PNRIA 2026 Call for Projects: Strengthening AI Research with Engineering Support

The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) has launched the PNRIA 2026 Call for Projects, offering academic teams enhanced support from dedicated AI engineers.

This initiative is part of the Programme National de Recherche en Intelligence Artificielle (PNRIA), a cornerstone of France’s strategy to accelerate AI research and innovation.

Selected projects will benefit from hands-on support by AI engineers, who contribute to:

• Designing and implementing AI algorithms
• Deploying solutions on high-performance computing infrastructure
• Supporting projects over a period of up to six months

Leveraging High-Performance Infrastructure

Projects are supported on the advanced computing system the Jean Zay supercomputer, providing the scale required for cutting-edge AI development.

By combining engineering expertise with access to compute, the program enables research teams to tackle complex challenges across domains, from healthcare to robotics.

A National Ecosystem for AI Innovation

The PNRIA relies on a network of CNRS AI engineers helping to structure a distributed ecosystem of expertise and accelerate knowledge sharing across disciplines.

Overall, this call, supported by AI2F, enhances the operational capacity and impact of AI research in France by connecting scientific projects with engineering expertise and national computing infrastructure.

With a deadline set for April 2026 and project kick-off expected in mid-2026, the PNRIA call reinforces France’s commitment to building a sovereign, high-impact AI research ecosystem where talent, infrastructure, and engineering converge to scale innovation.

To apply, access the call here.