UKRI have announced the Turing AI Pioneer Interdisciplinary Fellowships. The fellowships will be for up to 36 months, with a start date of 1 October 2026. Please note that for this funding call, UKRI will permit joint applications on a job-share basis. Further information about this call can be found on the funding webpage.
This funding call is for established researchers, without a background in core artificial intelligence (AI) research, who want to build domain relevant AI capability and develop advanced AI approaches to tackle a specific research challenge in their chosen field. Applicants will put forward a vision for how the development of advanced AI systems and approaches could enable potentially transformative new avenues in their field of research.
Researchers with a background in core AI research are not eligible to apply for this funding.
In their outline applications, applicants will be expected to nominate an AI Expert Collaborator, who will support the fellow’s development and collaborate on the planned research throughout the life of the fellowship. UK based collaborators will be costed as project co-leads.
Oxford applicants may wish to nominate a Research Software Engineer for this role, from Oxford Research Software Engineering Group (OxRSE) or Digital Scholarship@Oxford (DiSc). Please contact OxRSE or DiSc directly to discuss your requirements:
Internal Selection Process
Oxford is only able to submit four outline applications to this call, therefore Research Services will run a coordinated process to select the applications that will be put forward.
Applicants are invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EoI) by completing and submitting an EoI application form via IRAMS, in time for Oxford’s internal deadline: 12.00pm on Wednesday 3 September 2025. EoIs will be reviewed by a cross-divisional selection panel, and applicants will be notified by mid-September.
Before submitting an EoI, Applicants will have obtained the endorsement of their proposed hosting department, and will have appointed an AI Expert Collaborator.
The successful four EoIs will be developed into outline applications, and submitted in time for UKRI’s outline application deadline (14 October 2025).
Please be aware that some departments and faculties will have their own selection processes and internal deadlines. Additionally, not all departments and faculties at Oxford are able to support applications to this funding call.
Therefore, applicants are encouraged to consult with their prospective hosting department or faculty at the earliest opportunity, and before submitting an EoI.
Resources
EoI application form
UKRI funding call webpage: Turing AI Pioneer Interdisciplinary Fellowships: outline applications – UKRI
Digital Scholarship @Oxford (DiSc): Digital Scholarship at the University of Oxford | Digital Scholarship @Oxford
Oxford Research Software Engineering Group: Home | Oxford Research Software Engineering Group
For queries about the internal selection process, please contact: srd.team@admin.ox.ac.uk
