Funding opportunity

Funding opportunity: Turing AI Global Fellowships

Opportunity status:: Upcoming
Funders:: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Funding type:: Fellowship
Total fund:: £24,500,000
Maximum award:: £4,500,000
Publication date:: 7 November 2025
Opening date:: 18 November 2025 9:00am UK time
Closing date:: 12 March 2026 4:00pm UK time

This fellowship funding opportunity is for exceptional Artificial Intelligence (AI) researchers currently based outside of the UK.

The fellowship offers funding to relocate to the UK, establish a highly skilled team and undertake transformational AI research.

You must have been based outside of the UK for at least 24 months prior to applying and be hosted by a UK research organisation which meets the eligibility criteria set out in the guidance.

The total cost to EPSRC for your project can be up to £4.5 million. Further information set out in the guidance.

Fellowships can last up to five years, starting by 1 February 2027.

UK research organisations intending to support a candidate for this funding opportunity must meet the eligibility requirements detailed in the ‘Who can apply’ section and submit an Expression of Interest (EoI) survey with supporting evidence by 9 January 2026 at 4:00pm UK time.

Who can apply

This funding opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility. Check if your organisation is eligible. In addition, to lead a project, you must be hosted and supported by a UK organisation that meets the additional criteria outlined in the Research Organisation eligibility section.

Who is eligible to apply

Applicant eligibility

This prestigious fellowship funding opportunity is looking to support exceptional, world-class AI experts from outside the UK who are either established international leaders in AI or who can demonstrate outstanding potential to shape the future of AI research globally.

This fellowship funding opportunity welcomes applications from researchers who conduct research into AI at a fundamental, foundational, or theoretical level, as well as those working at the interface between AI and other disciplines where the application context drives novel model development or theoretical insight.

There are no standardised eligibility criteria for this fellowship due to the diversity of career paths in AI. We define established researchers for this funding opportunity as those who have experience of:

strategical leadership and management of programme(s)
leading and managing team(s) and resources
having established, or are in the process of establishing, a clear research specialism
having a high or rising international standing in AI who can contribute to the growth and development of the UK’s AI community and economy

Residency requirement

You must have been based outside of the UK for at least 24 months prior to submitting an application and have the support of an eligible UK research organisation, that will be your host organisation if successful, for the time committed to the fellowship.

There is no nationality requirement. You may or may not have UK citizenship.

If you require a visa, then your host organisation will advise and support you in securing a UKRI-endorsed Global Talent visa once your award is issued.

Host organisations are welcome to contact globaltalentvisa@ukri.org about the documentation required for route 3 (UKRI-endorsed Global Talent visa) applications ahead of submission to the Home Office.

In line with standard grant terms and conditions, before you start your fellowship grant, you must have physically relocated to the UK and be considered a UK resident and an academic employee – lecturer or equivalent – of an eligible organisation for this opportunity. This is in line with standard EPSRC eligibility.

We encourage applications from all career paths and sectors including non-academic sectors such as:

industry
government
the third sector

Joint positions

The fellowship can be held by applicants with a joint position between an eligible organisation and another sector, such as industry, in line with subsidy control and visa requirements. However, the eligible organisation must function as host organisation for the duration of the fellowship and the Turing AI Global Fellowship should be the applicant’s main research focus. You must also spend at least 50% full time equivalent (FTE) commitment on the fellowship.

You should ensure that you are aware of and comply with any internal institutional deadlines that may be in place. We recommend you start your application early, liaising with your host organisation who may also be able to provide additional advice and guidance.

Research organisation eligibility

Fellowships must be held at a UK-based research organisation that meets all of the following criteria:

be a UK-based organisation currently registered as both eligible to apply for funding from UKRI and included on the UKRI list of approved research organisations for the Global Talent visa
evidence of a minimum of £25 million of active funding in AI research from either UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding only or a combination of UKRI and non-UKRI funding. Further detail on what is considered AI research is provided below in the ‘AI Research Funding’ section
evidence that a minimum of 2% of total academic staff are supported under the UKRI-endorsed Global Talent visa scheme
agreement to meet EPSRC’s expectations that the host organisation will work with their candidates during the application stage to agree a tailored and substantial support package

AI research funding

Eligible organisations must be able to demonstrate a minimum of £25 million of active funding in AI research from either UKRI funding only or a combination of UKRI and non-UKRI funding.

UKRI funding must have been competitively awarded. Infrastructure funding and algorithmic funding to the organisation, such as UKRI’s Impact Acceleration Accounts and Doctoral Landscape Awards, are not eligible.

Non-UKRI funding must be in the form of cash awards. In-kind support is not eligible. Eligible sources of non-UKRI funding can include, but is not limited to, other government funders, international funding, charities, direct industry investment, or private investment where it can be directly attributed to an AI-specific activity.

You can only include grants which are live at the point of Expression of Interest survey submission, where the research organisation is the lead institution and the funding is for a research or training grant, the majority of which is:

developing novel AI methodologies by addressing the fundamental, foundational, theoretical or mathematical challenges in AI
or developing novel AI methodologies to address challenges present in, or across, other disciplines or sectors where the work also leads to advances in core AI understanding or capabilities

Projects which seek to apply existing AI methodologies to an application area, without contributing new AI techniques or insights, cannot be included.

Funding for innovation or impact activities is only eligible if the activities advance the AI state of the art, such as generating new AI techniques, models or theoretical insights.

Where the nature of the funding is not clear from project titles you will be given the opportunity to provide a brief narrative justifying the level of core AI research within the programme. Examples of eligible UKRI AI research funding include but are not limited to EPSRC AI hubs, RAiUK, UKRI AI CDTs, in scope responsive mode funding, and Turing AI Fellowships.

Application limits

Eligible research organisations are permitted to submit a maximum of two applications to this funding opportunity as lead organisation, that is the organisation submitting the application through the UKRI Funding Service. This reflects the level of investment available and manages the impact on the community.

Expression of Interest survey

Research organisations intending to support a candidate for this funding opportunity must submit an Expression of Interest (EoI) survey to provide evidence against the above eligibility criteria.

Research organisations must also submit a statement describing the inclusive process you will use to select your chosen candidates. Information provided will not be used in the assessment or outcome of the funding opportunity.

The EoI survey must only be submitted by the research organisation and not the applicants.

Completed EoI surveys must be submitted by 9 January 2026 at 4:00pm UK time.

EPSRC will review each EoI survey and confirm eligibility to support candidates before the end of January 2026.

Please note: Applicants and host organisations should not wait for eligibility to be confirmed to start developing fellowship applications and should co-create applications in parallel to the eligibility confirmation process.

Full proposals submitted by host organisations that are not deemed eligible to apply will be rejected prior to peer review.

Research organisations should have a process in place to ensure that no more than two applications are submitted. However, this funding opportunity is anticipated to be highly competitive and as such research organisations should not feel obliged to fill their quota.

Research organisations are encouraged to ensure the applicant(s) they support can demonstrate their ability to meet the expectations detailed within ‘What we are looking for’.

Candidate selection

Research organisations are expected to actively use an inclusive approach to selecting and maximising the diversity of the candidates they intend to support. UKRI expects that host organisations consider diversity broadly to include discipline, backgrounds, career paths, thought and approach as well as protected characteristics. See more information on good selection processes.

Research organisations must submit a statement in the EoI survey submission detailing the inclusive selection approach they have taken to select their candidates. The information submitted will be used to increase understanding of inclusive selection processes used by host organisations, inform future UKRI interventions and feed into thinking on Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) in AI. Information provided will not be used in the assessment or outcome of the funding opportunity.

