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The Launch Sequence - Rolling RFP

Institute for Progress

Foundation Rolling Grants for Science Research

Funding Amount

$10,000 honorarium for published proposals; $1,000 bounties for successful referrals and new ideas

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Grant Type

foundation

Overview

The Launch Sequence - Rolling Request for Proposals

Overview: A rolling effort to find, scope, and build the most important projects to prepare the world for advanced AI.

Status: Active rolling RFP with no submission deadline, but early submissions prioritized

Geographic Scope: Primarily United States focus, with global implications

Focus Areas:
Proposals should address one of three core categories:

  • Accelerating Science: Resources, technologies, and institutions needed to unlock breakthroughs with AI and emerging technologies

    • - Health and biology (drug discovery acceleration, clinical trials, lab automation, gene therapy delivery, neural cell characterization)
    - Other scientific domains where market forces move too slowly
  • Strengthening Security: Security measures and safeguards related to advanced AI development and deployment

  • Adapting Institutions: Institutional changes needed to prepare for widespread advanced AI

    • Eligibility:

  • Idea scouts with concrete project ideas (200-400 words) but lacking capacity to write full plan

  • Authors and potential builders planning to write and/or implement full Launch Sequence project plans

  • Domain experts, researchers, and strategists

  • Multiple pitches welcome from same submitter

    • What They Fund:

  • Projects addressing market failures or policy gaps not solved by default or quickly enough through market/traditional funding

  • Concrete, implementable solutions with clear problem identification

  • Projects where AI capabilities are a key component of either the problem or solution

    • What They Don't Fund:

  • Projects that will be built by market forces or traditional grant funding without intervention

  • Non-concrete or unfeasible proposals

    • Award Structure:

  • $10,000 honorarium for authors upon publication of full Launch Sequence project plan

  • $1,000 bounty for successful referrals (if referred person's proposal is accepted)

  • $1,000 bounty for new ideas that are published

    • Advisory Panel:

  • Wojciech Zaremba (OpenAI Co-Founder)

  • Tom Kalil (CEO, Renaissance Philanthropy; former Chief Innovation Officer, Schmidt Futures)

  • Matt Clifford (Co-founder and Chair, Entrepreneurs First; Chair, UK ARIA)

  • Kathleen Fisher (CEO, ARIA; former DARPA I2O Director)

  • George Church (Director, Church Lab, Harvard; co-founder of dozens of biotech startups)

    • Background:
    In 2025, IFP published an initial collection of 16 concrete proposals addressing AI preparedness. Many have gained real-world traction:

  • X-Labs proposal inspired $1B NSF program and bipartisan bill

  • Biotech's Lost Archive inspired philanthropic fund to purchase technical documents

  • The Great Refactor's author secured grants to eliminate memory safety vulnerabilities

  • The Replication Engine inspired Congressional bill

  • Multiple authors continuing to build solutions at leading institutions

    • Major new funding flowing into space (OpenAI Foundation $25B commitment, Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative AI focus, White House Genesis Mission)

    Contact: launch.sequence@ifp.org

    How to Apply

    How to Apply

    Process Overview:
    1. Submit short pitch (200-400 words) via application form
    2. If selected, invited to write more detailed outline
    3. If outline promising, work with IFP to develop full project plan (under 2,000 words)
    4. IFP provides research, writing, and editorial support
    5. Published project plans included in The Launch Sequence collection
    6. IFP connects authors with funders, co-founders, and relevant policymakers

    Timeline:

  • Rolling RFP with no deadline (early submissions prioritized)

  • Expected 8-14 weeks from accepted pitch to published piece

  • Multiple review and feedback stages

    • Pitch Requirements:

  • Length: 200-400 words

  • Must clearly explain:

    • - The problem: Why important (lives affected, dollars saved, etc.) and why market forces won't solve fast enough by default
    - The solution: Specific, concrete solution and how to build/implement it
    - Connection to advanced AI (capabilities or changes from AI should be key part of problem or solution)
  • Address one of three focus areas: Accelerating Science, Strengthening Security, or Adapting Institutions

    • Eligibility for Different Roles:

    Idea Scouts:

  • Submit concrete project idea (200-400 words)

  • Don't need capacity to write full plan

  • If selected and published with another author: $1,000 reward + credit

    • Authors/Potential Builders:

  • Want to write and potentially implement full project plan

  • Especially interested in people planning to lead implementation

  • Upon publication: $10,000 honorarium

  • Not required to be the builder, but strategic researchers and domain experts welcome

    • Referral Bonus:

  • $1,000 bounty if you refer someone who gets accepted

  • Include your name in application form

    • Submission:

  • Use official form on website

  • Can submit multiple pitches

  • If unsure about scope, submit anyway

    • Important Notes:

  • IFP has no claim over any IP related to idea

  • No ownership of resulting companies

  • IFP aims to accelerate authors and builders

    • Apply with Grantable Learn more

    What Institute for Progress actually gave

    Source: IRS Form 990-PF, 2024

    Grants in 2024
    2
    Total given
    $196K
    Median grant
    $98K
    Range
    $7,026–$189K
    • By dollars: New Hampshire 96%, California 4%. Top recipient cities: Hanover, NH; Oakland, CA.

    Example grants

    • Trustees of Dartmouth College · Hanover, NH

      Support for research

      $189K

    • Regents of the University of California · Oakland, CA

      $7,026

    IRS Form 990-PF, 2024. Amounts as reported by the funder. Full 990 history →

    Focus Areas & Funding Uses

    Fields of Work

    science-research

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