Organization(s)
The U.S. National Science Foundation X-Labs (NSF X-Labs) initiative is designed to launch and scale a new generation of organizations focused on independent research, development, and innovation.
These organizations will address technical challenges and bottlenecks that university and industry labs cannot easily solve through traditional methods. The NSF X-Labs initiative is led by the NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (NSF TIP).
On this page
NSF X-Labs events and resources
To learn more, plan to join these upcoming webinars or watch the recordings and view the slides from past webinars:
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 1-2 p.m. EDT
Q&A for NSF X-Labs — Artificial Intelligence for Physical Systems
Register for the Oct. 14 webinar.
Tuesday, June 30, 2-3 p.m. EDT
Q&A for NSF X-Labs — Quantum Systems: Interconnects and Integrated Photonics
Watch the June 30 recorded webinar.
Tuesday, June 23, 2:30-3:30 p.m. EDT
Q&A for NSF X-Labs — Scientific Instrumentation for Sensing and Imaging
Watch the June 23 recorded webinar.
Thursday, June 4, 2-3 p.m. EDT
Introduction to NSF X-Labs Funding Opportunity — Quantum Systems: Interconnects and Integrated Photonics
Watch the June 4 recorded webinar.
View the June 4 webinar slides.
Thursday, May 28, 1-2 p.m. EDT
Introduction to NSF X-Labs Funding Opportunity — Scientific Instrumentation for Sensing and Imaging
Watch the May 28 recorded webinar.
View the May 28 webinar slides.
Why NSF X-Labs?
The NSF X-Labs initiative positions the agency to support the next generation of American scientific entrepreneurs more effectively. The initiative is grounded in the recognition that many technology acceleration and translation challenges today require new approaches executed by coordinated, interdisciplinary teams.
This new initiative aligns with NSF and administration priorities to explore innovative models for funding and sharing high-value scientific research infrastructure and results.
What makes NSF X-Labs unique?
The NSF X-Labs program design is informed by thoughtful science policy scholarship and entrepreneurship from emerging and established think tanks, metascience experts, congressionally chartered study commissions, and the broader scientific community.
The NSF X-Labs initiative will support full-time teams of entrepreneurs, technologists, researchers, scientists, and engineers who will enjoy operational autonomy as they pursue technical breakthroughs with the potential to reshape or create entire technology sectors.
NSF X-Labs teams will move beyond traditional research outputs (e.g., publications and datasets), with sufficient resources, financial runway, and independence to transition critical technology from early concept or prototypes to commercially viable platforms ready for private investment to help scale and deploy them.
NSF anticipates significant investment in 2026, featuring large, multiyear awards for selected teams.
NSF X-Labs topics
NSF issued the NSF X-Labs science and technology topics and associated funding opportunities as an Other Transactions Agreement Solutions Offering, a mechanism that allows NSF to release multiple opportunities in specific science and technology topic areas via topic announcements. Topics center on science and technology areas where U.S. competitiveness is a priority and where pressing challenges exist.
The first round of NSF X-Labs funding opportunities released in May 2026 invited proposals on two topics: Scientific Instrumentation for Sensing and Imaging and Quantum Systems: Interconnects and Integrated Photonics.
- Read the updated NSF X-Labs Quantum Systems: Interconnects and Integrated Photonics topic announcement.
- Read the updated NSF X-Labs Scientific Instrumentation For Sensing and Imaging topic announcement.
In September 2026, NSF announced three additional topics: Artificial Intelligence for Physical Systems, Sequence to Function, and Computation at the Limit of Physics.
Shaping the NSF X-Labs initiative
To help shape the NSF X-Labs initiative, NSF TIP issued an initial request for information (RFI) in December 2025 and received numerous positive and constructive responses from the broader community, including academia, policymakers, nonprofits, philanthropy, state and local government, venture capital, and the private sector.
To learn more about the initial RFI, view the recordings of an informational webinar and a Q&A session about the RFI.
Following the announcement of five topic areas, TIP issued an RFI in September 2026 seeking input on additional X-Labs topics.