As guidance, it is suggested that research organisations consider the following points in designing and describing their inclusive selection process:

the processes used to identify potential and final candidates
how these processes may enable diversity and inclusion in the selection of potential and final candidates
the steps taken to mitigate unconscious bias in the selection process
the alignment of the approach taken with the research organisation’s equality diversity and inclusion policies
support for and consideration of flexible working including part-time working, career breaks and caring responsibilities
the inclusion of candidates with different career paths

Who is not eligible to apply

Those not eligible to apply are:

individuals who are currently, or have been, a resident of the UK in the 24 months prior to submitting an application
individuals not supported by an eligible research organisation
individuals whose proposed work does not aim to advance the AI state of the art and strengthen the UK’s AI community and economy

International researchers

As EPSRC is the lead funder for this funding opportunity, international researchers can only apply as ‘project co-lead (international)’ as part of an application making use of the UKRI-RCN Money Follows Cooperation agreement or the UKRI-IIASA agreement.

You should include all other international collaborators (or UK partners not based at approved organisations) as project partners.

Resubmissions

We will not accept uninvited resubmissions of projects that have been submitted to UKRI or any other funder.

Find out more about EPSRC’s resubmissions policy.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

EDI enriches diversity of thought, builds stronger perspectives and performance within organisations and communities, and fosters more innovative and creative approaches. This is particularly pertinent in AI, as AI algorithms impact people’s lives and therefore risk exacerbating existing inequalities in society.

By having a diverse AI community and workforce, the design and development of algorithms will be less likely to reflect the inherent biases of a majority group. Furthermore, investing in a diverse array of fellows of different genders, ethnicities, backgrounds and career paths will enable greater diversity of thought and approach in AI that is key to the development of creative new AI technologies and a sustainable UK AI ecosystem.

The long-term strength of the UK research base depends on harnessing all the available talent. We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.

We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:

diverse career backgrounds
career breaks
returning to research or innovation following time in other roles
wishing to work part-time (minimum 50% FTE on the project) or in job shares in order to combine the fellowship with personal responsibilities

For this funding opportunity, joint applications on a job-share basis are permitted, as long as you spend at least 50% FTE on the fellowship. If your application is a proposed job-share, please state this where relevant in your application and set out your proposed arrangements in the ‘Applicant and team capability to deliver’ and ‘Career development’ sections.

Only one applicant for any joint applications should be listed as ‘fellow’ and the other as project co-lead in the Funding Service, as the Funding Service functionality does not support both applicants to be listed as ‘fellow’.

UKRI will recognise both applicants as ‘fellow’. The team should choose one of the fellows’ organisations to be responsible for submitting the grant application and administering the grant should the application be successful.

Find out more about equality, diversity and inclusion at UKRI.

UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process.

What we're looking for

Aim

Through the Turing AI Global Fellowships, we are looking to attract up to five exceptional researchers who are either established international leaders in AI or who can demonstrate outstanding potential to shape the future of AI research globally. These world-class researchers must relocate to the UK and undertake transformational AI research that strengthens the UK’s position as a global leader in AI.

This funding opportunity forms part of the UK’s commitment to strengthening its position as a global leader in AI and is one of a suite of investments supporting the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan. Funding for this opportunity is subject to final budget approval.

It is a requirement that fellows will spend at least 50% full time equivalent (FTE) commitment on the fellowship. The fellow must be hosted by an eligible UK organisation for the duration of this award.

Funding opportunity objectives

The objectives of this funding opportunity are to:

support the movement of global talent to the UK to undertake ground-breaking core AI research that strengthens the UK’s capabilities in AI and position as a global leader
enable fellows to use their international leadership in the field of AI to engage with, influence and advocate for the strategic direction of the UK’s AI ecosystem
support the career development of leading researchers and their teams, thereby strengthening the UK’s research capacity and culture and ensuring the long-term sustainability of its research ecosystem
enable engagement and collaboration within and between academic and non-academic partners in the UK and internationally to maximise the impact on the wider AI research and innovation landscape

Scope

This funding opportunity is aimed at established AI researchers from outside of the UK, with a prominent or rising global standing, who want to move to the UK and build a world leading research group to undertake transformational core AI research and to make a significant impact on the UK’s AI research and innovation landscape.

With these substantial awards, you must seek to build new AI capability and capacity in the UK, while actively engaging with and advocating for the wider AI ecosystem. You will form a highly skilled and potentially multidisciplinary team to undertake innovative and cutting-edge research that will advance the field of AI while also addressing broader scientific and societal challenges.

This can be achieved, for example, by:

developing novel AI methodologies by addressing the fundamental, theoretical or mathematical challenges in AI
developing novel AI methodologies to address challenges present in, or across, other disciplines or sectors where the work also leads to advances in core AI understanding or capabilities

This funding opportunity therefore welcomes applications from individuals who conduct research into AI at a fundamental or theoretical level, or who work at the interface between AI and another discipline.

The proposed work must develop AI beyond the current state of the art. Projects which seek to apply current AI methodologies to an application area without generating new AI techniques, models, or theoretical insights that advance the state of the art, will not be accepted.

All proposed work must embed trustworthy, socially responsible and sustainable AI approaches, and must be ambitious yet grounded in strong theoretical foundations.

Leadership expectations

Alongside undertaking world-leading research, you must develop your position of leadership in the national and international research community, as well as your host organisation. Through your leadership, you are expected to engage with, influence, and advocate for the strategic direction of the UK’s AI ecosystem.

You will initiate, grow, and maintain strong relationships and collaborations with stakeholders in the UK and internationally. Through these, you will look to facilitate a positive impact on the wider research and innovation landscape.

Applicants must be exceptional, world-class AI experts who are either established international leaders in AI or who can demonstrate outstanding potential to shape the future of AI research globally.

You must have experience of setting strategic direction and leadership of one or multiple programmes, along with managing teams and resources in or outside of academia. Alternative evidence of research leadership is welcome particularly for those with primarily industry-based experience.

Fellowship expectations

Fellows must:

use the significant support package to establish, strategically lead and manage a highly skilled and potentially multidisciplinary team to deliver an ambitious, world-leading research programme which will advance the AI state of the art, and potentially other disciplines
develop the skills and careers of their team, growing and fostering the independent researchers and innovators of the future
actively engage with researchers, developers and users to enable AI for use in the real world to ensure that AI is designed, developed and deployed robustly and transparently
act as a leader in the AI community and an ambassador and advocate for it; driving forward the UK and international AI research agenda. Applicants who work at the interface between AI and another discipline will be expected to make leadership contributions and be an advocate to all relevant fields
build strong relationships and collaborations between academia, business, and broader stakeholders in the UK and internationally
strengthen and make a sustained and enduring contribution to the AI research and innovation environment in collaborating groups at your host research organisation and the broader UK AI ecosystem
embed the principles of trustworthy, sustainable, and socially responsible AI, including responsible research and innovation (RRI) and trusted research, throughout their activities
embed considerations of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) throughout their fellowship activities. UKRI expects that EDI is embedded at all levels and in all aspects of research practices.
engage with cohort activities, in collaboration with other Turing AI Fellows
build a broader portfolio of funding and activities beyond this fellowship, moving towards a position of funding sustainability at the end of the fellowship

Applicants should set their research in the context of the UK’s ambitions in AI and support its objectives as laid out in UKRI’s Statement of Opportunities on AI, the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the UK’s Industrial Strategy.

End user partnerships and collaborations

Due to the scale and prestige of these awards, fellows must build strong relationships, cross-sector partnerships, and collaborations with potential end users of their research. This is intended to drive your research direction and to maximise the value of your research by ensuring that outcomes are translated into tangible benefits for the UK. This includes industry, policy makers, public bodies, charities and other groups.

It is expected that fellows will continue to engage stakeholders throughout the duration of the fellowship, for example by setting up an external advisory board to provide guidance and support, ensuring that the research is aligned with real-world needs and applications.

Clear plans for engaging with new and existing collaborators over the duration of the fellowship should be detailed in the application on the UKRI Funding Service.

No specific leverage (cash or in-kind) expectations from project partners (for example business, public sector, third sector) are being set for eligibility to this programme. The inclusion of leverage from project partners is at the discretion of the applicant.

