UKRI Enabling AI adoption across science and engineering

This UKRI funding supports ambitious, exploratory projects that bring AI experts together with researchers from other disciplines. The aim is to find new ways to use artificial intelligence on important research challenges in priority science and engineering areas. It also aims to build the skills, partnerships and evidence needed for longer-term AI adoption.

Your project must tackle a clearly defined research challenge in one of five areas: engineering biology, advanced materials, quantum technologies, medical research or fusion energy. Each team should pair an AI expert with an expert from a non-AI discipline. Outcomes might include proof-of-concept tools, feasibility studies, data and infrastructure requirements, or research roadmaps. Projects that mainly advance AI methods without a clear link to a research domain are out of scope.

The full economic cost of your project can be up to £250,000, and UKRI will fund 80% of it. Projects can last up to 12 months and must start by 26 April 2027. The fund can pay for staff time, consumables including compute, travel, data sharing and dissemination, and estates and indirect costs. It will not pay for PhD studentships or single items of equipment worth over £25,000.

The opportunity is open now and closes at 4:00pm UK time on 1 December 2026. You apply through the UKRI Funding Service, and your research office submits the application, so allow time for internal deadlines.

One thing to plan for: at least two team members, including the project lead, must take part in distributed peer review. Each person can be involved in no more than two projects. Funding is also subject to Full Business Case approval.

Official source: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/ukri-enabling-ai-adoption-across-science-and-engineering/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 28 October 2026.