Digital Science Catalyst Grant 2026 (Up to £25,000 for AI Innovation)
The Digital Science Catalyst Grant 2026 offers up to £25,000 to support early-stage ideas that use artificial intelligence to advance scientific research. This international grant initiative welcomes startups, research teams, students, founders, and individuals developing trustworthy AI tools for research workflows. Applicants can submit concepts, prototypes, or working products without needing existing revenue. Applications close on 5 October 2026 at 17:00 BST.
Quick Overview
Programme: Digital Science Catalyst Grant 2026
Opportunity Type: Innovation and Research Technology Grant
Funding Organization: Digital Science
Grant Amount: Up to £25,000, which may be shared among multiple recipients
Programme Focus: Trustworthy agentic AI tools and research workflows
Eligibility: Early-stage startups, research teams, students, founders, and individuals
Application Opening Date: 1 September 2026
Application Deadline: 5 October 2026 at 17:00 BST
About the Digital Science Catalyst Grant 2026
The Digital Science Catalyst Grant is an international initiative supporting innovation in software tools and technologies that advance scientific research.
The programme supports early-stage ideas involving novel uses of technology that can improve research activities and increase the impact of science on society.
For 2026, Digital Science is focusing on agentic artificial intelligence systems that can perform autonomous, multi-step tasks within existing research workflows.
The grant aims to support tools, agents, and platforms that combine useful AI capabilities with transparency, governance, and accountability.
Applicants should demonstrate how their proposed technology addresses a genuine problem faced by researchers, academic institutions, publishers, or research funders.
Digital Science Catalyst Grant 2026 Theme
The official theme for the 2026 competition is:
AI that acts on research. Trust that travels with it.
The programme seeks AI systems that do more than generate responses to individual prompts.
Digital Science is particularly interested in tools that can plan, execute, and review multiple steps of a research process.
These systems should integrate into the tools and workflows that researchers and institutions already use.
Proposals should also demonstrate how users can verify the AI system’s actions, understand its outputs, and maintain appropriate human oversight.
Priority Areas for the Digital Science Catalyst Grant 2026
The 2026 Catalyst Grant focuses on trustworthy agentic AI technologies that can improve different stages of the research lifecycle.
Digital Science has identified several areas of interest.
1. Trusted Authorship and Academic Writing
The programme welcomes AI tools that improve transparency and accountability in academic writing.
Examples include:
• AI writing assistants with transparent contribution records.
• Autonomous citation and source verification agents.
• Cryptographic authorship verification tools for academic work.
These technologies should help users understand how research content was created and verify the reliability of its sources.
2. Enterprise Research Workflows
Digital Science is interested in AI systems that can support complex research and institutional processes.
Relevant examples include:
• Evidence synthesis agents designed for regulated environments.
• Knowledge graph workflows with documented data provenance.
• Explainable AI tools for drug discovery and target identification.
Proposals should demonstrate how the proposed system fits into existing research activities.
3. Research Funding and Institutional Decisions
The grant also welcomes technologies that support research institutions and funding organizations.
Examples include:
• Researcher identification and disambiguation agents.
• Automated reviewer matching systems.
• Conflict-of-interest screening tools.
• Grant portfolio intelligence tools for research programme officers.
These systems should support more transparent and accountable institutional workflows.
4. Publication and Research Integrity
Applicants may propose AI systems that improve the integrity of scientific publications.
Relevant technologies include:
• Auditable manuscript screening tools.
• Citation and figure provenance verification systems.
• Multi-step editorial workflow agents with complete audit trails.
Proposals should demonstrate how the technology supports trustworthy research and publication processes.
Benefits and Financial Support
The Digital Science Catalyst Grant 2026 provides financial support for selected early-stage research technology projects.
Confirmed programme benefits include:
✓ A grant award of up to £25,000.
✓ Opportunities to receive advice from the Digital Science team.
✓ Potential introductions to relevant contacts through the programme.
✓ Feedback and discussions that can help applicants develop their ideas.
Grant Amount
The total available award is up to £25,000.
Digital Science may divide this amount among more than one recipient.
Applicants must explain how they would use the requested funding and what the grant would enable them to accomplish.
The programme supports early-stage innovation. Therefore, applicants do not need an existing revenue stream or a completed product to be considered.
Support Beyond Financial Funding
Digital Science highlights the professional value of the conversations generated through the Catalyst Grant application process.
Applicants who do not receive a financial award may still benefit from advice, introductions, and feedback on their proposed ideas.
The programme brings applicants into contact with a team experienced in research and research software.
Also read: Mycoskie–UC Berkeley Psychedelic Documentary Fellowship – Grants up to $20,000
Eligibility Criteria
The Digital Science Catalyst Grant 2026 welcomes applicants with early-stage ideas that align with its research technology priorities.
Who Can Apply?
The programme welcomes applications from:
• Early-stage startup founders.
• Research teams.
• Students.
• Individual innovators.
• Individuals developing early-stage research technology ideas.
The Catalyst Grant is an international initiative.
Applicants should demonstrate that their proposed technology addresses a meaningful problem within the research lifecycle.
Project Development Stage
Applicants may submit ideas at different stages of development.
Eligible project stages include:
• A well-formed concept.
• An early prototype.
• A working product.
• A product already being used by real users.
Digital Science does not require applicants to have existing revenue or a completed product.
However, proposals should clearly explain the project’s current development stage and demonstrate how the proposed technology could address an identified research problem.
Research Technology Requirements
The proposed idea should involve trustworthy agentic AI technology that can perform multiple steps within a research workflow.
Applicants should demonstrate that their technology:
• Addresses a real problem within the research lifecycle.
• Performs multi-step tasks involving planning, execution, and review.
