Australia’s Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) program is taking a significant step into artificial intelligence, with the federal government embedding AI as a core priority of its newly launched National AI Plan.

CRC-P Round 19 launched on 18 March 2026 and is open to all areas, with $20 million in funding ring-fenced for projects that develop or enhance AI systems and technologies. Applications close on 12 May 2026, with the round forming part of the broader AI Accelerator initiative under the National AI Plan.

In late 2025, the Government released the National AI Plan — a roadmap to build an AI-enabled economy — and CRC-P Round 19 is a central early action under that plan, encouraging eligible industry-research partnerships to apply for up to $3 million per project.

The AI Accelerator is structured in two stages. The first stage is the current CRC-P round in 2026, and the second will be a full CRC round in 2027. Together, they are designed to connect talented researchers with real-world industry challenges and help Australian ideas scale on the global stage. CRC Round 28 — the AI Accelerator round — will open in 2027 with approximately $50 million available to support at least one new AI CRC focused on commercialisation.

Alongside the CRC investment, the National AI Plan includes a $29.9 million commitment to establish an AI Safety Institute in early 2026, focused on monitoring and responding to AI risks and supporting government agencies and regulators.