Guidance

AI Research Resource

The AI Research Resource (AIRR) is a suite of advanced supercomputers that provides AI-specialised compute capacity to researchers, academia, and industry.

• From: Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and UK Research and Innovation
• Published: 17 July 2025
• Last updated: 28 September 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 28 September 2026

     Banner added to the 'Cloud access call' attachment to advise applications for that call have closed. 'AIRR advanced supercomputers for the UK' attachment updated add references to Zenith. 'AIRR Gateway route (UKRI guidance)' attachment updated to refresh 'How your project will be assessed' section. References to DSIT amended to BIST.

  2. 25 August 2026

     List of AI Research Resource partners updated to include AMD.

  3. 17 July 2026

     The AI open access call is now closed.

  4. 17 July 2026

     Added the cloud access call.

  5. 4 June 2026

     Updated with the AI open access call and guidance for distributed peer review applicants and reviewers.

  6. 7 November 2025

     AIRR Innovator route open for applications and AIRR Innovator route guidance published.

  7. 17 July 2025

     First published.

Documents

Cloud access call

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AI open access call

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AIRR advanced supercomputers for the UK

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AIRR Gateway route (UKRI guidance)

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AIRR Rapid Access route (UKRI guidance)

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AIRR Portal: how to apply (UKRI guidance)

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Distributed peer review applicant and reviewer guidance

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Details

The AIRR offers compute access to users through Isambard-AI at the University of Bristol and Zenith at the University of Cambridge. Providing specialised compute capacity enables small and medium-sized enterprises and the research and development (R&D) community to drive innovation and advancement in AI.

AIRR is a partnership between:

• AMD
• Dell
• HPE
• Intel
• Nvidia
• UK government
• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
• University of Bristol
• University of Cambridge

Compute capacity is the amount of processing power and storage available in a computing system.

Guidance from UKRI

• Gateway route: designed for researchers from academia, industry, or other UK organisations
• Rapid Access route: open to UK-registered micro, small and medium-sized organisations
• How to use the AIRR Portal: includes how to log in and apply