GRAIL at the Data for Policy Conference

RoRI Research Fellow Denis Newman-Griffis spoke on developing responsible practices for AI and machine learning in research funding and evaluation

Image credit: Data for Policy CIC

The eighth international Data for Policy conference was held 9 – 11 July at Imperial College London, with a line-up of more than 130 presenters speaking on topics ranging from industry’s perspective on open data, to transforming AI into a force for good.

RoRI Research Fellow Denis Newman-Griffis, who leads RoRI’s GRAIL project, discussed their paper GRAIL: Developing responsible practices for AI and machine learning in research funding and evaluation with a community of learning.

New developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies are opening new avenues for research funding organisations to learn from the rich data sources and internal expertise they have curated over decades.

However, there is a lack of shared experience and best practice in using AI and ML in the work of research funding and evaluation, and it is often unclear how developments in AI Safety and Responsible AI discourses translate into practical insights for complex organisations like research funders.

Our GRAIL project is an ongoing effort drawing on a community of learning among research funding organisations to develop specific insights, pathways, and critical questions to guide responsible use of AI and ML in the research funding ecosystem.

You can watch the talk below: