2026 NSF Mind, Machine and Motor Nexus (M3X) Principal Investigators' Meeting; Alexandria, Virginia; February 2026

About This Grant

This grant provides funding to organize and execute the 2026 National Science Foundation Mind, Machine, and Motor Nexus (M3X) Principal Investigators' Meeting. This meeting will convene investigators of active NSF M3X Program awards for the first time since the program began in 2019. This meeting serves as a conference bringing together a community of interdisciplinary researchers whose work is specifically relevant to advancing seamless bi-directional interaction between intelligent engineered systems and humans. The two-day event will feature poster sessions, M3X program updates, keynote addresses, and interactive panel discussions, creating a rich environment for knowledge exchange and the identification of new research avenues. This meeting will also support participation by a cohort of potential future researchers in the M3X program. The inaugural M3X Principal Investigator meeting will take place at NSF headquarters. This event will gather researchers from a wide array of fields, including but not limited to robotics, cognitive neuroscience, human factors, and artificial intelligence, to showcase innovative projects and prioritize collaboration. Through workshops, discussions, and networking opportunities, attendees will collectively explore how these interactions could revolutionize various industries, from healthcare to transportation. From a scientific perspective, the M3X meeting represents a pivotal convergence of disciplines that address the complexities of bidirectional human-machine interaction. Researchers who have received M3X funding, or those considering future applications, will have the platform to present ongoing projects and theoretical insights that contribute to this field. By fostering interdisciplinary dialogue among scientists specializing in motor control, human factors, cognitive science, behavioral science, AI, engineering and robotic systems, the M3X initiative aims to generate transformative insights and applications that address significant challenges in areas such as surgical robotics and autonomous driving technology. Ultimately, the meeting seeks not only to highlight the program's achievements but also to inspire future research that enhances the synergy between humans and intelligent machines. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.