Turing Connections Initiative

Overview 

Connections actively supports PhD students in the UK by complementing their research endeavours with diverse upskilling opportunities.  

Through a range of knowledge exchange activities, this programme facilitates peer-to-peer learning and networking, while also offering specialised training and dedicated research showcase events. Additionally, it links PhD students with data science professionals at various career stages, providing first-hand insights into potential career trajectories across different sectors.

Specifically, Connections aims to:

• Develop a cohesive national network of cross-organisational doctoral students  
• Improve student skills and practices by complementing PhD programme activities
• Raise awareness of and connection to real-world challenges and applications 

For PhD Students  

Since March 2022, Turing has organised numerous activities targeted at PhD students, including presentation and networking days, skills workshops, career-focused events, and national conferences. Below are the recurring activities that are part of the Connections initiative, open to all PhD students.  

• PhD Connect: a dedicated two-day national event in DS and AI happening in November each year. This is organised in consultation with the CDTs network to ensure that topics and event format meet students’ needs.
• (AIUK) ECR Connect: a dedicated space for early career researchers (PhD, Post-Doc and independent researchers) within the AIUK programme, specifically designed to offer ECRs in the UK valuable networking and career-development opportunities.
• PhD Student Presentation and Networking Days: recurring, free-to-attend events usually held at the Turing's London office, designed for sharing research, practising presentation skills, and networking with fellow doctoral researchers.
• Skills and Training: immersive and self-paced learning opportunities aimed at the data science and AI community, available on the Turing Online Learning platform. 

Testimonials  

“The ECR Connect is an excellent opportunity to meet other early-career researchers applying artificial intelligence in their projects. Seeing so many projects spanning different areas, such as natural sciences and digital humanities, was terrific. Besides, I appreciated seeing so many female colleagues attending the event, as men historically dominated the technology sector. Listening to the panellists' experiences gave us relevant insights about professional development and career transitions.” - Dr Nayara Albrecht, Research Associate at Newcastle University 

“The Alan Turing INstitute PhD Connect 2024 was an incredible experience. As a first-year PhD student, I connected with researchers across different domains, gaining valuable insights into AI research. The event was the perfect  launchpad for my academic journey, offering motivation and inspiration. Grateful to the Alan Turing Institute for creating such an amazing opportunity.” - Md Raihan Goni, Doctoral Student at the University of Nottingham
 

CDTs/DTPs Engagement 

Since March 2022, the Turing has established links with over 40 CDTs/DTPs, reaching more than 400 PhD students nationwide. Through Connections, the Institute aims to create a cohesive network of Doctoral Centres and to work together to enhance PhD students' experiences, ultimately supporting great research in the development and use of data science and artificial intelligence.

Possible mechanisms for co-designing and co-developing content and activities with CDTs include the following:

• Collecting insights from CDT/DTP leadership teams to inform the design and delivery of skills-focused activities.
• Developing use-cases and resources with CDTs/DTPs through project-based activities aligned with Turing's strategy.
• Co-designing the PhD Connect agenda with CDT leads and students.
• Enhancing existing materials for online learning development and bringing relevant groups, from Turing or CDTs, together through this process.
• Tapping into CDT industry partner networks and involving them in activity design, such as Data Study Groups and Internships.
• Involving CDTs in the organisation of PhD Student Presentations and Networking Days and having them host these events at their universities.

A series of case studies has been developed between Turing and CDTs part of the Connections network. To read more, please follow this link. 
 

Get in touch

If you have any questions about Connections, please contact Denise Bianco at [email protected]. 

If you lead a CDT or DTP connected with data science and AI, please reach out to be added to the mailing list via [email protected].

If you are a current PhD student interested in data science and AI and related opportunities, join the Turing skills newsletter or, request to join the ‘Turing Connections’ LinkedIn group.

If you are a prospective student interested in applying to a CDT, please contact the relevant CDT directly.
 

Connections Network of CDTs and DTPs

Please note that this list is currently being updated.

