UK Sovereign AI Strategic Assets Grants Programme for AI Datasets and Autonomous Labs is sponsored by Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). The Sovereign AI Strategic Assets Grants Programme funds the creation of shared strategic AI assets for the UK, initially focusing on two priority areas: high-value AI datasets and autonomous or automated laboratory infrastructure.

Leverhulme Trust Research Project Grants is sponsored by The Leverhulme Trust. These grants support innovative and original research projects for up to five years. They cover research staff costs and associated research expenses, with a focus on projects that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries and involve a willingness to take appropriate risks.

Metascience research grants: round two is sponsored by Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Medical Research Council (MRC). Funding to undertake cutting-edge Metascience research into more effective ways of conducting and supporting research and development (R&D), including the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and the challenges of measuring research excellence.

The UK Sovereign AI Strategic Assets Grants Programme supports the creation of high-value shared AI assets including curated AI datasets and autonomous or automated laboratory infrastructure designed to improve access to resources for testing, validation, commercialisation and scaling of AI technologies. The programme funds equipment, infrastructure, capital expenditure, intangible asset development, and limited commissioning activities. Projects must align with one or more Sovereign AI focus areas: Compute Efficiency, Next-Generation AI Labs, Health and Life Sciences, Scientific Discovery, Trust and Integrity, or Defence and Security. This initial £9M round is a precursor to a larger Strategic Assets Programme worth up to £160M planned for later in 2026. The programme uses a three-stage process: Expression of Interest (assessed within 3 working days), Full Application, and Investment Committee decision.

The Sovereign AI Strategic Assets Grants Programme funds the creation of shared strategic AI assets for the UK, initially focusing on two priority areas: high-value AI datasets and autonomous or automated laboratory infrastructure. Projects must align with one of six Sovereign AI focus areas including Compute Efficiency, Health and Life Sciences, and AI for Scientific Discovery. The programme follows a three-stage application process: Expression of Interest assessed within 3 working days, Full Application scored on four criteria, and Final Investment Committee decision. Eligible costs include equipment, infrastructure, capital expenditure, and intangible asset development, but exclude ongoing operational expenses.

Wellcome Discovery Awards provide long-term flexible funding for established researchers and teams pursuing bold, creative research that can deliver significant shifts in understanding of human life, health, and wellbeing. AI and computational approaches to biomedical challenges are explicitly welcome, including machine learning for drug discovery, AI-driven clinical diagnostics, computational genomics, and data science for health equity. The world's second largest private funder of medical research (endowment approximately £14.5 billion), Wellcome supports interdisciplinary teams tackling fundamental health questions using novel methodologies. Discovery Awards are discipline-agnostic and value transformative potential over incremental advances, making them ideal for ambitious AI-health intersection research.