Each of the outstanding universities demonstrated its own particular proven research excellence and a track record of translation in data science, AI, or a related field. The work of the successful award recipients will now be significantly enhanced through active involvement with the Institute’s thriving network.

Adrian Smith, Institute Director, said, “The awards reflect the demand across a range of sectors to work with the Institute. Data science and AI doesn’t stand still, and so we look forward to working together with this network of universities; exploring new ways to grow the UK’s dynamic research and innovation landscape.”

Professor Gladden, who is currently Executive Chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), said, “UKRI’s ambition is to bring together expertise in both academia and business to retain and extend the UK’s reputation and leadership in AI. The Turing Network Development Awards are an important first step in networking UKRI investments and developing wider partnerships across academia and business with The Alan Turing Institute.”

As the national institute for data science and AI, the Turing already has a well-established network of university partners. However, these awards enable the Institute to extend its reach. The group of successful universities will be awarded up to £25,000, to:

• Establish or grow an engaged and diverse community working (at all career stages) in data science and AI research and innovation at the university, who are aware of and will engage with potential opportunities and initiatives available across the Turing network.
• Identify and establish links between Institute priority areas and areas of interest and expertise at the university.
• Host activities and initiatives that are open to the wider data science and AI research and innovation community and/or local and regional communities, to form new links and collaborations.
• Map the university’s expertise and strengths in each of the Institute’s priority areas and those considered of national strategic importance (in data science and AI) not yet covered by the Institute.
• Design plans for how the network will become sustainable for the future.

Roger Woods, Dean of Research, School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Queen’s University Belfast said, ‘AI is central to the University’s Strategy 2030 ambitions in secure connected intelligence. This award helps to underpin our ambitions to work collaboratively with humanities and medicine to provide a cohesive, inclusive community and a ‘one health’ vision by working more closely with The Alan Turing Institute.’

The Alan Turing Institute is the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence.

The Institute is named in honour of Alan Turing, whose pioneering work in theoretical and applied mathematics, engineering and computing is considered to have laid the foundations for modern-day data science and artificial intelligence. The Institute’s goals are to undertake world-class research in data science and artificial intelligence, apply its research to real-world problems, driving economic impact and societal good, lead the training of a new generation of scientists, and shape the public conversation around data and algorithms.