AI-deas Sprint Programme Call

AI-deas Sprint Programme Call

Cambridge researchers are developing AI innovations that could transform healthcare diagnosis, accelerate climate solutions, and revolutionise education. Too many potentially game-changing ideas never move beyond academic papers, when they could be benefitting people and society.

While Cambridge leads globally in AI research, the path from promising laboratory results to working prototypes that can attract partnerships and funding remains frustratingly difficult for most researchers. The AI-deas Sprint Programme is designed to narrow this gap between research and real-world application. In six months, we’ll help develop your most promising research into a working prototype that demonstrates real-world value, supported by technical advice and a path to implementation partners.

Building on the success of our AI-deas initiative, which has already connected 19 departments across all 6 schools in the University, ai@cam is launching a 6-month accelerator programme to transform promising research ideas into a minimum viable product. The AI-deas sprint programme is focused on supporting pioneering and innovative projects to develop breakthrough prototypes that will make a positive impact on society.

We’re looking for ambitious projects that can create working prototypes in these high-impact domains:

• AI for mental health and brain research: Turn diagnostic algorithms into tools clinicians can actually use, or transform research insights into interventions that reach patients.

• AI for climate and nature: Convert environmental monitoring research into decision-support systems that help organisations take climate action now.

• Women’s health and fertility: Transform research breakthroughs into accessible diagnostic tools or treatment platforms that address the gender health gap.

• AI for cultural heritage: Turn digitisation and analysis research into public-facing tools that make cultural collections more accessible and engaging.

• AI in education and assessment: Convert education research into practical tools that can be tested in real educational settings.

• Language equity and inclusion: Transform communication research into assistive technologies that support people with language barriers.

• AI for connected cities: Turn urban research insights into decision-support tools that local authorities can pilot and implement.

The AI-deas sprint programme will provide teams with up to £25,000 of funding to rapidly transform their innovative project ideas into a prototype in 6 months. Teams will be given access to technical support from machine learning engineers, in addition to follow-on opportunities to engage and develop external partnerships and validate their prototypes with end-user communities.

Each sprint team will follow a 6-month programme from November 2025 to April 2026:

• Challenge definition and team formation (month 1): Interdisciplinary teams form around concrete deliverables and begin rapid development

• Mid-sprint check in (month 3): Teams to provide a project update in a networking event with potential partners.

• Demonstration (month 6): Demo Day showcasing prototypes to potential funders and implementation partners.