Mentorship

Fellows should have access to one or more mentors from their host organisation that can support the fellow’s transition to the UK and integration into the UK research and innovation community. Mentorship should also support areas of personal and professional development, such as thought leadership, AI advocacy, and building interdisciplinary or cross-sector partnerships within the UK.

Engagement with the Turing Fellows Cohort

Successful applicants must be an active part of the AI Turing fellows’ cohort, including those funded through this opportunity as well as previous and any future Turing AI fellowship opportunities. The cohort will maximise networks between different disciplines and institutions, enhance individual growth, create an environment for sharing research and learning, foster idea generation and most importantly influence and drive AI adoption across disciplines.

Subject to renewal The Alan Turing Institute, the national institute for data science and AI, will continue to support all appointed Fellows via bespoke cohort activities. Fellows will receive access to the Turing offices and be informed of engagement opportunities at the Institute, but are not required to work at the Institute beyond engaging proactively with cohort activities stipulated by EPSRC at the time of the award.

Funding will be awarded on the condition that fellows actively engage with the cohort and in particular any activities or events like coffee mornings, annual events, showcase events and so on organised by the cohort management team. Further details will be provided to successful applicants.

Monitoring and evaluation

Fellows will be required to provide key monitoring information as part of the award. The mandatory monitoring will be confirmed at the start of the award but will include:

six monthly updates focused on key outputs and outcomes
annual reports focused on progress against fellowship aims, key outputs, outcomes, impacts, future plans and financial reporting
final report detailing key outputs, outcomes, and impacts
contributing to and participating in a mid-term review and final evaluation of the overall programme
standard Researchfish reporting

Compliance with reporting will be part of the grant terms and conditions.

UKRI reserves the right to request additional information as deemed necessary for monitoring evaluation purposes.

Time commitment

If you work part time, you can hold your Turing AI Global Fellowship part time as well, at a minimal level of 50% full time equivalent (FTE) on the project. This is to align with UKRI-endorsed Global Talent visa requirements and expectations of this fellowship. In these circumstances, the duration of your fellowship can be extended proportionally to a maximum duration of ten years.

If you do not work part time, you may hold this fellowship for between 50% and 100% of your working time. However, the total fellowship duration will be fixed at five years. This must be clearly justified in your application as the fellowship should be the fellow’s main research focus.

By the final year of the award, it is expected that you will have developed your portfolio beyond the fellowship and may therefore reduce your FTE on the project to enable broader portfolio development, however you must remain at or above 50% FTE on the fellowship for the duration of the grant.

If you have a joint academic appointment between academia and other sector(s), the minimum time commitment is 50% FTE to the fellowship throughout the duration of the award. This is to enable you to establish leadership within the host organisation outside of the time committed to the fellowship and to fulfil visa requirements. The time commitment should be suitably justified against the assessment criteria and aims of the programme.

Fellows should design an appropriate time commitment over the duration of the award to deliver their research vision. Additionally, fellows should plan their work packages to accommodate for any potential delays in recruiting postdoctoral researchers where necessary.

Doctoral studentships

The Turing AI Global Fellowships funding opportunity may exceptionally provide funding for up to a maximum of three doctoral students. This exception recognises that studentships supported through UKRI’s main routes may have been committed before the fellowships are awarded, and that these fellowships represent an exciting opportunity for students to train and acquire skills through working with eminent researchers they would not have otherwise had access to.

The students will also benefit from the drawing together of vibrant, balanced teams which combine doctoral and post-doctoral research and build leadership for the future in key areas of AI in the UK.

The inclusion of doctoral studentships must add value to the proposed research, and to the student compared to UKRI’s existing training grant routes. Students must be provided with a clear opportunity for a distinct and independent course of enquiry from the fellowship objectives and receive any additional training that would be useful for their research but is not available through existing programmes.

The fellowship must be viable without the studentship, with distinctive objectives that are not reliant upon the studentships. In your application, you should clearly explain how the students will benefit from being part of the research team.

The host organisation should have a track record of training doctoral students, and it is expected that there are UKRI-funded doctoral students training concurrently with students supported by the fellowship.

You must complete any supervisor training required to be familiar with supervising within a UK higher education institution, before students start their studies. The students should also be assigned a co-supervisor with experience of training UK-based UKRI doctoral students.

Doctoral students supported through the fellowship must be provided with the opportunity to develop their substantive research skills as well as with broader professional development opportunities. Evidence of an appropriate training environment that meets UKRI’s expectations for doctoral training should be provided in your application.

UKRI also expects that other doctoral students aligned with the fellowship research programme, but funded from other sources, would have the same training environment and opportunities as those students funded by the fellowship.

Studentships should be four years in duration (full time equivalent) but part-time studentships are allowed. Studentships must start in the 2026/27 or 2027/28 academic year.

Careful consideration should be given to the overall staff resource on the fellowship and the balance between the different types of staff resource available. To ensure that postdoctoral researchers have sufficient time to support and train students alongside their research, funding should be requested for a minimum of the full time equivalent of two research and innovation associates to support the doctoral student(s).

You should ensure that you have sufficient time to supervise students, but this time cannot be charged to the grant.

UKRI’s EU and international eligibility for UKRI studentships from 2021 will apply.

For more information see the guidance on flexibility to support the very best students.

Project co-lead

Fellowships are a personal award; however, you can name project co-leads on your application if they bring complementary and different skills to the fellowship project for a time-limited period while you develop your skills in the areas covered.

You must lead the research programme, and therefore the co-leads must not lead any of the work packages, rather their role should be in enabling the delivery of your vision. The inclusion of any project co-leads should be clearly justified.

Duration

The duration of this award is five years.

Projects must start by 1 February 2027.

Funding available

Each fellowship will include up to three different awards:

Fellowship award

This includes all eligible costs at 80% FEC, except for doctoral studentships, visa fees and relocation costs. Further information is provided below in the ‘Fellowship award costings’ section.

Training grant

This includes 100% of eligible costs related to doctoral studentships. All funding for doctoral studentships should be included within your fellowship application under ‘Exceptions’ fund heading. This funding will ultimately be issued as a separate training grant at the award stage. Further information is provided below in the ‘Training grant costings’ section.

Separate relocation award

This includes a separate award at 100% FEC funding awarded directly to the host organisation to support visa fees and relocation costs for the fellow and any family members classed as dependents, using the Home Office definition.

You should not include these costs within your main fellowship application. This is additional funding provided from EPSRC. Further information is provided below in the ‘Separate relocation award’ section.

The total cost to EPSRC for your fellowship award and training grant must not exceed £4.5 million. The maximum FEC of your project will depend on whether you have requested funding to support doctoral studentships. The cost of the separate relocation award is not included in the £4.5 million limit.

Fellowship award costings

EPSRC will support eligible costs at 80% of the FEC.

We expect you to request a significant package of resource, designed in partnership with your host organisation and any collaborative partners, to enable you to achieve the objectives of your research plans. This might include:

attractive packages for staff
access to data and infrastructure
other standard research grant costs

Resources may be used for research expenses including:

travel
equipment
research technical support including research and innovation associates, specialists, technicians, professional enabling staff and fellow salaries
training
other standard expenses

Resources may be used for activities that initiate, grow and maintain collaborations with stakeholders (for example academia, business, government, third sector) such as:

secondments
staff exchanges
regular travel

See further information on allowable costs.

Training grant costings

UKRI will fund 100% of eligible costs related to doctoral students. You may request funding for up to a maximum of three doctoral students.

Eligible costs vary between UKRI training grants, so please check the lists below for full details. All doctoral student costs requested in applications should be calculated at your chosen October 2025 rates with no addition made to consider inflation over the length of the funding period. This includes the appropriate fee rate for your institution, stipend rates at or above the UKRI minimum and research training support grant (RTSG) costs. UKRI will include an allowance for fee and stipend indexation at the final funding stage.

