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NIST and MITRE Announce $20M Research Effort on AI Cybersecurity
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Covers a U.S. government-funded initiative to strengthen AI cybersecurity research, relevant to those tracking federal AI safety policy and institutional efforts to address AI-specific security risks.
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Summary
NIST and MITRE announced a $20 million collaborative research initiative focused on AI cybersecurity, aiming to develop standards, tools, and frameworks to address AI-related security vulnerabilities. The effort reflects growing U.S. government recognition that AI systems introduce novel cybersecurity risks requiring dedicated research infrastructure. This initiative is part of broader federal efforts to ensure AI safety and security through institutional partnerships.
Key Points
- •$20 million joint research effort between NIST and MITRE targeting AI-specific cybersecurity challenges
- •Focuses on developing standards and frameworks to address vulnerabilities unique to AI systems
- •Reflects increasing U.S. government investment in AI safety infrastructure at national labs and standards bodies
- •Part of broader federal AI security strategy involving multiple agencies and research institutions
- •Aims to produce practical tools and guidelines for securing AI deployments across public and private sectors
Cited by 1 page
| Page | Type | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| US Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI | Policy | 91.0 |
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The National Institute of Standards and Technology announced that it will partner with The MITRE Corporation on a $20 million project to stand up two new research centers focused on artificial intelligence, including how the technology may impact cybersecurity for U.S. critical infrastructure.
On Monday, the agency [said](https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2025/12/nist-launches-centers-ai-manufacturing-and-critical-infrastructure) one center will focus on advanced manufacturing while the second — the AI Economic Security Center to Secure U.S. Critical Infrastructure from Cyberthreats — will focus more directly on how industries that provide water, electricity, internet and other essential services can protect and maintain services in the face of AI-enabled threats. According to NIST, the centers will “drive the development and adoption” of AI-driven tools, including agentic AI solutions.
“The centers will develop the technology evaluations and advancements that are necessary to effectively protect U.S. dominance in AI innovation, address threats from adversaries’ use of AI, and reduce risks from reliance on insecure AI,” spokesperson Jennifer Huergo wrote in an agency release.
The two centers are part of a larger federal government investment to create federally funded AI research centers at NIST, some of which predated the Trump administration.
Earlier this year the White House [overhauled the name and mission](https://fedscoop.com/trump-administration-rebrands-ai-safety-institute-aisi-caisi/) of the AI Safety Institute, rebranding it the Center for AI Standards and Innovation, that mirrored the administration’s broader shift away from AI safety issues while prioritizing American competition with China. Next year NIST plans to make another award for the creation of a new AI for Resilient Manufacturing Institute, a five-year, $70 million federal investment to combine expertise in AI, manufacturing and supply chain networks and promote resilience in the manufacturing sector.
AI boosters in the government, industry and Congress are betting that more federal muscle behind these applications will lead to innovation for U.S. AI projects. Huergo wrote that NIST “expects the AI centers to enable breakthroughs in applied science and advanced technology.”
Acting NIST Director Craig Burkhardt said the centers will collectively “focus on enhancing the ability of U.S. companies to make high-value products more efficiently, meet market demands domestically and internationally, and catalyze discovery and commercialization of new technologies and devices.”
CyberScoop reached out to NIST for additional details on the centers and their work.
In response
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