Research

Ada Lovelace Institute

The Ada Lovelace Institute (Ada) is an independent research and deliberative body with a mission to ensure data and AI work for people and society.

Image of computer screen with lines of colourful code

Ada promotes informed public understanding of the impact of AI and data-driven technologies on different groups in society. It guides ethical practice in the development and deployment of these technologies and undertakes research and long-term thinking to lay the foundations for a data-driven society with well-being at its core.

Our aims


  1. Build evidence and foster rigorous research and debate on how data and AI affect people and society.

  2. Convene diverse voices to create a shared understanding of the ethical issues arising from data and AI.

  3. Define and inform good practice in the design and deployment of data and AI.

Ada was established by the Nuffield Foundation with a £5 million commitment, in collaboration with the Alan Turing Institute, the Royal Society, the British Academy, the Royal Statistical Society, the Wellcome Trust, the Omidyar Network for Citizens and Governance, techUK and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.

Related Nuffield Foundation projects

New

Welfare | 2024 – 2027

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Youth: mitigating exclusions using the digital?

View project
A woman is sat on the edge of a bed staring at her phone while her daughter is in the background.
In progress

Welfare | 2023 – 2025

Virtual parent support portals: a new research and practice agenda

View project
Dad holding baby walking with two kids
In progress

Justice | 2022 – 2024

Administrative fairness in the digital welfare state

View project
Primary school children using tablets and laptops
In progress

Education | 2022 – 2024

NewsWise in primary education: news, digital literacy and civic engagement

View project
Code encounters algorithmic risk-profiling in housing: a family in their kitchen at home
In progress

Welfare | 2022 – 2023

Code encounters: algorithmic risk-profiling in housing

View project
A crowded street with passers-by wearing face masks: Full Fact
In progress

Welfare | 2022 – 2025

Full Fact 2022 – 2025

View project
Father and son using laptop at home
In progress

Welfare | 2021 – 2024

Developing a minimum digital living standard for households with children

View project
The future of work and wellbeing. A man working from home during the COVID-19 crisis, having a video meeting with colleagues
In progress

Welfare | 2021 – 2024

The Future of Work and Well-being: The Pissarides Review

View project
Two secondary school students learning at home during COVID-19 pandemic
In progress

Education | 2021 – 2023

Digital equality in education

View project
A girl using a smartphone
In progress

Justice | 2021 – 2023

Children’s experiences of crime in Britain survey

View project
Young-boy-uses-tablet-with-mother-for-maths-learning-Can-maths-apps-add-value-to-learning-PROJ
Reported

Education | 2020 – 2022

Can maths apps add value to learning?

View project
Woman-looks-at-smartphone-screen-How-the-UK-public-gets-information-about-COVID-19-PROJ
Reported

Welfare | 2020 – 2020

How the UK public gets information about COVID-19

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 – 2027

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Youth: mitigating exclusions using the digital?

View project
A woman is sat on the edge of a bed staring at her phone while her daughter is in the background.
In progress

Welfare | 2023 – 2025

Virtual parent support portals: a new research and practice agenda

View project
Dad holding baby walking with two kids
In progress

Justice | 2022 – 2024

Administrative fairness in the digital welfare state

View project
Primary school children using tablets and laptops
In progress

Education | 2022 – 2024

NewsWise in primary education: news, digital literacy and civic engagement

View project
A crowded street with passers-by wearing face masks: Full Fact
In progress

Welfare | 2022 – 2025

Full Fact 2022 – 2025

View project
Father and son using laptop at home
In progress

Welfare | 2021 – 2024

Developing a minimum digital living standard for households with children

View project
Code encounters algorithmic risk-profiling in housing: a family in their kitchen at home
In progress

Welfare | 2022 – 2023

Code encounters: algorithmic risk-profiling in housing

View project
The future of work and wellbeing. A man working from home during the COVID-19 crisis, having a video meeting with colleagues
In progress

Welfare | 2021 – 2024

The Future of Work and Well-being: The Pissarides Review

View project
A girl using a smartphone
In progress

Justice | 2021 – 2023

Children’s experiences of crime in Britain survey

View project
Siblings play ball in a playground - Siblings Contact and the Law
Reported

Justice | 2020 – 2021

Guidance to judges on the anonymisation of children judgements

View project
Two secondary school students learning at home during COVID-19 pandemic
In progress

Education | 2021 – 2023

Digital equality in education

View project
Young-boy-uses-tablet-with-mother-for-maths-learning-Can-maths-apps-add-value-to-learning-PROJ
Reported

Education | 2020 – 2022

Can maths apps add value to learning?