UKRI 

• ​Accountable, Responsible and Transparent AI (ART-AI), University of Bath
• AI for Decision Making for Complex Systems, University of Manchester and University of Cambridge
• AI for Digital Media Inclusion, University of Surrey and Royal Holloway University of London
• AI for Environmental Risk (AI4ER), University of Cambridge
• AI for Healthcare (AI4Health), Imperial College London
• AI for Medical Diagnosis and Care (AI-Medical), University of Leeds
• AI for Sustainability (SustAI), University of Southampton
• AI for the Environment (Intelligent Earth), University of Oxford
• ​AI-enabled Healthcare Systems (AI-enabled Healthcare), University College London
• Artificial Intelligence and Music (AIM), Queen Mary University of London
• Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Advanced Computing (AIMLAC), Universities of Aberystwyth, University of Bangor, University of Bristol, Cardiff University and Swansea University  
• Biomedical AI, University of Edinburgh
• Citizen-Centred Artificial Intelligence (CCAI), Northumbria University
• Cybersecurity, University College London
• Environmental Intelligence: Data Science and AI for Sustainable Futures (EI), University of Exeter
• Foundational AI, University College London
• Horizon, University of Nottingham
• Interactive Artificial Intelligence (Interactive AI), University of Bristol
• Lifelong Safety Assurance of AI-enabled Autonomous Systems (SAINTS), University of York
• Natural Language Processing (NLP), University of Edinburgh
• Responsible and Trustworthy in-the-world NLP, University of Edinburgh
• Safe and Trusted Artificial Intelligence (STAI), King's College London and Imperial College London
• Satellite Data in Environmental Science (SENSE), University of Edinburgh and University of Leeds
• Speech and language technologies (SLT), University of Sheffield
• Sustainable Understandable agri-food Systems Transformed by Artificial Intelligence (SUSTAIN), University of Lincoln, University of Aberdeen, University of Strathclyde and Queen’s University Belfast

EPSRC

• ​Statistics and Machine Learning (StatML), Imperial College London and University of Oxford
• Advanced Characterisation of Materials (ACM), Imperial College London
• Agrifood Robotics (Agriforwards), University of Cambridge, University of East Anglia and University of Lincoln
• Automated Chemical Synthesis Enabled by Digital Molecular Technologies (SynTech), University of Cambridge
• Cloud Computing for Big Data, Newcastle University
• Computational Statistics and Data Science (COMPASS), University of Bristol
• Data Centric Engineering (DCE), Queen Mary University of London
• Digital Health and Care, University of Bristol
• Distributed Algorithms, University of Liverpool
• Formulation Engineering for Net Zero (Formulation Engineering), University of Birmingham
• Future Infrastructure and Built Environment (FIBE2), University of Cambridge
• Future Innovation in Non-Destructive Evaluation (FIND), University of Bristol, University of Manchester, Imperial College London, University of Nottingham, University of Warwick and University of Strathclyde
• Future Propulsion and Power (TURBO), University of Cambridge
• Geospatial Systems, Newcastle University and University of Nottingham
• Intelligent Integrated Imaging in Healthcare (i4health), University College London
• London School of Geometry and Number Theory (LSGNT), University College London, Imperial College London and Kings College London
• Mathematical Modelling, Analysis and Computation (MAC-MIGS), University of Edinburgh
• Mathematics for Real-World Systems (MathSys), University of Warwick
• Sensor Technologies for a Healthy and Sustainable Future (Sensors), University of Cambridge
• Soft Matter for Formulation and Industrial Innovation (SOFI2),University of Durham
• Statistical Applied Mathematics (SAMBa), University of Bath

MRC 

• ​Advanced Interdisciplinary Models (MRC-AIM), University of Birmingham, University of Leicester and University of Nottingham
• Discovery Medicine North DTP (DiMeN), University of Sheffield, Newcastle University, University of Liverpool, University of Leeds and University of York
• GW4 BioMed2 MRC DTP (GW4), University of Bath, University of Bristol, University of Cardiff and University of Exeter
• Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research DTP (DTP-IBR), University of Warwick
• Precision Medicine DTP, University of Edinburgh and University of Glasgow

STFC 

• ​Data Intensive Science and Industry (DISI) University College London
• Data Intensive Science Centre in the South East Physics Network (DISCnet), University of Sussex, University of Southampton, University of Portsmouth, Queen Mary University of London and Open University
• Data Intensive Science (NUdata), Northumbria University and Newcastle University
• Liverpool Big Data Science (LIV.DAT), University of Liverpool
• Innovation in Data Intensive Science (LIV.INNO), University of Liverpool

ESRC

• ​Data Analytics and Society, University of Leeds, University of Liverpool, University of Manchester and University of Sheffield
• Northern Ireland and North East DTP (NINE DTP), University of Durham, Newcastle University, Northumbria University, Queen's Belfast, University of Sunderland, Teeside University and Ulster University
• Scottish Graduate School of Social Science DTP (SGSSS DTP), University of Aberdeen, Abertay University, University of Dundee, University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian University, Heriot-Watt University, University of Highlands & Islands, Edinburgh Napier University, Robert Gordon University, Scotland’s Rural College, University of St Andrews, University of Stirling, University of Strathclyde, Queen Margaret University and University of the West of Scotland
   

BBSRC

• ​AI for Drug Discovery (AIDD), Queen Mary University of London
• East of Scotland Bioscience DTP (EASTBIO), University of Aberdeen, Dundee University, University of Edinburgh and St. Andrews University
• London Interdisciplinary Doctoral Programme DTP (LIDo), University of London, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of Greenwich, Queen Mary University of London, Royal Holloway, Royal Veterinary College and University College London

NERC

• ​Climate, Life and Earth (C-CLEAR), University of Cambridge

Other

• ​Digital Twins for Healthcare (DT4Health), Kings College London