Please note: all funding for doctoral studentships should be included under ‘Exceptions’ fund heading. This funding will ultimately be issued as a separate training grant at the award stage.

All applicants are required to complete the following template for doctoral studentship costings (XLSX, 23KB) and submit with their application. The template covers financial information and the geographic balance of students.

Support for doctoral students is exceptionally permitted through this investment, where this is clearly justified. Where your application includes costs associated with doctoral students, extensions to the separate training grant will only be considered under exceptional circumstances, in line with the UKRI training grant terms and conditions. Funding cannot be transferred between the fellowship grant and the training grant.

Tuition fees

Fees charged to UKRI cannot be higher than the fee charged by the university for home funded students on similar programmes. The UKRI minimum rate for 2025/26 is £5,006.

Stipends

The stipends must be at least at the minimum rates published by UKRI; for 2025/26, this is £20,780. We will not cover additional college fees. Applicants may request funding for enhanced stipends, where justified in the context of the area of research and training and UK skills need. A top-up may be achieved through using business leverage rather than requesting further UKRI funding.

Research training support grant (RTSG)

This covers items for individual students such as travel, consumables, and facility access where this is linked to conducting the research of the project, or specialised training such as a summer school only being attended by a student due to their project.

Separate relocation award

Do not apply for costs related to visa fees and relocation costs in your application for the fellow or any of the fellow’s family members classed as dependents.

EPSRC will work with the host organisations of the successful applicants after the completion of the application process to provide a separate award at 100% FEC.

This will be awarded directly to the host organisation to support only the fellow and any family members classed as dependents, using the Home Office definition, transition to the UK, and may not be used to support other team members. It can include the following costs:

visa fees, including the Immigration Health Surcharge
provision for costs to support individuals and their family members classed as dependents in relocating to the UK. This may include visa fees and immigration costs, moving costs and travel costs.

The costs listed in the second bullet are broken down into two categories, these are:

certain relocation costs are exempt from paying tax and National Insurance. These costs include buying and selling a home and other moving costs. Please see the following guidance: Expenses and benefits: Relocation costs.
additional relocation costs which are not tax-free, such as travel costs and access to concierge services or a relocation advisor, are also available to support fellows and their families in moving to the UK.

We do not anticipate the total costs being over £40,000 for this separate relocation award to the host organisation. If the host organisation expects the above costs to support the fellow and any family members classed as dependents to be over £40,000, please discuss this with EPSRC.

This grant is expected to start before the other awards, and it must not last beyond 12 months.

The additional relocation award at 100% FEC to the host organisations of the successful applicants to support the fellow and any dependents transition to the UK is an exception to standard EPSRC policies and does not apply for other EPSRC awards.

Funding expectations

It is expected that resources will be used flexibly (in line with the UKRI grant terms and conditions) to deliver the vision and desired outcomes of the programme.

The fellowship must start by 1 February 2027, and no extensions will be given for delays in the appointment of staff. Therefore, when preparing the application, recruitment time should be taken into consideration. That is, if it is estimated that it will take six months to recruit a research and innovation associate (RIA) (was PDRA), then only 54 months of RIA time should be requested.

Only if there is an RIA or staff member ready to start at the beginning of the fellowship, should you apply for the full five years (60 months) of time.

Please note: due to the nature of this funding, grant extensions will only be considered under exceptional circumstances, in line with the Equality Act 2010, and will require UKRI agreement on a case-by-case basis. The research organisation remains responsible for compliance with the terms of the Equality Act 2010, including any subsequent amendments introduced while work is in progress, and for ensuring that the expectations set out in the UKRI statement of expectations for equality and diversity are met.

What we will not fund

The following costs cannot be included:

costs associated with student supervision
visa or immigration health surcharge costs related to doctoral students or their family members
estates and indirect costs related to doctoral training

Funding associated with studentships will be issued to the fellow as a separate training grant with training grant terms and conditions. See the guidance on meeting UKRI terms and conditions for funding.

Compute, data and equipment

Access to compute is a key enabling factor for the fellowships and is an allowable expenditure under the grant. Fellows are expected to build plans for access into their programme and allocate funding as appropriate.

Fellows will also need to obtain access to datasets independently. Project planning should outline how access to data and permissions to utilise data for AI analysis and training will be secured, where necessary.

Equipment, between £25,000 to £400,000 per item, can be included on applications for individual research projects if the equipment is essential to the proposed research and if no appropriate alternative provision can be accessed. EPSRC will contribute 80% of the final purchase price and the research organisation or project partner must contribute the remainder from non-EPSRC funding.

Note that access to compute should primarily be through existing infrastructure. We reserve the right to remove equipment where unaffordable.

Additional justification of the requirement for individual items of equipment between £25,000 and £400,000, and details of the proposed contribution to the cost of the equipment, must be provided in the Justification of Resources.

See details of how to include equipment in your application.

Smaller items of equipment, individually under £25,000, and consumables should be in the ‘Directly Incurred – Other Costs’ heading.

See more information about EPSRC’s approach to equipment funding.

Guidance for research organisations

Research organisation eligibility

To support the fellows with cutting-edge capability and opportunities that are required to drive groundbreaking core AI research and to support their transition to the UK, UK-based organisations must meet a set of eligibility criteria.

Research organisations intending to support a candidate for this funding opportunity must submit an Expression of Interest (EoI) survey to provide evidence against the eligibility criteria for this funding opportunity.

Further information on eligibility for research organisations, including eligibility criteria and deadline for submitting your EoI survey, is provided in the ‘Who can apply’ section.

Applicants should ensure that their host organisation has received approval from EPSRC to support a candidate for this opportunity before submitting their application.

Support for fellows

The host organisation must provide appropriate support to fellows to facilitate their transition to the UK and to integrate the fellow and their team into the UK research ecosystem and AI community. The host organisation is also expected to provide significant tangible support to the fellow in building their profile, research activity and career, in order to enable the fellow’s full potential contribution to the host organisation and broader UK AI ecosystem to be realised.

The host organisation should actively enable flexible fellowship pathways including secondments and collaboration building with cross-sector stakeholders and invest in developing the career and leadership skills of the fellow, including through providing the fellow with a mentor. The research organisation is also expected to encourage and support the fellow in engaging with the wider cohort of Turing AI fellows.

Host organisation statement

The Host Organisation Statement is an important feature of this award, as the host organisation will play a key role in the recruitment, support and retention of global talent.

Host organisations should use their Host Organisation Statement to clearly describe their long-term strategy for AI, how it complements the UK landscape, and how they anticipate the fellow will enable them to deliver their strategy and strengthen their research capability and culture.

Within their Host Organisation Statement, the host organisation must:

set out the strategic reasons for wanting to recruit and retain the world-leading individual in question
articulate the fellow’s anticipated role in delivering the organisation’s AI strategy
explain their intended approach to supporting the individual and their team, including their transition to the UK, their integration into the UK research ecosystem and AI community, and their research activity to enable their full potential contribution to collaborating groups, host organisation and the wider UK AI ecosystem to be realised
articulate the significant tangible support that will be offered to the fellow, which is expected to be above and beyond that of a standard fellowship and commensurate with the national strategic need to invest in that individual. This may include access to world-class facilities, infrastructure, services, equipment, resources, strategic partnerships or other support.
confirm that career mobility between the fellow’s team and collaborative partners in other disciplines or sectors will be enabled, including where appropriate secondments in both directions
if applicable, set out how the host organisation will create and maintain a positive, inclusive, and supportive environment for all doctoral students supported by or involved in this fellowship, addressing a variety of needs and supporting good wellbeing, including relevant, specific support and training for supervisors where needed. Host organisation support should meet the UKRI’s statement of expectations for doctoral training.

At the end of this five year investment, it is expected that each of the fellows supported, along with their wider groups and activities, will be moving towards a sustainable position at the end of the fellowship. This will be enabled in part by their host organisation, which is expected to provide ongoing strategic support beyond the fellowship’s duration.

