Insider Brief
- Edinburgh has been selected by the UK Government to lead the development of experts in AI applications in robotics, biomedical innovation, and natural language processing, emphasizing its role as a premier AI hub in the UK.
- The University of Edinburgh will host three of the 12 new Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT), receiving over £26 million of the total £117 million funding allocated, with the first doctoral students expected in the 2024/2025 academic year.
- The three CDTs at Edinburgh will focus on using AI in biomedical innovation, responsible and trustworthy natural language processing, and dependable and deployable AI for robotics, reflecting the University’s commitment to nurturing talent in diverse AI applications.
UNIVERSITY PRESS RELEASE — Edinburgh, UK/November 13. 2023 — The UK Government has announced that Edinburgh will lead in developing experts in applying AI to robotics, biomedical innovation and natural language processing.
As the only institution to be awarded more than one of the Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT), the news underlines the University’s status as one of the UK’s leading hubs for AI.
Edinburgh centres
Of the 12 new CDTs announced, three will be based in Edinburgh, two solely at the University and one shared with Heriot-Watt University.
A total of £117 million has been awarded to the 12 CDTs, with more than one fifth of the funding — almost £26m — earmarked for the three Edinburgh centres.
The centres will welcome their first doctoral students in the 2024/2025 academic year.
The UK is in a strong position to harness the power of AI to transform many aspects of our lives for the better. Crucial to this endeavour is nurturing the talented people and teams we need to apply AI to a broad spectrum of challenges, from healthy aging to sustainable agriculture, ensuring its responsible and trustworthy adoption.
— Professor Dame Ottoline LeyserChief Executive, UKRI
Biomedical advances
The UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Biomedical Innovation will teach students to use AI to improve the diagnosis, understanding, management and treatment of disease.
Led by Professor Ian Simpson from the School of Informatics, it involves the Schools of Biological Sciences and Social and Political Sciences, as well as the Institute of Genetics and Cancer and the Usher Institute.
Language-based technologies
The UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Responsible and Trustworthy in-the-world Natural Language Processing is led by Professor John Vines. Students will be trained in the technical, social, design and legal aspects of natural language processing, which underpins many leading-edge AI applications such as personal assistants, chatbots and generative AI applications.
The centre will be led by the School of Informatics in collaboration with Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh Law School, and the Schools of Mathematics and Psychology, Philosophy and Language Sciences. It will be hosted by the Edinburgh Futures Institute.
Robotics training
The UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Dependable and Deployable Artificial Intelligence for Robotics will be led by Heriot-Watt University in partnership with Edinburgh. It will train students to research, design, build, and deploy dependable and safe robotics and AI solutions.
The centre will be co-directed by Professor Subramanian Ramamoorthy and involve the Schools of Informatics and Engineering.
We are proud to be hosting three UKRI AI CDTs. Our success in securing these grants underscores our position as leading researchers and educators within the AI community. We look forward to welcoming and training the next generation of scientists in AI for natural language processing, biomedical innovation and dependable robotics.
— Professor Helen HastieHead of School of Informatics
