Microsoft launches $5 million AI for Good Open Call grant program to drive positive change in Washington state

New program celebrates 50 years of innovation in Washington state

REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, with the goal of fostering innovative solutions in its home state of Washington, Microsoft Corp. announced an AI for Good Open Call, a program that will award $5 million in grants and the opportunity to collaborate with Microsoft's leading AI scientists. Organizations are invited to leverage the power of artificial intelligence to address pressing social and scientific challenges in Washington state.

Diverse entities, including nonprofits, academic institutions, individual researchers, startups and businesses based in or benefiting Washington state, are eligible to participate. Projects must focus on addressing sustainability, public health, education or human rights.

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, Microsoft created this program as a goodwill gift to Washington. It's an opportunity to highlight the global innovations coming from Washington state, as Microsoft and others work to build and deploy responsible AI innovations.

"If you lead an organization that is tackling one of our state's most pressing issues, from sustainable energy development to addressing housing affordability, we invite you to apply for a Microsoft AI for Good grant," said Juan Lavista Ferres, corporate vice president and chief data scientist of the AI for Good Lab at Microsoft. "As we look toward Microsoft's 51st year, our AI for Good Lab will globally provide extensive opportunities for collaborative research projects leveraging Azure compute resources. This is a focused opportunity for our home state of Washington, and we're confident it will harness innovative solutions to complex questions."

Successful grant applicants will show potential for their concept and data to result in a unique and scalable solution to a major scientific or societal challenge. Strong applicants will have clean, accurate and unbiased high-quality data.

Organizations based in Washington or benefiting residents of Washington are invited to submit their online applications by Feb. 17, 2025. Selected grantees will be notified by March 18, 2025.

Community members will have the opportunity to ask questions prior to submitting their applications. For more information and to ask questions, please visit Microsoft AI for Good Lab Open Call.

Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) creates platforms and tools powered by AI to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

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SOURCE Microsoft Corp.