The host organisation and the applicant should co-create a work plan for the investment, outlining the institutional and partner support that will be required to ensure the anticipated outcomes of the fellowship are delivered, and the full potential of the UK investment in the individual is realised. This should include plans to realise their research vision, develop their leadership, and progress their career during as well as beyond the end of this fellowship. This plan should be monitored and adapted as required to enable a flexible fellowship pathway.

Supporting skills and talent

We encourage you to follow the principles of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and the Technician Commitment.

Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)

UKRI is committed in ensuring that effective international collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks. Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) is a UKRI work programme designed to help protect all those working in our thriving and collaborative international sector by enabling partnerships to be as open as possible, and as secure as necessary. Our TR&I Principles set out UKRI’s expectations of organisations funded by UKRI in relation to due diligence for international collaboration.

As such, applicants for UKRI funding will be asked to demonstrate how their proposed projects will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help proportionately reduce these risks. This is in line with our UKRI TR&I Principles and funding terms and conditions (RCG 2.6.2, 2.7.1 and 2.7.2).

Applicant and host organisations should be aware of the requirements of UKRI Grant Terms and Conditions, particularly RGC 2.2.2 which sets out expectations related to the NS&I Act, export control and the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS).

Please be aware that additional grant terms and conditions may be required to ensure compliance with UK legislation, including any additional legislation on AI and data security.

See further guidance and information about TR&I, including where applicants can find additional support.

How to apply

We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.

The fellow is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application.

Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.

To apply

Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.

Confirm you are the fellow.
Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password. If your organisation is not listed, email support@funding-service.ukri.org
Please allow at least 10 working days for your organisation to be added to the Funding Service. We strongly suggest that if you are asking UKRI to add your organisation to the Funding Service to enable you to apply to this Opportunity, you also create an organisation Administration Account. This will be needed to allow the acceptance and management of any grant that might be offered to you.
Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the How to apply section on this Funding finder page.
Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.
Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.
Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI.

Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.

When including images, you must:

provide a descriptive caption or legend for each image immediately underneath it (this must be outside the image and counts towards your word limit)
insert each new image onto a new line
use files smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format

Images should only be used to convey important visual information that cannot easily be put into words. The following are not permitted, and your application may be rejected if you include:

sentences or paragraphs of text
tables
excessive quantities of images

A few words are permitted where the image would lack clarity without the contextual words, such as a diagram, where text labels are required for an axis or graph column.

For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:

References

References should be included within the word count of the appropriate question section. You should use your discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application.

Hyperlinks can be used in reference information. When including references, you should consider how your references will be viewed and used by the assessors, ensuring that:

references are easily identifiable by the assessors
references are formatted as appropriate to your research
persistent identifiers are used where possible

General use of hyperlinks

Applications should be self-contained. You should only use hyperlinks to link directly to reference information. You must not include links to web resources to extend your application. Assessors are not required to access links to conduct assessment or recommend a funding decision.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Use of generative AI tools to prepare funding applications is permitted, however, caution should be applied.

For more information see our policy on the use of generative AI in application and assessment.

Organisational support expectations

Host organisations must work with their candidates during the application stage to agree to a tailored and substantial support package, which is expected to include strategic support for the fellows and potentially access to world-class facilities, resources, strategic partnerships or other support. This support package will be reviewed by panel members during the assessment process as a factor on which to base funding decisions.

Please note: This is not an exception to UKRI’s standard approach to matched funding as set out in the policy. For this funding opportunity, organisational support is essential to the applicant’s capability to deliver their proposed outcomes.

Deadline

EPSRC must receive your application by 12 March 2026 at 4:00pm UK time.

You will not be able to apply after this time.

Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines.

Following the submission of your application to this funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and submitted applications will not be amended. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.

If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected. If an application is withdrawn prior to peer review or office rejected due to substantive errors in the application, it cannot be resubmitted to the funding opportunity.

Research organisation eligibility

Completed EoI surveys to confirm research organisations’ eligibility must be submitted by 9 January 2026 at 4:00pm UK time.

EPSRC will review each EoI survey and confirm eligibility to support candidates before the end of January.

You will not be able to submit an EoI survey after this time.

Following the submission of your EoI survey, your survey cannot be changed, and surveys will not be returned for amendment. If your provided evidence do not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.

Fellowship applications will only be processed if the host UK research organisation is deemed eligible.

Personal data

Processing personal data

EPSRC, as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications.

We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice.

EPSRC, as part of UKRI, will need to share the application and any personal information that it contains with Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and any other partner organisations, so that they can participate in the assessment process. See more information on how DSIT uses personal information.

Sensitive information

If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email tfschangeepsrc@epsrc.ukri.org

Include in the subject line: [the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number].

Typical examples of confidential information include:

individual is unavailable until a certain date (for example due to parental leave)
declaration of interest
additional information about eligibility to apply that would not be appropriately shared in the ‘Applicant and team capability’ section
conflict of interest for UKRI to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection
the application is an invited resubmission

For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read UKRI’s privacy notice.

Publication of outcomes

EPSRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at EPSRC Funding Applications Outcomes.

If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research.

Summary

Word limit: 550

In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application.

We usually make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information. Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example:

opinion-formers
policymakers
the public
the wider research community

Guidance for writing a summary

Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:

context
the challenge the project addresses
aims and objectives
potential applications and benefits

Core team

List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:

fellow
project co-lead (UK) (PcL)
project co-lead (international) (PcL (I))
specialist
professional enabling staff
research and innovation associate
technician
visiting researcher

Only list one individual as fellow.

You should include all other international collaborators (or UK partners not based at approved organisations) as project partners.

UKRI has introduced a new addition to the ‘Specialist’ role type. Public contributors such as people with lived experience can now be added to an application.

Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications.

Vision and Approach

Create a document that includes your responses to all criteria. The document should not be more than six sides of A4, single spaced in paper in 11-point Arial (or equivalent sans serif font) with margins of at least 2cm. You may include images, graphs, tables. You can have an additional page for a diagrammatic workplan.

For the file name, use the unique Funding Service number the system gives you when you create an application, followed by the words ‘Vision and Approach’.

Save this document as a single PDF file, no bigger than 8MB. Unless specifically requested, do not include any sensitive personal data within the attachment.

If the attachment does not meet these requirements, the application will be rejected.

The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply.

What are you hoping to achieve with and how are you going to deliver your proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

For the Vision, explain how your proposed work:

is of excellent quality and importance within or beyond the field(s) or area(s)
has the potential to advance current understanding, or generates new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field or area of its focus
is timely, given current trends, context, and needs
impacts world-leading research, society, the economy or the environment

Within the Vision section we also expect you to:

demonstrate the potential to have a transformative impact on the UK AI research and innovation landscape through building new AI capability and capacity in the UK and advancing the AI state of the art
demonstrate how this complements other UK research within the AI landscape, including alignment to the UKRI portfolio and the UK’s ambitions in AI as set out in the AI Opportunities Action Plan and UK Industrial Strategy
outline how your vision enables you to act as a leader within the AI landscape and global AI community to engage with, influence and advocate for the strategic direction of the UK’s AI ecosystem
identify the potential direct or indirect benefits and who the beneficiaries might be

For the Approach, explain how you have designed your work so that it:

is effective and appropriate to achieve your objectives
is feasible, and comprehensively identifies any risks to delivery and how you will manage them
if applicable, uses a clear and transparent methodology
if applicable, summarises the previous work and describes how this will be built upon and progressed
will maximise translation of outputs into outcomes and impacts

Within the Approach section we also expect you to:

demonstrate access to the appropriate services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment to deliver the proposed work
provide a detailed and comprehensive project plan, including milestones and timelines in the form of a Gantt chart or diagram
include a detailed and appropriate plan for how you will acquire and manage data
explain how you will embed the principles of trustworthy, sustainable, and socially responsible AI, including responsible research and innovation (RRI) and trusted research, throughout your activities
demonstrate how you will build strong relationships and collaborations between academia, business, and broader stakeholders in the UK and internationally

References may be included within this section.

