About us
The Institute for Data and AI (IDAI) promotes excellence in Data Engineering, Data Science and AI theory and practice, ensuring their co-evolution and their competent adoption across a range of disciplines to enable transformative, interdisciplinary, impactful data-intensive research.
Our Vision
IDAI brings together researchers and educators from across the University around a shared ambition to address some of the grand challenges faced by our society, and with an understanding that this requires open collaboration across discipline boundaries.
To pursue its mission, the Institute articulates its vision around three pillars:
Research, Education, External Engagement.
Collectively, IDAI:
- Promotes excellence in data and AI-powered interdisciplinary research.
- Promotes literacy on Data Science and AI within the University, in consideration of the diversity of needs and requirements across disciplines.
- Amplifies our research through business, public and third sector co-creation partnerships.
Our Research Themes
Digital Governance, Economy, and Social Impact
Digital Governance, Economy, and Social Impact
This theme examines how digital transformation is reshaping public institutions and market systems, with a strong focus on the broader effects on society. It aims to develop innovative approaches to modernising state services, enhancing financial systems, and strengthening national security - all while ensuring that the benefits of digital technologies are inclusive and contribute to overall social well‑being.
Health, Environment, and Resilience
Health, Environment, and Resilience
This theme is focused on the use of Data and AI in the relationship between us and our environment, addressing the global challenges of improving healthcare for all and ensuring environmental sustainability.
It supports research into personalised medicine, environmental biosciences, proactive public health monitoring, and integrated approaches to ecological management and urban planning, with the goal of building adaptive systems that can effectively respond to both immediate crises and long-term challenges.
Advanced Engineering, Materials Science, and Smart Manufacturing
Advanced Engineering, Materials Science, and Smart Manufacturing
Capitalising on the university’s established expertise, this theme integrates AI with engineering and materials research to transform industrial processes. It focuses on creating innovative design solutions, optimising manufacturing processes, and developing next‑generation materials that drive efficiency, sustainability, and global competitiveness.
Creative and Cultural Digital Futures
Creative and Cultural Digital Futures
At the intersection of technology and human expression, this theme explores how digital tools can invigorate cultural practices and creative industries, and transform humanities research. It supports the use of digital methodologies to generate new forms of storytelling, critical cultural analysis, and artistic innovation - ensuring that creativity informs and enriches technological progress, and that technological progress enhances our understanding of the past.
Foundational Data Science and AI Methodologies
Foundational Data Science and AI Methodologies
As the bedrock for all applied work, this theme is focused on advancing the core techniques that make sophisticated AI possible. It centres on evolving data science practises to keep pace with the data deluge, and developing robust, transparent, and ethical algorithms and tools, ensuring that all downstream applications are built on a secure and principled foundation.
Our Collaborations
Alan Turing at Birmingham
Since joining the Turing Institute in 2018, the University's Turing Fellows have been working on data science and AI projects covering a wide variety of academic themes and practical applications.
Baskerville
Working with our strategic partners, we are delivering a state-of-the-art high performance computing resource for modelling and data analysis funded by EPSRC.
IDAI Pump Prime Funding
At the beginning of 2024 the Institute for Data and AI (IDAI) announced our first pump-prime funding call to support the development of innovative and high-impact research ideas.
Our call for IDAI Affiliates is now open!
Join us, and be a part of our vibrant network of interdisciplinary researchers and contribute to meaningful action on the most pressing grand challenges the development and governance of responsible AI.
The Institute for Data and AI Staff Experts
The University of Birmingham is home to more than 140 data science and AI experts who are working together to address important challenges in areas such as sustainability, equality, health, and data-driven science.