Supporting undergraduates from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds to get into AI research and careers.
The Hg Foundation is partnering with the Royal Academy of Engineering and Google DeepMind to deliver the Research Ready Programme. Providing up to 120 paid research placements each summer, the programme aims to address the barriers encountered by undergraduates from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds in progressing into research and careers in AI. Artificial intelligence is a rapidly growing area of research with a key role to play in shaping a sustainable society and inclusive economy. To ensure AI-enabled systems truly act in the service of society they must be robust, accessible and fair for all users. The programme will help to address this, building a stronger and more diverse AI research community to bring unique perspectives and solutions to this crucial field.
The Academy will work with leading AI departments at ten UK universities to host the research placements in summer 2025. The placements will help improve participants’ knowledge of the different areas of AI, build their research expertise, understand the routes into different AI careers, and build confidence in taking the next steps in their education or career journey in AI. The paid placements will last for six to eight weeks and will cover all the accommodation, travel and living expenses of participants. Host universities will benefit from research support and insights from the next generation of engineering talent, as well as the opportunity to support the development of a stronger, more diverse AI research community. The 2025 programme builds on a pilot funded by Google DeepMind in 2024 which was hosted by UK universities including Birmingham, Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial and Queen Mary.
We are thrilled to embark on this partnership, which will empower the next generation of AI innovators by providing them with invaluable hands-on research experiences. These placement opportunities will not only deepen their understanding of AI's potential but also inspire them to progress to further studies and careers in AI so that they too can develop groundbreaking solutions that address real-world challenges.
We are delighted to have a national academy, a private company and charitable foundation, backed by a tech investor, partnering in this unique way. Working with Google DeepMind and The Hg Foundation, I believe we can make a meaningful contribution not only to enabling a more diverse AI research community but also to shaping the UK’s role in responsible development of emerging technologies like AI to ensure that they are designed rigorously and sustainably, and adopted where they have the maximum benefit.