The Innovator route offers an open and adaptable pathway for accessing computational resources, available to users across academia, industry and individual research, within the broad remit of the AIRR programme.
It builds upon the existing Gateway route by supporting larger, more ambitious projects, that continue to explore emerging areas of AI.
This route is designed to help build capacity across the UK’s compute ecosystem for AI research through experimentation, cross-sector collaboration and skills development.
It encourages the formation of broader research teams and partnerships, fostering multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral innovation, while maintaining a focus on new users, disruptive thinking and early-stage innovation.
Aligned with the strategic vision set out in the UK Compute Roadmap, the Innovator route contributes to the development of a diverse, integrated and responsive compute ecosystem.
This ecosystem is intended to support the full scientific and innovation lifecycle, operating as a coherent and flexible suite of services that are accessible across disciplines and sectors.
This opportunity supports the UK Compute Roadmap’s goal of scaling capability, enhancing accessibility, and strengthening collaboration across the UK compute landscape, including integration with other compute services where appropriate.
It will do this by enabling access to resources for more ambitious research and innovation efforts.
Potential topics and activities
Potential AI-related research and development topics include, but are not limited to:
- development of novel algorithms and software tools
- exploring AI-assisted workflows
- AI-driven data collection, production and synthesis
- early-stage development of AI products
Within these novel and developing 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 2,000,000 GPU hours across the two AIRR services.
Each application can request between 50,000 and 150,000 GPU hours on either of Dawn or Isambard-AI, to be used over a six-month project.
This application process is 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.
