Applications Deadline: Monday, 5th October 2026, 17:00 BST
LOCATION: Multiple Regions
The Digital Science Catalyst Grant is an international initiative to support innovation in new software tools and technologies to advance research and create meaningful change. The program supports and invests in early-stage ideas in the novel use of technology with an award for the most promising ideas that aid science and further its impact on society.
ELIGIBILITY:
They want early-stage startups, research projects, and moonshot thinkers building agentic tools that:
Operate across multiple steps, planning, executing, and reviewing, rather than answering a single prompt.
Embed in the workflows researchers, institutions, and publishers already use
Carry audit trails, governance controls, and provenance so the people who rely on them can trust them.
Tackle a real problem across the research lifecycle: writing, discovery, evidence synthesis, peer review, funding decisions, or research integrity.
If you’re making AI safe to put in front of an institution, autonomous in service of researchers, with accountability built in, they want to hear from you.
Applying takes one short form and a few minutes.
Who can apply? Anyone with an early-stage idea: founders, research teams, students, and individuals. Your tool can be a prototype, a working product, or a well-formed concept. They fund early, so you do not need revenue or a finished build.
What to tell them? A clear description of the problem you are solving, your approach, why it fits an agentic, trustworthy workflow, and where you are today. If you have a demo or prototype, show them.
How they choose? Their judges score each application across seven areas: team, problem, solution, competitors, market, progress to date, and fit with Digital Science. Strong applicants are invited to a short interview with a live demo (where applicable) and a few questions.
BENEFIT:
The award. Up to £25,000, which can be split across more than one recipient.
The Mohamed bin Zayed University Postgraduate Scholarships 2027 is a fully funded graduate program offered by the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It targets exceptional international and domestic students pursuing Master’s (M.Sc.) or Doctoral (Ph.D.) degrees in STEM fields, specifically focusing on AI-driven disciplines such as Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Natural Language Processing, Computer Science, and Robotics.
ELIGIBILITY:
Applicants to MBZUAI’s graduate programs must hold a degree in a STEM field such as computer science, electrical engineering, computer engineering, mathematics, physics, or other relevant science or engineering majors from an accredited university or college recognized by the UAE Ministry of Education (MoE), with a minimum CGPA of 3.0 or 3.5 (on a scale of 4.0) depending on the program. Senior-level students can apply initially with a copy of their transcript and, upon admission, must submit an official complete degree certificate/transcript. A degree attestation (for degrees from the UAE) or a Certificate of Recognition (for degrees acquired outside the UAE) should also be furnished within their first semester at the university.
Other elements required:
Curriculum vitae
Statement of purpose
Research statement
Referee recommendations
Screening exam
To learn more about each program’s specific admissions criteria, learning outcomes, and completion requirements please choose your program of study from the program website
All applicants are required to pay the AED 200 fee after application submission. Applications with unpaid fees will be considered incomplete and will not proceed to the review stage.
Fee waivers are available only if:
The overall screening exam score is 75% or above; or
The applicant is enrolled (the fee will be reimbursed upon enrollment)
Ensure you have the required documents to complete your application before the deadline to avoid any delays in the review of your application or the inability to submit before the deadline.
Application documents must either be in English, originally, or include legal English translations. Additionally, official academic documents should be stamped and signed by the University authorities.
All applicants
Complete the online application form.
CV (with academic background, work experience, research publications, and programming/coding skills)
Official bachelor’s degree transcript and degree certificate or expected graduation letter
Official master’s degree transcript and degree certificate or expected graduation letter (only for Ph.D. applicants with a master’s degree)
Referee recommendations (minimum of three for Ph.D. applicants and two for M.Sc. applicants)
Research statement (only for Ph.D. applicants) (make sure to upload as a PDF)
Statement of purpose (make sure to upload as a PDF)
Valid proof of English language proficiency (must meet the admission criteria and be submitted at the time of application.)
Valid passport copy
Photo with white background
BENEFIT:
The funding model and benefits described on this page apply to the Ph.D. and M.Sc. Programs. The Master in Applied Artificial Intelligence (MAAI) is a fee-based program and is not eligible for University or faculty-sponsored funding; see Cost of Attendance below.
What funded students receive:
Free tuition fees;
A monthly stipend;
One return airfare each year to their home country;
Health insurance for the approved funding period; and
University-sponsored UAE residence visa and Emirates ID (where eligible).
Student category
M.Sc. (AED)
Ph.D. (AED)
UAE nationals
37,500
43,500
International students
15,500
17,500
Funded students are expected to maintain an in-person presence on campus throughout their funded period and to obtain approval before being away. Students receiving external scholarships or fellowships must disclose this funding to the university; external funding normally replaces the university stipend rather than being paid in addition to it.
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