Strengthening the UK’s AI ecosystem

Word limit: 500

How will you work to strengthen research within your host institution and UK-based collaborating groups during your fellowship?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Provide evidence of:

a clear, realistic and strategically aligned collaboration plan for engaging with UK-based research groups, including within your host institution and beyond
the intended benefits you will contribute to collaborating groups at your host research organisation and the broader UK AI ecosystem. This should include how your work will build capabilities, stimulate innovation, develop talent and support the long-term sustainability of the research environment

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

Applicant and team capability to deliver

Word limit: 1,650

Why are you the right individual to successfully deliver the proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Evidence of how you have:

the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage) to make best use of the benefits presented by this funding opportunity to develop your career
the right balance of skills and aptitude to deliver the proposed work
the appropriate team and community leadership experience and skills (appropriate to career stage)

Within this section we also expect you to:

confirm you have been based outside of the UK for at least 24 months prior to applying to this fellowship opportunity
justify that you are an established international leader in AI or can demonstrate outstanding potential to shape the future of AI research globally
describe how you and your team’s research environment (in terms of place and relevance to the project) will contribute to the success of the work, build new AI capacity, and advance the UK’s AI research and innovation capabilities

If you have project co-lead(s), within this section, we also expect you to:

justify the inclusion of this individual for a time-limed period, including what complementary and different skills they bring to the fellowship project

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

The word count for this section is 1,650 words, 1,150 words to be used for R4RI modules (including references) and, if necessary, a further 500 words for Additions.

Use the Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) format to showcase the range of relevant skills you have and how this will help to deliver the proposed work. You can include specific achievements and choose past contributions that best evidence your ability to deliver this work.

Complete this section using the following R4RI module headings. You should use each heading once, see the UKRI guidance on R4RI. You should consider how to balance your answer, and emphasise where appropriate the key skills you bring:

contributions to the generation of new ideas, tools, methodologies, or knowledge
the development of others and maintenance of effective working relationships
contributions to the wider research and innovation community
contributions to broader research or innovation, users and audiences, and towards wider societal benefit

Additions

Provide any further details relevant to your application. This section is optional and can be up to 500 words. You should not use it to describe additional skills, experiences, or outputs, but you can use it to describe any factors that provide context for the rest of your R4RI (for example, details of career breaks if you wish to disclose them).

You should complete this section as a narrative. Do not format it like a CV.

References may be included within this section.

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

The roles in funding applications policy has descriptions of the different project roles.

Career development

Word limit: 1,000

Why is this fellowship the right way to develop your career and how will you use it to benefit others?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Ensure that you have identified:

career development goals appropriate to the fellowship funding opportunity
how the fellowship will provide a feasible and appropriate trajectory for your personal development and to achieve your stated career development goals (as appropriate to your career stage and field)
how you will instigate positive change in the wider research and innovation community, for example through Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), advocacy or advisory roles, stakeholder engagement, participation in expert review, influencing policy, public engagement, or outreach

Within the Career development section we also expect you to describe:

how you will ensure continued research and professional development in you and those you will be managing on the project, to have a positive research and innovation experience, with opportunities or support to progress careers (useful links Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and Technician Commitment)
what mentoring arrangements are proposed and how they are appropriate to you

Doctoral studentships

Word limit: 1,000

Does your proposal require funding for doctoral students?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

The Turing AI Global Fellowships funding opportunity may exceptionally provide funding for doctoral students. This exception recognises that studentships supported through UKRI’s main routes may have been committed before the fellowships are awarded.

These fellowships represent an exciting opportunity for students to train and acquire skills through working with eminent researchers they wouldn’t have otherwise had access to. The students will also benefit from the vibrant, balanced teams which combine doctoral and post-doctoral research and build leadership for the future in key areas of AI.

In line with the above explanation, please provide a justification for any doctoral studentships. Ensure that you have included:

a clear vision for the added value of associating doctoral training with the fellowship, including why additional UKRI investment is needed on top of existing UKRI studentship funding
how you will embed delivery of UKRI’s statement of expectations for doctoral training. You should aim to build students’ understanding of what conducting high quality research involves, and prepare globally competitive researchers for a range of sectors and careers
how you and the host organisation will create and maintain a positive, inclusive, and supportive environment for all students and staff involved
detail of how the students’ engagement in the investment will play a notable role in establishing a sustainable AI ecosystem

The positive, inclusive, and supportive environment created and maintained by you and the host organisation is expected to address a variety of needs and support good wellbeing. You should have an appropriate track record of supporting the training and development of others and of research and pastoral capacity to support the studentships requested.

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

Enter ‘N/A’ in the text box if you are not requesting funding for doctoral students.

Host organisation support

Word limit: 1,000

How will the host organisation support your fellowship?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Provide a support statement including:

evidence detailing how the host will support you, as appropriate for your career development and the vision and approach of the fellowship
who you have engaged with in your host organisation (name and role)
how your research environment will contribute to the success of the work, in terms of suitability of the host organisation and strategic relevance to the project
how the host organisation will ensure your time commitment to the fellowship is protected
what development and training opportunities will be provided and how they form a cohesive career development package tailored to your aims and aspirations
what financial or practical support, such as access to the appropriate services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment, is being provided and how this strengthens your application

Within the Host Organisation Support Statement, we also expect you to describe:

how your research complements the host organisation’s strategy for AI research
how the host organisation will support you and your team, including transition to the UK, integration into the UK research ecosystem and AI community, and research activity to enable your full potential contribution to collaborating groups, host organisation and the wider UK AI ecosystem to be realised
what is the significant tangible support package that will be offered to you, which is expected to be above and beyond that of a standard fellowship and commensurate with the national strategic need to invest in you. This may include, but is not limited to, access to world-class facilities, infrastructure, services, equipment, resources, strategic partnerships or other support
how career mobility between the fellow’s team and collaborative partners in other disciplines or sectors will be enabled, including where appropriate secondments in both directions
if applicable, how the host organisation will create and maintain a positive, inclusive, and supportive environment for all doctoral students supported by or involved in this fellowship, addressing a variety of needs and supporting good wellbeing, including relevant, specific support and training for supervisors where needed. Host organisation support should meet UKRI’s statement of expectations for doctoral training
how you and the host organisation have engaged to develop a research work plan that will allow the applicant to follow a flexible research, collaboration, and leadership pathway throughout the fellowship

Assessors will be looking for a strong Host Organisation Support Statement from your research organisation. This information should have been approved for submission by an appropriate institutional authority.

EPSRC recognises that in some instances, this information may be provided by the Research Office, the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) or equivalent, or a combination of both.

You must also include the following details:

a significant person’s name, their position and office or department, or all
office address or web link

Resources and cost justification

Word limit: 1,000

What will you need to deliver your proposed work and how much will it cost?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Justify the application’s more costly resources, in particular:

project staff
significant travel for field work or collaboration (but not regular travel between collaborating organisations or to conferences)
any equipment that will cost more than £25,000
any consumables beyond typical requirements, or that are required in exceptional quantities
all facilities and infrastructure costs
doctoral training costs, although funding levels do not need to be justified where these are at the minimum rates set by UKRI
all resources that have been costed as ‘Exceptions’

You can request costs associated with reasonable adjustments where they increase as a direct result of working on the project. For further information see Disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders.

Assessors are not looking for detailed costs or a line-by-line breakdown of all project resources. Overall, they want you to demonstrate how the resources you anticipate needing for your proposed work:

are comprehensive, appropriate, and justified
represent the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes
maximise potential outcomes and impacts

Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)

Word limit: 500

You are expected to embed the principles of responsible AI and responsible research and innovation (RRI) and trusted research throughout your activities.

What are the ethical or RRI implications and issues relating to the proposed work?

