New £4 million programme funds early career researchers in the UK, US and Canada to investigate how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming science.

The UK Metascience Unit is run jointly by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The unit has announced details of a cohort of 29 early career researchers receiving funding through the AI Metascience Fellowship Programme.

AI changing how we work and think

One project at The University of Manchester will explore how AI is changing the way researchers work, think and build their careers.

Focusing on the biomedical sciences, the research will examine how scientists at different career stages are using AI tools, and how this affects:

• their productivity
• their creativity
• the variety of their research
• the paths their careers take

Improving British farming

Another project at the University of Reading will explore how the use of AI in agriculture and food science can help make farming more sustainable and productive.

The research will look at how AI-enabled innovation can support farmers and agricultural workers, similar to how digital tools have already transformed other industries like banking.

The goal is to help British agriculture become more efficient while protecting the environment.

Exploring AI

Other projects will explore:

• 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
• 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.

The 29 fellows include:

• 18 UK-based researchers, funded by UKRI
• six US-based researchers, funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
• five based in Canada, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

About the programme

The programme will support this cohort of philosophers, social scientists and AI researchers to:

• build our understanding of how the growing adoption of AI is changing research practices
• build our understanding of what the growing adoption of AI means for future advances in science
• support government, funders and industry to harness the potential of AI in research while mitigating against any risks, such as the potential for AI systems to negatively affect the validity, ethics and reliability of findings

The programme will focus specifically on AI’s impact on scientific research rather than general AI ethics topics, addressing questions such as:

• how AI is changing the creativity, diversity and productivity of research and the career trajectories of researchers
• how the use of AI changes the way that scientists think about and understand their fields of study
• how AI is shifting the structure, process and political economy of research

Each of the fellows will receive funding of up to £250,000 for projects lasting up to two years.

Innovation in research funding

In an innovative approach to research funding, the programme piloted a distributed peer review system, where applicants also served as assessors.

Each applicant reviewed between eight and 10 proposals from their peers, ensuring that the evaluation process benefitted from diverse expertise while promoting transparency and community engagement.

Stian Westlake, ESRC Executive Chair, 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.

Fostering a transatlantic community

All fellows will have the opportunity to attend a fully funded summer school in 2026, creating a transatlantic community of researchers in this emerging field.

The AI Metascience Fellowship Programme is part of broader efforts by each funding agency to ensure our understanding of the implications of AI technologies keeps pace with technological development.

Joshua M. Greenberg, Program 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.

AI transforming scientific discovery

The Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister Responsible for Canada Economic Development for Southern Ontario, said:

Canada is proud to partner with the United Kingdom and United States in this groundbreaking initiative that will help us better understand how artificial intelligence 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.

By supporting these early career researchers, we’re strengthening the transatlantic research community and advancing Canada’s position as a global leader in AI innovation and research talent development.