Overview
Seed funding for early-stage tools that apply agentic AI workflows to the research lifecycle - writing and authorship, discovery and evidence synthesis, peer review, funding and institutional decisions, research integrity - with audit trails and governance built in.
Eligibility
Open worldwide to founders, research teams, students and individuals; no geographic restriction stated, so Malawi-based applicants qualify. The idea can be a concept, prototype or working product.
What is funded
Agentic AI tools embedded in real research workflows: trusted authorship, enterprise research workflows, funding and institutional decision support, publication integrity.
What is not funded
Single-prompt solutions; standalone demos disconnected from a workflow; tools outside the named research-lifecycle areas.
How to apply
Proposal of up to 1,500 words via the Google Form on the call page, under nine set headings (problem, workflow, trust/audit/governance, team, stage, alternatives, vision, fit with Digital Science, budget).
Timeline
Opened 1 September 2026 | Closes 5 October 2026, 17:00 BST | Judging 12 October - 20 November 2026; winners announced week of 30 November 2026