If you do not think that the proposed work raises any ethical or RRI issues, explain why.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Demonstrate that you have identified and evaluated:

the relevant ethical and responsible research and innovation considerations
the wider implications of the proposed work, and how you will maximise the positive societal, environmental, and economic benefits arising from the project, whilst minimising unintended negative impacts, such as research misuse or accidental harm
how you will manage these considerations

If you are collecting or using data you should identify:

any legal and ethical considerations of collecting, releasing or storing the data (including consent, confidentiality, anonymisation, security and other ethical considerations and, in particular, strategies to not preclude further re-use of data)
formal information standards that your proposed work will comply with

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

Please refer to the UKRI position statement on funding ethical research and Responsible innovation for more information around our expectations on ethical and responsible research and innovation.

Project partners

Add details about any project partners’ contributions. If there are no project partners, you can indicate this on the Funding Service.

A project partner is a collaborating organisation who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include direct contributions for example cash, donated equipment and resources, or staff seconded to the project, or indirect and in-kind contributions for example use of project partner’s equipment, datasets, or facilities. Project partners may be in industry, academia, third sector or government organisations in the UK or overseas, including partners based in the EU.

Add the following project partner details:

the organisation name and address (searchable via a drop-down list or enter the organisation’s details manually, as applicable)
the project partner contact name and email address
the type of contribution (direct or indirect) and its monetary value

If a detail is entered incorrectly and you have saved the entry, remove the specific project partner record and re-add it with the correct information.

For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.

Project partners: letters (or emails) of support

Upload a single PDF containing the letters or emails of support from each partner you named in the Project Partner section. These should be uploaded in English or Welsh only.

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Enter the words ‘attachment supplied’ in the text box, or if you do not have any project partners enter N/A. Each letter or email you provide should:

confirm the partner’s commitment to the project
clearly explain the value, relevance, and possible benefits of the work to them
describe any additional value that they bring to the project
have a page limit of two sides A4 per partner

The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply. If you do not have any project partners, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.

Ensure you have prior agreement from project partners so that, if you are offered funding, they will support your project as indicated in the contributions template.

For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.

Letters of support from the host and project co-leads’ research organisations should be included under the ‘Host Organisation Support’ section.

Facilities

Word limit: 250

Does your proposed research require the support and use of a facility?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If you will need to use a facility, follow your proposed facility’s normal access request procedures. Ensure you have prior agreement so that if you are offered funding, they will support the use of their facility on your project.

For each requested facility you will need to provide the:

name of facility, copied and pasted from the facility information list (DOCX, 42KB)
proposed usage or costs, or costs per unit where indicated on the facility information list
confirmation you have their agreement where required

Facilities should only be named if they are on the facility information list above.

If you will not need to use a facility, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.

Data management and sharing

Word limit: 1,500

All applicants planning to generate data as part of their fellowship must complete the Data management and sharing question.

How will you manage and share data collected or acquired through the proposed research?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Provide a data management plan that clearly details how you will comply with UKRI’s published data sharing policy, which includes detailed guidance notes.

Trusted Research and Innovation

Word limit: 100

Does your proposed work relate to UKRI’s Trusted Research and Innovation principles?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Demonstrate how your proposed work relates to UKRI’s Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) principles including:

list any dual-use (both military and non-military) applications to your research
if this project is relevant to one or more of the 17 areas of the UK National Security and Investment (NSI) Act, please list the area(s)
please read the academic export control guidance and confirm if an export control license is required for this project and the status of any application(s)
if your project involves any items or substances on the UK strategic export control list, please list these

We may ask you to provide additional TR&I information later, in line with UKRI’s TR&I Principles and funding terms and conditions (RCG 2.6.2, 2.7.1 and 2.7.2).

International collaboration

Word limit: 100

Does the proposed work involve any international collaboration or engagement?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Provide details about your expected international collaboration or engagement, including:

a list of the countries your international project co-leads, project partners, visiting researchers, or other collaborators are based in
details of any subcontractors or service providers

If your proposed work does not involve international collaboration or engagement, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.

How we will assess your application

Assessment process

This funding opportunity will use a two-stage assessment process.

Any proposals that do not fit the remit or eligibility requirements of this fellowship funding opportunity, or where EPSRC has not deemed the host organisation eligible to apply, will be rejected prior to assessment.

EPSRC will select experts from the community to be a part of the assessment panels. You will not be able to nominate panel members on the UKRI Funding Service.

Stage 1: assessment panel

Prior to the assessment panel meeting, we will invite the panel members to review your application independently, against the published assessment criteria for this funding opportunity.

Applications which do not receive sufficiently supportive comments will normally be rejected at this stage.

Applications receiving sufficiently supportive comments will be invited to respond to comments in late April 2026. You will be given 10 working days to respond to the comments and questions prior to the assessment panel meeting. This step allows you to address panel members’ concerns and clarify misunderstandings.

The assessment panel will assess your application and applicant response against the assessment criteria and make shortlisting recommendations to EPSRC. Final decisions on who to invite to interview will be made by EPSRC with input from DSIT.

The assessment panel will take place in May 2026.

In addition to the recommendations of the panel, although quality will be the primary consideration, we will consider the balance of proposals across UKRI’s portfolio and relevant government strategic priorities when determining which applicants to invite to interview.

Stage two: interview panel

For shortlisted applicants, an interview panel will conduct virtual interviews with applicants after which the panel will make a funding recommendation.

If you are selected for a virtual interview, we will contact you with details of the time and date of your interview, along with further information on the interview process.

Virtual interviews will take place between 15 June and 26 June. You will be notified at least 10 work days in advance of your interview day and time.

Applications will be assessed against the assessment criteria, and applicants should be prepared to answer questions specific to their proposal and related to the assessment criteria.

The interview panel will rank the applications and make a funding recommendation to EPSRC.

Final decisions will be ratified by the UKRI AI Fellows Programme Board which includes membership from across UKRI and DSIT. You will be notified of the outcome of your interview within four weeks.

All interviewed applicants will receive feedback from the panel, which will be shared alongside the system-generated email sent by the Funding Service with the final outcome.

Principles of assessment

We support the San Francisco declaration on research assessment and recognise the relationship between research assessment and research integrity.

Find out about the UKRI principles of assessment and decision making.

We reserve the right to modify the assessment process as needed.

Using generative artificial intelligence (AI) in expert review

Reviewers and panellists are not permitted to use generative AI tools to develop their assessment. Using these tools can potentially compromise the confidentiality of the ideas that applicants have entrusted to UKRI to safeguard.

For more detail see our policy on the use of generative AI.

Assessment areas

The assessment areas we will use are:

Vision and approach
Strengthening the UK’s AI Ecosystem
Applicant and team capability to deliver
Career development
Doctoral studentships
Organisation and project partner support – Research environment
Resources and cost justification
Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)

The assessment process will place more emphasis on the ‘research-based’ criteria at the assessment panel meeting and more emphasis on the ‘person-based’ criteria at interview. However, both stages of review may consider any assessment criteria.

Find details of assessment questions and criteria under the ‘Application questions’ heading in the ‘How to apply’ section.

Contact details

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Contact details

For help and advice on costings and writing your proposal please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.

For questions related to this specific funding opportunity please contact ai.robotics@epsrc.ukri.org

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Email: support@funding-service.ukri.org
Phone: 01793 547490

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For further information on submitting an application read How applicants use the Funding Service.

Additional info

Background

The UK is launching this ambitious AI fellowship opportunity to establish the UK as a global leader in transformative AI research. We are seeking exceptional researchers from around the world to join our world-class research ecosystem and drive breakthrough discoveries that will shape the future of AI and its applications.

This funding opportunity offers the chance for leading researchers to conduct cutting-edge AI research within the UK’s leading academic and innovation landscape, with access to substantial funding, and collaborative networks spanning academia, industry and government.

