The Imperial AI Policy Fellowship 2027 is a professional learning and development opportunity designed for senior civil and public servants who want to strengthen their understanding of artificial intelligence and its growing implications for public-sector policy, strategy, regulation, and service delivery.
Delivered through the Imperial Policy Forum at Imperial College London, the Fellowship combines in-person learning, expert-led sessions, peer engagement, and an individual research project supported by academic mentors. The programme is designed to help participants move beyond theoretical discussions of AI and apply their learning to real policy challenges within their departments and areas of responsibility.
Imperial AI Policy Fellowship 2027
Artificial intelligence is increasingly influencing how governments approach public services, regulation, infrastructure, healthcare, security, data, and strategic decision-making. For public-sector leaders, understanding both the capabilities and limitations of AI is becoming increasingly important.
The Imperial AI Policy Fellowship provides an opportunity for senior civil and public servants to explore these issues in a structured environment while developing a research project connected to their own professional priorities.
The 2027 Fellowship will run from February to October 2027, with a total duration of nine months. Fellows will combine online learning and activities with in-person days at Imperial College London.
Key Programme Details
- Programme: Imperial AI Policy Fellowship 2027
- Institution: Imperial College London
- Duration: 9 months
- Programme dates: February–October 2027
- Application deadline: Monday, 2 November 2026
- Location: London and online
- Format: Individual research project combined with in-person days at Imperial College London
- Time commitment: Approximately 6–8 hours per month
- In-person commitment: Four in-person days throughout the year
- Fee: £1,500, with no VAT added
What Is the Imperial AI Policy Fellowship?
The Imperial AI Policy Fellowship is a bespoke learning and development programme aimed at senior civil and public servants seeking to develop their knowledge of artificial intelligence and understand how it can affect public-sector work.
Rather than focusing exclusively on classroom-based learning, the programme combines structured learning with practical application.
There are two main components.
1. In-Person Learning at Imperial College London
Throughout the Fellowship, participants attend a series of in-person days at Imperial College London.
These sessions are designed to help Fellows:
- Understand fundamental AI concepts.
- Examine how AI technologies work and what they are capable of.
- Consider the implications of AI for public policy.
- Explore AI-related strategy and regulation.
- Examine challenges associated with public-sector delivery.
- Engage with academics and specialists.
- Discuss ideas and experiences with other Fellows.
- Reflect on how AI knowledge can be applied to their professional responsibilities.
The sessions include expert-led lectures, workshops, discussions and opportunities for interaction with peers and specialists.
This structure means that participants are not simply learning about AI in the abstract. They are encouraged to think about how emerging technologies relate to actual policy questions and institutional challenges.
2. Individual Research Project
The second major component is an individual research project or guiding question focused on a specific AI policy challenge.
The project is Fellow-led, meaning that it is shaped around the participant’s own policy priorities and professional objectives.
Fellows receive support from one or more academic mentors who provide expert guidance throughout the programme. This allows participants to investigate an issue that is directly relevant to their area of work while benefiting from Imperial’s academic expertise and institutional environment.
The research component is therefore an important bridge between learning and practical policy development.
What Can the Research Project Focus On?
The Fellowship provides flexibility in the type of project participants can develop.
Potential project formats include:
- Written recommendations for adopting AI within a particular part of a government department.
- Co-designing strategic plans or technical solutions for policy challenges.
- Piloting innovative or experimental AI applications within the public sector.
- Improving systems and infrastructure for AI, including data storage and management.
- Organising a facilitated workshop for colleagues within a department or team.
- Producing a published white paper.
This flexibility allows Fellows to connect the Fellowship to real issues they are already encountering in their professional roles.
Examples of Previous Research Projects
The programme provides examples demonstrating how AI policy research can be connected to practical public-sector challenges.
Previous examples include:
AI and Food Regulation
One project involved piloting an AI model for the Food Standards Agency designed to help organisations identify relevant regulations and the bodies responsible for those regulations.
AI, Healthcare and Accountability
Another project involved a paper co-written between the MHRA and NHS examining the accountability gap surrounding clinical negligence, product liability and practitioner literacy within the UK healthcare system.
Human-Centred AI
A collaborative workshop explored human-centred AI design involving the Home Office and Imperial’s Collective Innovation Lab.
AI and Defence
Another example focused on Sovereign AI in Defence, involving Imperial academics, the Trusted AI Alliance and consultation with the UK Ministry of Defence.
These examples illustrate the breadth of potential applications for AI policy research across government and public services.
Benefits of the Imperial AI Policy Fellowship
The Fellowship offers several forms of professional and academic development.
Tailored Learning
The programme provides a personalised learning experience based on Fellows’ individual needs and professional interests.
This allows participants to focus their learning on issues that are relevant to their roles rather than following a completely generic AI curriculum.
Practical Research Experience
Fellows undertake a research project supported by an academic mentor.
This provides an opportunity to apply AI knowledge to a real policy question and develop practical outputs that can potentially be useful within their departments.
Access to Imperial Expertise
Participants have the opportunity to learn from faculty and specialists associated with Imperial College London, including experts working across AI-related areas in engineering, medicine and science.
Professional Networking
The Fellowship brings together civil servants and public-sector professionals who share an interest in AI and related policy challenges.
