University of Oxford Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Faculty Fellowship Programme 2025: Open to Africans and Indians

The Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Faculty Fellowship Programme at the University of Oxford is recruiting 6 Faculty Research Fellows, 3 from India and 3 from Africa.

The fellowship focuses on three critical domains:

• Climate change, environment, and biodiversity
• Food and water security
• STEM applications in biomedical research

Applications are welcome from Assistant and Associate Professors (or equivalent level positions) in Africa and India who envision transformative applications of AI within these fields, regardless of their current expertise in artificial intelligence.

• This new programme will fund 18 faculty research fellows over the next five years, starting in 2025.
• Fellows will be matched with Oxford faculty mentors, within the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division.
• Fellows will be associated with one of our four college partners: Somerville College, Reuben College, Linacre College, and Mansfield College.

The program is in collaboration with the Africa Oxford Initiative (AfOx) and the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development (OICSD). This initiative is funded by Schmidt Sciences and seeks to use artificial intelligence (AI) to advance scientific progress.

Programme overview:

• This programme will provide funding for fellows developing and applying AI techniques to research in engineering, and the natural and mathematical sciences within these three focus areas.
• It will not support core AI research in computer science, statistics or mathematical sciences
• The underpinning applied science must be internationally leading, with the application of AI/ML techniques appropriate and likely to lead to a step-change in the application domain.
• Applicants will need to submit a research proposal for a programme of work within the three domains with a focus on the application of AI to accelerate scientific progress in that field.

Please note that the Fellowship programme does not fund those applying AI within the medical sciences.

Opportunities for Research:

This innovative programme offers unprecedented flexibility, allowing fellows to maintain their positions at their home institutions in Africa and India, while accessing Oxford’s world-class research ecosystem. Through the programme, the fellows will receive:

• Comprehensive training in cutting-edge AI methodologies
• Personalised mentorship from Oxford’s leading researchers
• Access to advanced computational resources and AI tools
• Opportunities for high-impact publications and international collaborations
• Integration into Oxford’s vibrant research community

The programme provides individualised training to each Fellow, through graduate-level courses and one-on-one tuition across AI and ML to allow each fellow to develop their knowledge of AI and software tools as their research programme unfolds.

• Oxford also provides extensive training and support from professional research software engineers (RSEs) with expertise in ML and AI
• RSEs provide training in software engineering best practices, HPC and cloud computing resources, and collaborative tools including version control.

Program Structure:

The programme will adopt a unique “1+1+1” year structure. Fellows will be supported by Oxford throughout the programme.

• Year 1:
  • Fellows will remain at home institutions with an option of funds available to buy them out of teaching/administrative responsibilities or for embellishment of their research programmes (e.g. using the funds to hire a research assistant).
  • There will be a two-week visit to Oxford to meet the collaborating group, research sponsor, and mentor, and to further develop research plans
• Year 2: Fellows will be resident in Oxford, hosted by collaborators and integrated into Oxford colleges
• Year 3: Fellows will return to home institutions and continue to be supported by Oxford, and again have the option of funds available to buy them out of teaching/administrative responsibilities or for embellishment of their research programmes

Eligibility criteria

• Be a Citizen and a Resident of a country in either Africa or India
• Be currently employed at a university or an academic institute in either Africa or India, working at either Assistant or Associate Professor level (or equivalent)
• Be within the first six years of your current faculty appointment
• Have an active research programme on using AI to accelerate progress in a scientific field OR have a promising research idea to demonstrate how AI can advance scientific progress
• Be working in one (or more) of the following three priority application areas:
  • Climate change, environment and biodiversity
  • Food and water security
  • STEM underpinning biomedical research

Application process

The application portal closes on 28 April. The information required at this stage will be:

• CV (7 pages maximum, Calibri 11pt font, 2cm margins, including a list of academic publications and teaching commitments)
• Brief research proposal, clearly stating:
  • the research project you wish to pursue, including how your existing or proposed approach will find application within the three priority application areas
  • why this use of AI/ML will result in novel insights and impact
  • specify clearly which of the three priority areas is best aligned with your research interests.
  • should include key summaries that can be used for communication with a non-scientific audience (max. 300 words).
• Contact details of two referees (name, title, email, work address). These referees should be people who have directly worked with you in an academic setting in the past, in either a supervisory capacity or on a collaborative research project.
• Contact details of Head of Department (or equivalent).
  • Note, that this individual will only be asked to confirm their support in Stage 1 (i.e. pre-shortlisting); if the application gets through to the shortlisting phase, we will ask them to write a letter of support.
• Any extenuating circumstances (optional) please outline any interruptions to your research/career which you would like the selection panel to be aware of; these might include caring duties.

Note: The programme will assist the successful candidates in the visa application process by sending supporting documents and providing bursaries to pay for the costs of these applications, including travel to and from the visa offices. Please note it is the responsibility of the candidate to make a timely visa application and ensure they meet the requirements.

Contact us

• If you would like to check if your research proposal is eligible, please contact using this form.
• Please do not contact Oxford faculty throughout the application process.

Read the call for applications for the Schmidt AI in Science Faculty Fellowship Programme at the University of Oxford and apply be April 28, 2025

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