Applicants can gain an understanding around the UK’s ambitions in AI from the following:

Research and innovation impact

Impact can be defined as the long-term intended or unintended effect research and innovation has on society, economy and the environment; to individuals, organisations, and the wider global population.

Global Talent visa

Successful applicants who require a visa to work in the UK will be eligible to be considered for a UKRI-endorsed Global Talent visa.

Responsible innovation

EPSRC is fully committed to developing and promoting responsible innovation. Research has the ability to not only produce understanding, knowledge and value, but also unintended consequences, questions, ethical dilemmas and, at times, unexpected social transformations.

We recognise that we have a duty of care to promote approaches to responsible innovation that will initiate ongoing reflection about the potential ethical and societal implications of the research that we sponsor, and to encourage our research community to do likewise.

Additional grant conditions

Grants are awarded under the standard UKRI grant terms and conditions. The expected additional grant conditions that will apply are highlighted below.

Start date of the grant

Notwithstanding ‘starting procedures’, this grant must start by 1 February 2027. No slippage of start date beyond 1 February 2027 will be permitted. Expenditure may be incurred prior to the start of the grant and be subsequently charged to the grant, provided that it does not precede the date of the offer letter.

Grant extensions

No grant extensions beyond exceptional circumstances in line with the Equality Act 2010 will be allowed. We will not be responsible for any cost overrun incurred during the course of this grant. The research organisation or organisations will be required to make up any shortfall from alternative sources.

Naming and branding

Fellowship titles must be prefixed with ‘Turing AI Global Fellowship’. In addition to RGC 12.4 ‘publication and acknowledgement of support’ in the standard terms and conditions of grants, the fellow must make reference to the ‘Turing AI Global Fellowship’ or ‘Turing AI Fellowship’ title. Additionally, UKRI funding, the UKRI logo and relevant branding must be referenced on all online or printed materials (including press releases, posters, exhibition materials and other publications) related to activities funded by this grant.

Engagement

The grant holder, as an active member of the AI Turing fellows’ cohort, is required to attend meetings, such as coffee mornings, annual and showcase events and other joint activities at the reasonable request of the research council. These activities are held across the cohort of individuals awarded Turing AI fellowships in order to:

share experiences, research, best practice and expertise
build strong relationships and collaborations
support wider public engagement activities
increase research impacts and outputs

Governance

We will nominate a member of our staff (‘the project officer’) who will be your primary point of contact. The project officer will ensure that the project is being run in accordance with the terms and conditions and in line with financial due diligence. As funding administrators, all UKRI staff have agreed to maintain the confidentiality required by all parties involved in EPSRC-funded research.

Monitoring and reporting

In addition to the requirements set out RGC 7.4.3 in the standard terms and conditions of grants, the grant holder must provide:

six monthly update reports focused on key outputs and outcomes
annual reports focused on progress against fellowship aims, key outputs, outcomes, impacts, future plans and financial reporting
end of grant report detailing key outputs, outcomes and impacts
mid term review and final evaluation of the overall programme
standard Researchfish reporting
any other additional information as deemed necessary for monitoring evaluation purposes requested by us

We expect that the frequency of financial returns will be once a year in the annual reports but reserves the right to request returns more or less often as appropriate to respond to changes in business needs. A template and guidance to complete this will be provided by us in due course.

We reserve the right to suspend the grant and withhold further payments if the performance metrics requested are not provided by the stated deadlines or are determined to be of an unacceptable standard by us.

Programme and project review

In addition to the requirements set out in RGC 7.4 Research Monitoring and Evaluation and 7.5 Disclosure and Inspection in the standard terms and conditions of grants, we reserve the right to instigate a mid-term review, final evaluation of the overall programme, and additional reviews of all or part of the grant at any stage during the lifetime of the award as well as after the grant has finished.

Grant holders will be required to submit documentation and engage with those conducting any reviews. We will give the grant holder due notice of the date of any review and will provide details of the terms of reference and documentation required. An unsatisfactory outcome of a grant review may result in a reduction or termination of the grant funding.

Expenditure

At the start of the grant, the financial spend profile will be agreed by us. In addition to any reporting requirements set out in ‘monitoring and reporting’, the grant holder must immediately notify the UKRI project officer or officers in writing of any accumulation, slippage or variation in expenditure greater than 5% of the annual profiled funding.

Any such changes must be approved in writing by us. Approval should not be assumed and will be dependent on spend across all associated grants. We reserve the right to re-profile the grant if required.

Any deviation from the agreed allocation of funding and profiled costs must be negotiated and approved through written consent by us. The approval of profile changes should not be assumed and will be dependent on spend across all associated grants. At the end of the grant period, a breakdown of the expenditure should be submitted along with the final expenditure statement.

Collection of information

We will use information collected via UKRI’s studentship data system to monitor financial, project and other aspects of the doctoral training funded through this award. We will continue to monitor the quality of student data in terms of content and numbers submitted, and also any records which do not have enough information to assign to a subject area or do not appear to be within the remit of the research council.

We reserve the right to call for periodic information on progress (including annual monitoring and interim financial reporting), or to visit the research organisation. Where information is requested the research organisation must take all reasonable steps to provide this in a timely manner. Certain information, such as information on the post-award employment of students, may be collected on our behalf by other organisations (such as HESA).

Doctoral studentship duration

The funded period of a studentship award must be at least three and no more than four years (full time equivalent) in duration, but the research organisation may determine the duration within these limits. The funded period and duration of the doctoral project should be agreed with the student at the outset.

As stated in the UKRI guidance, it is expected that projects are planned in such a way that it is possible (and generally expected) for a student to submit within the funded period, as agreed at the outset of the project.

Use of funds

This award must be used to support doctoral students aligned to a related research grant. Doctoral studentships must add value to the research and should be pursuing independent lines of inquiry in aligned areas under the general themes of the award. Students must not be on the critical pathways of success for research grant delivery.

Research disruption due to COVID-19

We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major interruptions and disruptions across our communities. We are committed to ensuring that individual applicants and their wider team, including partners and networks, are not penalised for any disruption to their career, such as:

breaks and delays
disruptive working patterns and conditions
the loss of ongoing work
role changes that may have been caused by the pandemic

Reviewers and panel members will be advised to consider the unequal impacts that COVID-19 related disruption might have had on the capability to deliver and career development of those individuals included in the application. They will be asked to consider the capability of the applicant and their wider team to deliver the research they are proposing.

Supporting documents

Template for doctoral studentship costings (XLSX, 23KB)

Funding opportunity: Turing AI Global Fellowships

Who can apply

Who is eligible to apply

Applicant eligibility

Residency requirement

Joint positions

Research organisation eligibility

AI research funding

Application limits

Expression of Interest survey

Candidate selection

Who is not eligible to apply

International researchers

Resubmissions

Equality, diversity and inclusion

What we're looking for

Aim

Funding opportunity objectives

Scope

Leadership expectations

Fellowship expectations

End user partnerships and collaborations

Mentorship

Engagement with the Turing Fellows Cohort

Monitoring and evaluation

Time commitment

Doctoral studentships

Project co-lead

Duration

Funding available

Fellowship award

Training grant

Separate relocation award

Fellowship award costings

Training grant costings

Tuition fees

Stipends

Research training support grant (RTSG)

Separate relocation award

Funding expectations

What we will not fund

Compute, data and equipment

Guidance for research organisations

Research organisation eligibility

Support for fellows

Host organisation statement

Supporting skills and talent

Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)

How to apply

To apply

References

General use of hyperlinks

Generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Organisational support expectations

Deadline

Research organisation eligibility

Personal data

Processing personal data

Sensitive information

Publication of outcomes

Summary

Guidance for writing a summary

Core team

Vision and Approach

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Strengthening the UK’s AI ecosystem

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Applicant and team capability to deliver

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Additions

Career development

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Doctoral studentships

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Host organisation support

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Resources and cost justification

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Resources and cost justification

Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)