Encode is a one-year fellowship that embeds top AI talent in leading UK labs to tackle transformative scientific challenges across ARIA’s opportunity spaces. From climate science and regenerative medicine to robotics and neuromorphic computing, Encode provides AI talent with the resources, mentorship, and community to drive breakthrough discoveries. The fellowship is backed by Pillar VC and powered by the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA), two organizations committed to advancing deep tech and scientific innovation. Fellows will receive funding, access to cutting-edge research, and the opportunity to collaborate with world-class scientists.

Encode is designed for AI researchers, engineers, and builders who want to apply AI to scientific challenges. We welcome applicants from both academia and industry. Whether you have a PhD or hands-on experience building AI systems, if you’re passionate about science and impact, we want to hear from you. You should apply to Encode if: You believe application of AI will lead to new discoveries in science You are fluent in writing code, working with large datasets, and building and evaluating models. You believe working in immersion with scientists is the recipe for making fast progress. You have a demonstrated history of pursuing visionary and challenging projects. You have the ambition to start and scale something transformative. You live anywhere in the world, and want to work with us in the UK. If you are not a UK citizen, we can help you get a visa to work in the UK.

No. You should be fluent in writing code, working with large datasets, and building and evaluating models. We welcome fellows of all educational backgrounds to apply, even the self-taught.

No. Encode is open to global applicants. However, fellows will need to relocate to the UK for the duration of the program. We can help you with the Visa process.

We strongly encourage alignment with ARIA’s Opportunity Spaces, as they highlight areas with the greatest potential for breakthrough innovation. While most projects will fall within these spaces, we remain open to a select number of bold, high-potential ideas that extend beyond them. Applicants are invited to present a compelling case for the significance and transformative impact of their proposed work.

No. You can apply to pre-defined projects with our launch faculty or propose your own project, and we can help find you a faculty advisor to work with.

Encode is not just a one-year program—it’s a launchpad. Fellows can also continue their research, launch startups, or join leading labs through ARIA’s network—whatever best advances their scientific impact. After the fellowship, we provide continued support for company formation and fundraising, funder and investor introductions, and hiring and talent recruiting.

Faculty hosts will provide a well-defined research challenge aligned with an ARIA’s opportunity space, and offer mentorship and lab resources. Each fellow will work closely with their faculty host and other lab members and collaborators.

Encode & Pillar VC will not own or have any rights to IP created. Intellectual property generated through Encode-funded research will be owned by the universities where the work is conducted. Our IP framework follows a similar approach to ARIA, and agreements with universities will be set up based on principles aligned with ARIA's standard grant template.

In the context of this fellowship, "faculty" or "faculty advisor" refers to academic staff such as professors, lecturers, or research leads at a university or research institution. We are looking for individuals who are not only spearheading innovative research and mentoring students but also eager to integrate state-of-the-art AI/ML techniques into their work. As a faculty advisor, you'll collaborate closely with a fellow to bring these cutting-edge methods into your ongoing projects, driving impactful advances in your field.

Fellows are expected to focus on one high-impact project but will have access to cross-disciplinary collaborations, networking, and problem-solving sessions with other fellows.

Fellows will receive access to state-of-the-art computing resources, datasets, and tooling through Encode’s partnerships with leading AI and cloud providers. Projects should have an annualized compute budget of up to £75,000. Interested in partnering with us? Please reach out!