check the box for a 6 months later start date, so you can still access the Grants Portal. But in the application, input January 1, 2019 as your start date. Projects should be complete by December 31, 2019.

If you have further questions about the AI for Earth Innovation RFP, please email us at .