Participants can exchange experiences, develop professional relationships and learn from colleagues working on different policy issues.
Public-Sector Focus
The programme is specifically designed around the challenges of applying AI within the public sector.
This means Fellows can explore questions involving policy, governance, regulation, strategy, implementation and public-sector systems rather than concentrating solely on the technical development of AI.
Engagement with the Wider Imperial Community
Fellows will also have opportunities to engage with the Imperial Policy Forum and the wider Imperial community.
The programme combines these connections with formal learning and individual research, creating an environment in which participants can develop their understanding of AI while applying that knowledge to current policy questions.
The Fellowship’s activities have also included engagement with Imperial’s AI and technology ecosystem. The programme information highlights Fellows visiting Imperial’s biomedical engineering facilities and participating in workshops involving AI startups at the Deep Tech White City campus.
Who Should Consider Applying?
The programme is intended for senior civil and public servants who want to deepen their understanding of AI and its implications for public-sector work.
It is particularly relevant to professionals who:
- Work on policy development or implementation.
- Have responsibilities involving technology or digital transformation.
- Work with AI-related regulation or governance.
- Are responsible for strategic planning.
- Work in public-sector innovation.
- Need to understand the implications of AI for their department.
- Want to investigate a specific AI-related policy challenge.
- Are interested in developing an evidence-based project connected to AI and public policy.
The supplied programme information does not provide a specific nationality, race, or continent-based eligibility restriction. Therefore, those details should not be assumed from the available information.
Time Commitment
The Fellowship runs for nine months and requires approximately 6–8 hours per month.
Participants must also commit to four in-person days throughout the year. The programme therefore combines ongoing engagement with concentrated periods of face-to-face learning at Imperial College London.
Where Is the Fellowship Held?
The Fellowship uses a hybrid format.
Participants engage through:
- Online activities.
- In-person sessions.
- Individual research.
- Engagement with Imperial’s academic and policy communities.
The programme location is listed as London and online, with in-person days taking place at Imperial College London.
Fellowship Cost
The fee for participation in the 2027 Imperial AI Policy Fellowship is:
£1,500
The programme information states that no VAT is added to this fee.
Application Deadline
Applications for the 2027 Fellowship are currently open.
The application deadline is:
Monday, 2 November 2026
Applicants are instructed to complete the application form and send it to the Imperial Policy Forum at the.forum@imperial.ac.uk.
Applicants should therefore ensure that their application materials are completed and submitted before the stated deadline.
How to Apply
Prospective applicants should:
- Review the Imperial AI Policy Fellowship programme information.
- Consider how AI relates to their current public-sector responsibilities.
- Identify a policy challenge or research question that could form the basis of their Fellowship project.
- Consider what they hope to gain from the programme.
- Complete the official application form.
- Submit the completed application to the Imperial Policy Forum before the deadline.
The official programme page provides access to both the programme brochure and the 2027 application form.
Learn more and apply HERE
Why the Research Project Matters
A distinctive feature of this Fellowship is that participants are not simply passive recipients of training.
The research project gives each Fellow an opportunity to connect their learning to a real-world policy challenge.
For example, a participant could investigate how their department might adopt AI responsibly, explore policy requirements for a new technology, examine AI-related data infrastructure, develop recommendations for senior decision-makers, or design a workshop to improve colleagues’ understanding of AI.
The project can therefore become a practical mechanism for transferring learning from the Fellowship into the Fellow’s professional environment.
A Fellowship Focused on Practical AI Policy
The Imperial AI Policy Fellowship sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, public policy and government leadership.
As governments and public institutions consider how AI should be adopted, regulated and governed, public-sector professionals increasingly need the ability to understand both the opportunities and challenges associated with the technology.
The Fellowship’s structure responds to this need by combining:
- AI fundamentals.
- Policy analysis.
- Expert learning.
- Academic mentorship.
- Practical research.
- Peer exchange.
- Professional networking.
- Public-sector application.
This combination allows Fellows to explore AI from both technical and policy perspectives while maintaining a strong connection to their professional responsibilities.
Key Dates and Facts at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Programme | Imperial AI Policy Fellowship |
| Entry | 2027 |
| Institution | Imperial College London |
| Duration | 9 months |
| Programme period | February–October 2027 |
| Deadline | 2 November 2026 |
| Location | London and online |
| In-person commitment | 4 days |
| Monthly time commitment | 6–8 hours |
| Fee | £1,500 |
| Main participants | Senior civil and public servants |
| Main focus | AI, public policy and public-sector applications |
| Research component | Individual Fellow-led project |
| Academic support | One or more academic mentors |
The programme details above are based on the supplied Imperial College London programme information.
Conclusion
The Imperial AI Policy Fellowship 2027 provides a structured opportunity for senior civil and public servants to deepen their understanding of artificial intelligence and examine how it can be applied to contemporary public-sector challenges.
Running for nine months from February to October 2027, the programme combines in-person learning at Imperial College London, online engagement, expert-led sessions, peer networking and a Fellow-led research project supported by academic mentors. Participants can use the research component to explore practical questions involving AI adoption, policy development, regulation, public-sector systems, strategy and governance.
With applications closing on 2 November 2026, prospective applicants should review the programme requirements, identify a relevant policy challenge and prepare their application well before the deadline.
For more opportunities click HERE
