This opportunity invites research proposals for the use of computational resources to drive AI-centred scientific research in the UK’s priority domains.
It represents the first mission-driven scientific research opportunity, aligned with the strategic vision set out in the UK Compute Roadmap.
By offering access to national-tier systems through the AIRR programme to users across academia, industry and individual research, we aim to shape the scientific landscape in the UK in the age of AI.
The AIRR programme is putting its weight behind transformative, large-scale research, particularly projects and programmes that deliver real-world impact and deliver breakthroughs that change lives and grow the economy.
It encourages the formation of broader research teams and partnerships, fostering multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral innovation.
Priority research areas
Through the AI for Science strategy, government has set out key actions to establish UK leadership in AI-centred science and ensure the UK retains its position of global scientific leadership.
While the UK is genuinely world leading in many areas, we must accept that cannot be true in every domain.
As such, we are targeting domains that have been identified on the basis of existing UK strength, alignment with wider UK strategy (including the Modern Industrial Strategy) and opportunities for AI-driven progress:
- material science
- nuclear fusion
- medical research
- engineering biology
- quantum technologies
We are also inviting proposals in AI-driven research and scientific discovery.
These projects focus on development of new AI models and virtual systems that will enable future automated and autonomous scientific discovery, a strategic objective of the AI for Science strategy.
Within these priority areas, we are particularly keen to hear from projects that contribute to delivering against the government’s five missions:
- growing the economy
- an NHS fit for the future
- safer streets
- opportunity for all
- making Britain a clean energy superpower
This route covers activities that fall into the following categories:
- fundamental research
- feasibility studies
- industrial research
- experimental development
See more on our categories of research and development.
Resources available
This opportunity has an indicative budget of 8,000,000 GPU hours across the two AIRR services.
Each application can request between 200,000 and 1,000,000 GPU hours on either of Dawn or Isambard-AI, to be used over a six-month project.
This application process is purely for compute resource.
No funding is available.
Trusted research and innovation
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is committed in ensuring that effective collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks.
Trusted research and innovation is a UKRI work programme designed to help protect all those working in our thriving and collaborative international sector.
It will enable partnerships to be as open as possible and as secure as necessary.
Our trusted research and innovation principles set out UKRI’s expectations of projects awarded through this route in relation to due diligence for UK and international collaboration.
Subsidy control and state aid where applicable
All AIRR access routes provide awards in line with the Subsidy Control Act 2022.
See further information about the subsidy requirements for this route, including the relevant support ratios.
