UKCGE to Partner on £3.4m Project on AI Researcher Development Network

The four-year funding has come from the Research England Development Fund, and the network will assess AI tools available for doctoral research and promote responsible AI uptake and innovation by researchers.

The Artificial Intelligence Researcher Development Network Plus (AI.RDN+) is being led by Professor Phil Mizen, professor of sociology and policy at Aston University, and Dr Hosam Al-Samarraie, associate professor in digital innovation design and Professor Arunangsu Chatterjee, dean of digital transformation, from the University of Leeds. In addition to UKCGE, the network will also include the eight Midlands Innovation research universities and the 12 universities that comprise the Yorkshire Universities consortium.

Publicly available AI tools, like ChatGPT and Microsoft CoPilot, are being rapidly adopted in academia, but they bring with them both advantages and disadvantages. While doctoral-level study occupies an important position regarding AI and its use in higher education, very little research has been undertaken and guidance is clearly needed by doctoral researchers, their supervisors and examiners.

AI.RDN+ will respond to this challenge by conducting an extensive consultation process, after which findings will be used to create guidance tools and case-studies of best practice (all of which will be available on a bespoke portal). The network will also create training resources for all stakeholders, helping people to build key skills and knowledge about publicly available AI tools.

In addition to working alongside the universities, UKCGE joins a range of partner organisations including Jisc, the UK digital, data and technology agency for tertiary education, research and innovation; Vitae; and the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB). The project is also supported by two other Research England-funded projects: the Next Generation Research SuperVision Project (RSVP), on the future of doctoral supervision, and Prosper, researching the professional and career development of postdoctoral researchers.

Professor Mizen said:

“The Artificial Intelligence Researcher Development Network Plus will provide detailed knowledge of the uptake and impact of publicly available AI tools across the doctoral ecosystem and use this to co-create much needed information, resources and professional and skills training opportunities. Our project is a unique opportunity to build knowledge and capture innovation, and to use this to build the resources needed for the ethical and responsible use of AI in doctoral research.”

Professor Chatterjee said:

“This award reflects the importance of collaboration across universities to understand and shape the role of AI in research. By working alongside Aston and partners across the Midlands and Yorkshire, we can bring together complementary expertise and perspectives. 

“At Leeds, through One Leeds we have committed to embrace AI in a way that is responsible, inclusive and guided by our values. I am particularly pleased to see Dr Hosam Al-Samarraie leading this work for Leeds, bringing both expertise and vision to the partnership. Together, through this network, we can build shared resources and approaches that ensure AI adoption in doctoral research is innovative, ethical and delivers real benefit for researchers and society.”

Dr Owen Gower, Director of UKCGE, said: 

“I am delighted that we are contributing to this exciting project. With the rapid growth of AI tools across the sector, it’s clear that we need a robust system of support for doctoral candidates and those who work with them. We look forward to partnering with the AI.RDN+ on both the consultation and dissemination aspects of the project – in addition to producing vital resources for the future, this work supports some of our key aims as a charity, namely, to enhance and champion doctoral education in the UK.”