Fellows attend a lecture by Professor Tom Coates on the fundamentals of artificial intelligence, including LLMs, training data and agentic AI.

Fellows visiting ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ’s Sir Michael Uren Hub, to speak to scientists leading on cutting-edge work in their fields, and talk to them about some of ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ’s pioneering AI and robotics science. 

In collaboration with Enterprise Lab, Fellows took part in a workshop with several of ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's AI startups at our Deep Tech White City campus.

Course Information

Dates: February - October 2027

Application deadline: Applications for 2027 will open in September 2026. If you would like to be included in the mailing list, please email Christina Taylor. 

Duration: 9 months  

Cost: The fee for the Fellowship is £1500 

Time commitment: 6/8 hours per month. Fellows must also commit to 4 in-person days throughout the year. 

Location: London and Online

Format: Individual research project & in-person days at ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ 

About the programme

The ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ AI Policy Fellowship is a bespoke learning and development programme for senior civil servants seeking to strengthen their understanding of the role and impact of artificial intelligence in the public sector. The programme combines theoretical learning with practical application, equipping Fellows with the knowledge, networks, and support to engage confidently with AI-related policy challenges.

A core feature of the Fellowship is a series of in-person days at ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ held throughout the year. These
sessions provide structured opportunities for Fellows to build their understanding of the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and to consider their implications for public policy, strategy, regulation, and delivery. Through expert-led lectures, workshops, and discussion, the in-person days are designed to deepen knowledge, encourage critical engagement, and create space for reflection and exchange with peers and specialists.

Alongside this taught element, the Fellowship gives participants the opportunity to refine problem statements connected to specific AI policy challenges. Each Fellow is paired with one or more academic mentors who provide expert guidance throughout the programme. Research projects are fellow-led and shaped by the Fellow’s own policy priorities and objectives. This means that each project can be developed in a way that is most relevant and useful to the Fellow’s area of work, with academic and institutional support provided throughout.  

Fellows will also benefit from regular engagement with the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Policy Forum and the wider ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ community. Together, these elements ensure that the Fellowship offers an introduction to key AI concepts as well as the opportunity to apply that learning to live policy questions.

Your research project

Types

Written recommendations for adoption of AI in a particular part of your Department​

Co-designing strategic planning or technical-level solutions for policy challenges

Piloting innovative or experimental applications for AI in the public sector

Improving systems and infrastructure for AI including data storage and management

Facilitated workshop for colleagues in your team/department

Published white paper

Patient safety research, our progress, 2019, IGHI

Examples

Piloting an AI model for the Food Standards Agency which aims to help organisations identify regulations and relevant bodies applicable to new food products.

Co-written paper between MHRA and NHS on the accountability gap on clinical negligence, product liability and practitioner literacy in the UK healthcare system.

Collaborative workshop on human-centred AI design between the Home Office and ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's Collective Innovation Lab.

Sovereign AI in Defence - a paper co-written by ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ academics David Shrier & Aldo Faisal, the Trusted AI Alliance, conducted in consultation with the UK Ministry of Defence.

“I thought I had a reasonable understanding of AI before joining the Fellowship at ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ, but the time I have spent with my mentor and the other professors has given me a significant boost in my knowledge. The Fellowship has given me a lot of really useful insight into how I can use different types of AI within my portfolio.” Senior Civil Servant, Home Office

Benefits

2026 Fellows visit ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's White City campus for a workshop with AI startups.

Tailored learning experience: Fellows will receive a personalised programme, addressing their unique needs and interests, ensuring that the course is relevant and impactful to their roles.

Practical application through research projects: Fellows engage in a research project with a mentor, enabling them to directly apply their learning to real-world issues and areas of interest within the public sector.

World-Class Expertise: Learn from ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's globally renowned faculty, leaders in AI research and application across engineering, medicine, and science.  

Networking opportunities: Fellows can connect and collaborate with peers from across the civil service who share similar interests and challenges, fostering valuable knowledge exchange and a cohort community at ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ. 

Tailored for Public Sector: Gain practical insights through a curriculum co-designed with civil servants to address the unique challenges of public sector AI deployment.