The scheme will see 29 researchers receive funding, with 18 UK-based scientists getting £4m in funding from the UK’s Metascience Unit, which is run jointly by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Six US-based researchers and five Canada-based researchers will get around £3m combined from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Each of the fellows will receive funding of up to £250,000 for projects lasting up to two years, and all fellows will have the opportunity to attend a fully funded summer school in 2026, with aims of creating a transatlantic community of researchers in AI. 

Projects funded include a project at the University of Manchester that will explore how AI is changing the way researchers work, think and build their careers, and another at the University of Reading that will explore the use of AI in agriculture and food science.

Other areas of interest include how AI has changed what topics scientists choose to study, the ethics of researchers publishing outputs created by AI tools that they may not fully understand and how the use of AI could reduce or remove barriers to researchers with learning disabilities.

Science minister, Lord Vallance, said: “AI is already changing how science works, from seeing unexpected patterns in data or inventing new approaches to discovery through to how AI makes science more accessible for those with disabilities. 

“We’re backing researchers to explore its potential, understand where AI can enhance scientific research but also identify where the risks lie, so we can shape its use to improve lives and grow our economy.”

Stian Westlake, executive chair at the ESRC, said: “This fellowship programme represents an exciting opportunity to cultivate the next generation of researchers who will help us navigate the profound changes AI is bringing to science.

“By combining rigorous research with our pioneering distributed peer review approach, we’re not just studying innovation, we’re embedding it in how we fund research.”

Joshua Greenberg, programme director at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, said: “Large language models and other AI-powered platforms are global phenomena with global impact.

“This collaboration brings a multi-national perspective to the study of how AI is changing the ways scientific knowledge is generated, stored, applied, and shared.” 

Evan Solomon, minister of AI and digital innovation and minister responsible for Canada economic development for southern Ontario, said: “Canada is proud to partner with the UK and US in this groundbreaking initiative that will help us better understand how AI is transforming scientific discovery.

“These fellowships represent exactly the kind of international collaboration we need to harness AI’s potential while ensuring we develop the next generation of researchers who can navigate this technological transformation responsibly.”