The Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship (a programme of Schmidt Sciences) at Oxford is part of a new international initiative to drive innovative use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in STEM research (engineering, and the natural and mathematical sciences). Oxford will host c.55 postdoctoral fellows (totalling 110 years of research) over six years, and provide them with the tools to increase the scope and speed of their research through the application of AI and Machine Learning (ML). The Fellows will also be offered the opportunity to hold an Associate Research Fellowship at Reuben College.
In the fourth round, funding is available to support at least 15 two-year fellowships starting from April 2026. Fellowships will cover the award holder's salary along with contributions towards research and travel costs. Further rounds will be announced annually.
This prestigious Fellowship programme aims to accelerate scientific progress through the application of AI to STEM research, offering Fellows the opportunity to pursue an independent research path, whilst benefitting from a bespoke training programme, mentoring from leading Oxford researchers, and cohort learning through regular peer-to-peer activities across the Schmidt AI in Science Fellows at Oxford. This program will not support core AI research; rather, it will provide funding for fellows developing and applying AI techniques to research in engineering and the natural and mathematical sciences. That could be AI researchers applying methods in other fields, or STEM researchers wishing to transform their research using the possibilities of AI. Our scheme does not fund direct medical-related AI research.
Potential fellows should have enough general understanding of AI concepts and techniques to understand how these could lead to major improvements and expansions of their research, as well as potential ethical implications.