Newsletter Issue - 20-03-2026

CDT Weekly Newsletter


Welcome to this week’s issue of the newsletter. If there is any news, celebration, or event that you would like to share with your colleagues, please email: 

iai-cdt@bristol.ac.uk  



CDT AI Symposium – Foundation and Applications of Trustworthy AI 


Date: 27 March, 9:30 – 16:00 

Location: MVB 1.11A and Lower Atrium

This symposium aims to advance understanding of Trustworthy AI by connecting foundational methods and emerging applications, while fostering discussion on how rapid advances in AI are reshaping scientific practice itself. More information including the programme can be found on the AI Symposium website here.  

Please also remember to complete the poster form to let us know about your poster submission for the Symposium (this doesn’t include the Foundation Year Pro-AI cohort): https://forms.office.com/e/zhfQU7s6Dh 

Posters must be in the following format: 
        • A1, portrait 
        • include a title 
        • your name and email address 
        • names of supervisors 
        • the UOB, UKRI, and IAI/Pro-AI logos 
        • acknowledge any sponsors

Final posters submission (PDF format please) deadline is Friday 20 March, 10am to iai-cdt@bristol.ac.uk so that we can send them to the Printers at 10am. Please let us know on the form in the comments section if you are unable to meet the deadline and will make your own arrangements with Print Services. 



Internal call for Google PhD Fellowship applications now open


The 2026 call for Google PhD Fellowships is now open! Bristol can nominate up to three students for this prestigious award, and we invite short applications for internal review by Friday 27th March 2026, 17:00, through this Microsoft form. The three strongest eligible candidates will then be invited to complete a full proposal in time for the final Google deadline on 30th April.
How to submit an internal application 
Please complete this short form: Google PhD Fellowships 2026 - Internal Call 
Where possible, proposals should be submitted by candidates’ supervisors. Proposals submitted directly by students currently enrolled at Bristol will, however, also be accepted. 
Responses should include: 
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch at doctoral-college@bristol.ac.uk if you have any further questions about this opportunity. 


Bristol Doctoral College (BDC) Events and Opportunities 


1. 5 Weeks of Wellbeing (upcoming events for PGR students)  

This March, we’re inviting PGR students to slow down, breathe out, and make space for the parts of life that don’t revolve around research. Over five themed weeks, Bristol Doctoral College will be sharing activities designed to boost your wellbeing, spark joy, help you connect with the PGR community, and reconnect with yourself.  

  • Week 3 (16 - 20 March) Do Something Physical 

  • Week 4 (23 - 27 March) Learn a New Skill  

  • Week 5 (30 March - 3 April) Be Mindful  

Get to know the PGR Clubs, join the lunchtime Wednesday Wellbeing Walks, or sign up for one of our other workshops, think zine making, yoga, a mending workshop, a group cycle ride, or even a soothing sound bath. All the events are free to attend and exclusively for postgraduate researchers.  

See all the upcoming opportunities on BDC events calendar, just filter the tags to 5 Weeks of Wellbeing. 

2. ND x LGBTQ+ Network Activity-Based Mixer

Date: 31 March, 16:30 - 17:00

Location: PGR Hub

Event welcome to any PGR or staff identifying as Neurodivergent or LGBTQ+.

The Neurodivergent PGR Network, LGBTQ+ Staff Network, and Trans & Non-binary PGR Networks will be joining for an evening of crafts and mingling. Lego, paper crafts, and colouring sheets will be provided - feel free to bring your own project along, come just to chat, or just to hang out in a friendly, inclusive, and low-pressure environment.

Please email nd-pgr-network@bristol.ac.uk if you have any questions or would like to register your interest.



Global Lounge - Spring vacation events (19 March to 10 April)


If you are staying in Bristol over the vacation period, it’s a great chance to meet up with others, learn about spring and Easter traditions and enjoy some free chocolate mini eggs! Come along each week to Culture Club, Language Café and Friday Hangouts. Make friends from around the world, learn something new and enjoy our friendly, welcoming community. There will be an event on the last day before closure, Thursday 2 April, and then after the University reopens on Wednesday 8 April. 

See all of upcoming events on Global Lounge: Upcoming events



Statistics Seminar: Carl Henrik Ek


Time: 13:00 - 14:00
Location: Fry building 2.04
Title: Approximate Bayesian Inference of Composite Functions
Abstract: Over the last decade machine learning methods built on composite functions have lead to a remarkable increase in predictive power. Building complex structures from compositions of simple mathematical objects have lead to a surprising generalisation of success across many domains. However, in order to use these methods in critical scenarios in a safe manner our models need to be able to quantify their knowledge. The aspiration of Bayesian deep learning is to combine the predictive advantages of deep neural networks with the theoretical justifications of the Bayesian framework in order to provide predictions with quantified and interpretable uncertainty. Success in achieving this promises has been so elusive that it raises the question if there is something inherent in their structure that renders it numb to a Bayesian approach
In this talk I will first highlight the inherent structures in the compositional models that makes Bayesian approximate inference challenging. We will provide a characterization of why Bayesian learning has not succeeded, showing that for deep learning to harvest the benefit of a Bayesian treatment, this structure needs to be reflected in the approximate posterior. We will then discuss how we can use tools from differential geometry to characterise the structures of these parameter spaces to design efficient computational models to circumvent the issues and design tailored approximate inference schemes that removes the pathological behaviour associated with a direct approximate inference.


Around Bristol


Brain Rot (Bristol)

Date: 26 March, 16:30 - 18:00

Location: Peel Lecture Theater, Geographical Sciences Building University of Bristol

Dr Imogen Blake has agreed to all her lectures being delivered by a photo-real, voice cloned avatar of herself.  But on one condition.  That she gets to deliver one last lecture IRL…
Kilter Theatre in collaboration with the Universities of Bristol and Bath Cybersecurity Centre for Doctoral Training invite you to a vision of generative AI and the future of universities… in a lecture like no other. Admission Free. Book now.



Message from the Director 


If you haven’t done your Cyber Security and Data Protection Essentials essential training on Develop, please do so now or suffer the consequences in terms of loss of access to university IT systems – you have been warned…


Forthcoming Calendar of Events



Statistics Seminar: Carl Henrik Ek