View project
A woman is sat on the edge of a bed staring at her phone while her daughter is in the background.
In progress

Welfare | 2023 – 2025

Virtual parent support portals: a new research and practice agenda

View project
Dad holding baby walking with two kids
In progress

Justice | 2022 – 2024

Administrative fairness in the digital welfare state

View project
Primary school children using tablets and laptops
In progress

Education | 2022 – 2024

NewsWise in primary education: news, digital literacy and civic engagement

View project
A crowded street with passers-by wearing face masks: Full Fact
In progress

Welfare | 2022 – 2025

Full Fact 2022 – 2025

View project
Father and son using laptop at home
In progress

Welfare | 2021 – 2024

Developing a minimum digital living standard for households with children

View project
Code encounters algorithmic risk-profiling in housing: a family in their kitchen at home
In progress

Welfare | 2022 – 2023

Code encounters: algorithmic risk-profiling in housing

View project
The future of work and wellbeing. A man working from home during the COVID-19 crisis, having a video meeting with colleagues
In progress

Welfare | 2021 – 2024

The Future of Work and Well-being: The Pissarides Review

View project
A girl using a smartphone
In progress

Justice | 2021 – 2023

Children’s experiences of crime in Britain survey

View project
Two secondary school students learning at home during COVID-19 pandemic
In progress

Education | 2021 – 2023

Digital equality in education

View project
In progress

Education | 2019 – 2022

The SWAN game-based approach to learning foundational number language

View project
In progress

Welfare | 2019 – 2022

Living with data: knowledge, experiences and perceptions of data practices

View project
In progress

Justice | 2011 – 2023

Juries, the digital courtroom and special measures

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 – 2027

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Youth: mitigating exclusions using the digital?

View project
Siblings play ball in a playground - Siblings Contact and the Law
Reported

Justice | 2020 – 2021

Guidance to judges on the anonymisation of children judgements

View project
Young-boy-uses-tablet-with-mother-for-maths-learning-Can-maths-apps-add-value-to-learning-PROJ
Reported

Education | 2020 – 2022

Can maths apps add value to learning?

View project
Teenage-girl-looks-at-smartphone-next-to-laptop-Growing-up-under-COVID-19-PROJ
Reported

Education | Welfare | 2020 – 2022

Growing up under COVID-19

View project
Woman-looks-at-smartphone-screen-How-the-UK-public-gets-information-about-COVID-19-PROJ
Reported

Welfare | 2020 – 2020

How the UK public gets information about COVID-19

View project
Reported

Education | 2017 – 2018

Growing up digital

View project
Reported

Welfare | 2019 – 2020

Valuing data: foundations for data policy

View project
Birds-eye view of a virtual reality crowd
Reported

Welfare | 2019 – 2021

Me and my big data: developing citizens’ data literacy

View project
Birds-eye view of virtual reality crowd
Reported

Welfare | 2018 – 2019

Overview of the major ethical issues arising from data, algorithms and AI

View project
Reported

Welfare | 2015 – 2016

Our world in data

View project
Man reading the newspaper in the kitchen
Reported

Welfare | 2018 – 2020

Communicating uncertainty in data without undermining trust

View project
Reported

Welfare | 2014 – 2021

Full Fact 2014 – 2022

View project
Reported

Justice | Welfare | 2017 – 2022

Visualising data in care proceedings

View project
See all

We aim to improve people’s lives by funding research that informs social policy, primarily in Education, Welfare and Justice. We also fund student programmes that give young people skills and confidence in science and research.

We are an open, collaborative and engaged funder that offers more than money. Through connecting the individual projects we fund, we strengthen their collective impact and give voice to an overarching narrative.

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