• Integrates into tools or systems that researchers and institutions already use.
• Includes appropriate audit trails, governance controls, and provenance mechanisms.
• Supports accountability and appropriate human oversight.
A tool that performs a task adequately through a single prompt is unlikely to meet the programme’s focus on agentic workflows.
What Makes a Suitable Research Proposal?
Digital Science provides guidance to help applicants evaluate their ideas before applying.
A suitable proposal should clearly identify the research decision or problem that the proposed AI system addresses.
Applicants should explain who currently performs the task, how frequently the problem occurs, and how their technology could improve the existing workflow.
The proposal should also identify the research stage in which the technology operates.
Relevant stages include research writing, discovery, evidence synthesis, peer review, funding decisions, and research integrity.
Trust, Accountability, and Human Oversight
Applicants should explain how their AI system maintains transparency and accountability.
The proposal should address what happens when the AI system produces an uncertain or incorrect result.
It should also identify the tasks that require human review, approval, or intervention.
Digital Science encourages applicants to test their systems against situations in which an AI agent should refuse, flag, or escalate a task.
Measuring Project Outcomes
Applicants should identify a measurable outcome that demonstrates the value of their technology.
Examples provided by Digital Science include:
• Reviewer hours saved.
• Time required to reach funding decisions.
• Reduction in duplicated research work.
Proposals should explain how the selected measure relates to the research problem being addressed.
Required Application Documents
Applicants must prepare a proposal of no more than 1,500 words.
Digital Science requires the proposal to follow nine specified sections.
If a section does not apply to the proposed project, applicants should briefly indicate this and continue to the next section.
1. The Problem
Explain the problem the proposed technology addresses.
The proposal should identify:
• Who experiences the problem.
• How the problem is currently addressed.
• How often the problem occurs.
• Its associated costs in time, money, or risk.
2. Your Workflow
Describe how the proposed AI agent works from the initial trigger to the final output.
Applicants should explain:
• The steps performed by the agent.
• Which activities operate autonomously.
• Where human review, approval, or intervention occurs.
• The existing tools or systems into which the agent integrates.
3. Trust, Audit and Governance
Explain how users can understand and verify the agent’s actions.
The proposal should address:
• How users can review what the AI system has done.
• How sources and outputs are traced and verified.
• How the system responds to uncertainty or errors.
• Who remains accountable for the system’s actions.
4. Team
Introduce the founders, key team members, and relevant advisors.
Explain their professional backgrounds, expertise, and reasons for working on the identified research problem.
5. Where You Are Today
Describe the current development stage of the proposed technology.
Applicants should explain whether the project is a concept, prototype, working product, or technology already used by real users.
Include existing product links and a demonstration if available.
Applicants should also explain any testing completed and identify existing users or customers.
6. Alternatives and Competitors
Describe how the problem is currently addressed and identify other organizations or technologies working on similar solutions.
Applicants should explain how their proposed approach differs from existing alternatives.
7. Where This Goes
Describe the longer-term vision for the proposed technology.
For commercial products, applicants should explain who would pay for the technology and outline their initial pricing approach.
8. Fit with Digital Science
Explain how the proposed project aligns with Digital Science and the research lifecycle.
Applicants should identify the intended users, such as researchers, institutions, publishers, funders, or industry.
They should also explain why they want to work with Digital Science on the proposed problem.
9. Budget
Provide a budget explaining how the requested grant funding would be used.
Applicants should identify what funding of up to £25,000 would allow them to achieve that they cannot accomplish with their current resources.
Application Process
Applicants must complete the official Digital Science Catalyst Grant application form.
Digital Science states that the application involves one short form and takes only a few minutes to complete.
Step 1: Review the 2026 Grant Theme
Read the official programme requirements and confirm that your proposed technology aligns with the focus on trustworthy agentic AI.
Identify the research problem your technology addresses and explain why a multi-step AI workflow is appropriate.
Step 2: Prepare Your Proposal
Write a proposal of no more than 1,500 words using the nine headings specified by Digital Science.
Describe the problem, proposed workflow, trust and governance mechanisms, team, development stage, alternatives, long-term vision, alignment with Digital Science, and budget.
Step 3: Demonstrate Your Idea
If you have a prototype or working product, include relevant information and a demonstration.
Applicants with a well-formed concept may also apply without having completed a product.
Step 4: Submit the Official Application
Complete the application form available on the official Digital Science Catalyst Grant webpage.
Provide the required project information and submit the application by 5 October 2026 at 17:00 BST.
Selection Process
Digital Science evaluates Catalyst Grant applications according to seven assessment areas.
These are:
• Team.
• Problem.
• Solution.
• Competitors.
• Market.
• Progress to date.
• Fit with Digital Science.
The judging panel considers the proposed technology, the problem it addresses, its development progress, and its relevance to Digital Science.
Interviews and Demonstrations
Applicants with strong proposals may be invited to a short interview.
During the interview, candidates may be asked questions about their proposed project and its potential development.
Applicants with an existing prototype or working product may also be asked to provide a live demonstration.
The final grant award may be divided among multiple recipients.
Important Dates
The Digital Science Catalyst Grant 2026 follows the schedule below:
Applications Open: Tuesday, 1 September 2026
Application Deadline: Monday, 5 October 2026, at 17:00 BST
Judging Period: 12 October – 20 November 2026
Winners Announced: Week commencing Monday, 30 November 2026
Application Deadline
The application deadline for the Digital Science Catalyst Grant 2026 is:
5 October 2026 at 17:00 BST
Applicants must complete the official application form and submit their proposals before the stated deadline.
Official Link
Review the official programme details and follow the application instructions provided on the official page.
