Our Mission is to be a beacon for AI and Data Science research through innovative, interdisciplinary, responsible, and impactful work, supporting sustainable development, and equipping researchers with the skills, tools, and foresight to tackle the challenges of the future.
We will focus on core research themes in the areas of AI for healthcare, the environment and sustainability, and responsible, and explainable AI as well as new, and emerging AI applications to deliver scientific breakthroughs that support the safe, responsible, and impactful applications of AI into the real world.
To deliver our mission, our strategy outlines how we will bring together researchers working across the AI and Data Science remit, working with a variety of organisations from academia, industrial, healthcare, and third-party organisations to facilitate an enriched ecosystem where we can utilise interdisciplinarity as a strength to work across disciplines to deliver impactful, and translational research.
Read the Full Strategy Document: DERI Strategic Plan 2024 -2028 [PDF 712KB]
These priorities will guide DERI to deliver its Mission and will support focusing on:
Priority One: Create a strong sense of identity as an Institute founded on excellence, collaboration, and responsible innovation.
DERI will need a strong foundation to support the delivery of excellent research.
The Institute strives towards embedding itself both internally to Queen Mary, and externally with organisations across the breadth of the AI and Data Science remit, forging key working relationships and implementing mechanisms to support continuous improvement. DERI aims to create an enriched research environment, contributing towards thought leadership, and using its position to advise on, guide, and support national, and international developments in the field.
Priority Two: Advance world-leading research in AI and Data Science and foster growth of the Institute’s interdisciplinary research themes
DERI aspires to be at the forefront of advancements, leading impactful research and delivering tangible benefits for societal challenges.
The Institute will cultivate new capability with targeted research themes and create a culture of interdisciplinary research, enabling open collaboration and meaningful engagement, generating diverse research outputs and fostering an enriched community. DERI aims to uses its position to secure large-scale investment, accelerating scientific discovery, and fostering an environment of new, inspiring, and mission-driven research ideas to support evolution that keeps pace with research advancements.
Priority Three: Forge collaborative relationships with Industry, strengthened through an industrial alliance.
Strong external relationships are key to advancement, and the delivery of impact.
DERI aims to foster new relationships with core industrial partners, developing an impactful and mutually beneficial engagement model providing structure to support growth. Targeting additional entities such as NGOs, Government Bodies, and healthcare providers that align with the core research themes will enable collaborative working at many levels, supporting development informed by real-world applications, and maximising on impact delivery.
Priority Four: Attract, and retain talented staff, embedding diversity and inclusion into all aspects of the Institute.
Talented staff are the key to the DERI mission.
The creation of a diverse, inclusive, and supportive research culture is a core priority for the Institute. DERI strives to become a leader for diversity and inclusion, fostering an open and collaborative environment, and using its platform to influence change and showcase best practice. The embedding of a positive working environment, with support to not only attract, but also retain high-calibre staff is fundamental to DERIs mission, with the development, and showcasing of inspirational leaders envisioned to contribute towards a step-change in the field.
Priority Five: Develop a financial model to support long-term sustainability to achieve our vision.
Financial sustainability is an essential element in the Institute’s longer-term success.
DERI will strive to secure larger funding investments and form strong partnerships with external organisations to support research ambitions. Initiatives targeted at new, and emerging funding pathways, including through philanthropic engagement will provide support to evolving research themes, and the development of a robust financial plan will contribute towards financial independence as the Institute grows.