Spärck AI Scholarship 2026 at University College London

This UK Government award, named after pioneering computer scientist Karen Spärck Jones, supports the development of talented leaders in AI and its application across diverse disciplines.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Interview Process
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineMay 1, 2026
• Study LevelMasters
• SponsorUniversity College London
• City to studyLondon
• School to studyUniversity College London
• Course to studyArtificial Intelligence (AI) , Data Science , Neuroscience , Rehab Science , Architectural Computation , Digital Technologies and Policy , Digital Innovation , Drug Discovery and Pharma Management , Energy Systems and Data Analytics , Health Data Science , Integrated Machine Learning Systems , Spatio-Temporal Analytics and Big Data Mining , Scientific and Data Intensive Computing
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

• There are up to 100 scholarships available across all nine participating UK universities in 2026/27. UCL has 8 scholarships to award in total.
• The value of the scholarship is full tuition fees plus £22,780 stipend.
• The scholarship is tenable for one year only.

Requirements

Candidates must fulfil the following criterion:

• have submitted a complete admission application (including the submission of references) for a full-time Master's degree* at UCL starting in 2026/27, in one of the following programmes:
  • MSc Architectural Computation
  • MPA Digital Technologies and Policy
  • MRes Artificial Intelligence Enabled Healthcare
  • MSc Artificial Intelligence for Biomedicine & Healthcare
  • MSc Data Science
  • MSc Digital Innovation
  • MSc Drug Discovery and Pharma Management
  • MSc Energy Systems and Data Analytics
  • MSc Health Data Science
  • MSc Integrated Machine Learning Systems
  • MSc Neuroscience
  • MSc Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technologies
  • MSc Spatio-Temporal Analytics and Big Data Mining
  • MSc Scientific and Data Intensive Computing

Selection Process

Final decisions on awards will be made by the UCL Spärck AI Scholarship Leadership Group.  They are looking to recruit candidates from a broad range of backgrounds, who can demonstrate how they meet some of the following characteristics. Upon receipt of your application, assessors will consider these qualities as part of the selection process, recognising that candidates may demonstrate them in different ways and through varied experiences:

Strengths:

• Curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving
• Comfort with ambiguity and change
• Strong communication skills
• Entrepreneurial mindset and leadership potential
• Teamwork

Motivations:

• What it means to be part of a government-funded scholarship and how you would make the most of this opportunity
• Your motivation to contribute to the AI ecosystem in the UK 

Check also:
Free Ongoing Fully Funded Scholarships Guide 2026 (Download Now)

Application Deadline

How To Apply

Step 1 - Before you apply, you should already have received an offer of admission from one of the participating programmes listed below:

• MSc Architectural Computation
• MPA Digital Technologies and Policy
• MRes Artificial Intelligence Enabled Healthcare
• MSc Artificial Intelligence for Biomedicine & Healthcare
• MSc Data Science
• MSc Digital Innovation
• MSc Drug Discovery and Pharma Management
• MSc Energy Systems and Data Analytics
• MSc Health Data Science
• MSc Integrated Machine Learning Systems
• MSc Neuroscience
• MSc Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technologies
• MSc Spatio-Temporal Analytics and Big Data Mining
• MSc Scientific and Data Intensive Computing

Step 2 - Complete the Sparck AI Scholarship application form. Download the word document below and save it to your computer:

Sparck AI Scholarship Application Form

Step 3 - Obtain a reference letter from someone who knows your work and can endorse your suitability for a scholarship. For example, this could be a tutor or manager.   

Reference Guidance - Sparck AI Scholarship (part 4 of form)

Step 4 - Your completed application form and reference must be emailed to the designated email for the programme you are applying to, by 17:00(BST), Friday 1st May 2026. 

For more details, visit UCL Scholarship webpage