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Sovereign AI AIRR launch opportunity: call for researchers

Published 30 June 2025

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Compute is the modern agent of change, and an essential lever in transforming the UK’s AI ecosystem.

The Prime Minister has made a £1 billion commitment to expand the UK’s compute capacity twenty-fold in the next 5 years. The UK’s new supercomputer, Isambard-AI, will soon be fully operational at the University of Bristol. Boasting 5,444 H100 GPUs, Isambard-AI delivers world-class computing power and – together with Cambridge’s “Dawn” – represents delivery of the first £300 million phase of the AI Research Resource that will unlock new frontiers in British research and discovery.

Who can apply

This call is open to high-ambition researchers with short term project proposals in the following priority areas:

  • fundamental AI research (especially embodied AI)
  • AI for biosciences
  • AI for materials discovery
  • AI for defence and national security

Applicants must be:

  • from a research group in a university or public sector research organisation
  • UK-based for the duration of the project

Application and selection criteria

Applicants are required to submit a project proposal below along with personal details. Applications will be rapidly judged by an independent panel of AI researchers.

Criteria to be tested during the selection process:

  • alignment to the above priority area
  • the project has a high degree of ambition and/or there is a significant opportunity that would not be possible without access to Isambard-AI
  • previous use of GPU compute to conduct frontier AI research and some demonstration that progress in your organisation is limited by scale of compute, not expertise

How to apply

Completing this online form.

You are invited to answer 17 questions.

This initial sprint and call for projects is being conducted on a pilot basis as the system enters its next phase of testing. Future opportunities to access compute through the UK Sovereign AI Unit will be available - and also through the wider AI Research Resource Programme.

Deadline

This call will close at 11:59pm BST on 7 July 2025.

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