Turing AI Pioneer Interdisciplinary Fellowships (2026 Start)

In a transformative leap for cross-disciplinary research, the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has opened applications for the Turing AI Pioneer Interdisciplinary Fellowships, offering established researchers across all academic domains the unique opportunity to integrate advanced AI into their research fields. If you’re a non-AI specialist with an ambitious vision of how AI could drive real-world impact in your area, this fellowship is tailor-made for you.

About the Fellowship

Funded by a collaboration of seven UKRI councils, including EPSRC, AHRC, MRC, and ESRC, this flagship fellowship programme supports researchers without a core AI background to build AI skills and lead transformative research initiatives. With a total budget of £22 million, each successful project can receive up to £2,187,500 (at 80% full economic cost) over a 3-year period.

Fellowships must start on 1 October 2026 and are intended to develop the fellow’s domain-specific research using cutting-edge AI technologies, while also enabling them to become thought leaders and influencers of inclusive AI adoption in their field.

Who Should Apply?

This opportunity is open to established researchers based in the UK who:

• Do not come from a core AI background.
• Are hosted by a UKRI-eligible research organisation.
• Wish to adopt advanced AI to tackle a research challenge in their discipline.
• Can commit a minimum of 50% FTE to the fellowship over three years.
• Collaborate with an AI expert (UK-based experts can be listed as project co-leads).

While international researchers are not eligible as lead applicants, they may participate as project collaborators under specific agreements.

UKRI encourages diverse applicants from all domains — humanities, health, environmental science, engineering, and more — with an emphasis on inclusive career backgrounds, interdisciplinary collaboration, and real-world societal impact.

Fellowship Objectives

Successful fellows will:

• Gain hands-on experience in AI integration and apply it to domain-specific research.
• Lead interdisciplinary research teams and develop new tools, methods, or models.
• Foster strong cross-sector collaborations, including with industry, government, and NGOs.
• Participate in a national cohort of Turing AI fellows, influencing broader AI adoption across disciplines.
• Receive support for professional development, mentoring, and public engagement.

Eligible Research Areas

All domains under the UKRI remit are welcome. High-priority areas include:

• Engineering biology
• Frontier physics
• Materials science
• Medical research
• Quantum technology

Applicants must present a compelling case for how AI will be transformative in their field and how they will co-lead with an AI collaborator to deliver innovative results.

Fellowship Funding Package

Each Turing AI Pioneer Interdisciplinary Fellowship offers a substantial funding package ranging between £500,000 and £2,187,500, covering up to 80% of the full economic cost (FEC) of the proposed research project.

The fellowship is fixed for a duration of 36 months and is designed to support a comprehensive suite of research activities. Eligible costs covered under this funding include researcher salaries, equipment purchases (with individual items capped at £400,000), compute resources essential for AI development, professional development opportunities, travel expenses, and collaboration support with partners across sectors. However, it is important to note that studentships are not supported under this funding scheme/

Application Process

Applications are submitted through the new UKRI Funding Service (not via Je-S). The process includes:

1. Preparing a detailed outline research proposal (max 3 A4 pages + optional 1-page work plan).
2. Submitting the outline application by 14 October 2025, 4:00pm UK time.
3. Invited candidates will be asked to submit a full application at a later stage.

Each UK research organization may only submit four outline applications, so internal institutional deadlines may apply.

The research organisation must also submit a diversity statement via Microsoft Forms detailing how their internal selection process ensured inclusive candidate selection.

Application Portal: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/turing-ai-pioneer-interdisciplinary-fellowships-outline-applications/

Application Deadline: The last date to submit an outline application for the Turing AI Pioneer Interdisciplinary Fellowships is 14 October 2025 at 4:00 PM UK Time. Full projects must start by 1 October 2026, and the fellowships will run for a fixed term of three years.