The MEXA Generative AI for Mental Health Research Accelerator

MEXA is thrilled to be running the Generative AI for Mental Health Research Accelerator, a four-month program designed to support interdisciplinary research teams in preparing foundational research on the application of generative AI to improve measurement of and intervention in anxiety, depression, and psychosis. With generous funding from Wellcome and in partnership with Neuromatch, this accelerator will support teams with the resources, mentorship, and strategic guidance to pilot research or pilot model development, positioning them as strong candidates for an exclusive large-scale funding call (up to £3 million per award) from Wellcome open only to accelerator participants.

Teams in the accelerator will benefit from:

• Comprehensive support for research proposal development
• Workshops on designing pilot experiments, and project, code, and data management for collaborative research projects
• Funding for pilot research and/or pilot model development
• Funding to cover contributions of team members that cannot join the accelerator as part of an existing salaried position
• Expert-led support for integrating lived experience in research
• Ethics support to ensure responsible AI development

Learn more about Wellcome's Funding Call here.

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We’ve wrapped up the preparation phase for the Accelerator! MEXA hosted kickoff events, ran matchmaking to help researchers form interdisciplinary teams, and offered an application workshop for those seeking additional guidance. Further details about the initial application process is available on the Wellcome scheme page. Teams submitted their final applications to the Accelerator on 28 May 2025. Thank you to everyone who participated. We’re excited for what’s next!

The Accelerator is now underway. With generous funding from Wellcome and in partnership with Neuromatch, the accelerator will provide selected teams with resources, mentorship, and strategic guidance to pilot research or model development. This stage includes a series of virtual workshops covering topics such as pilot experiment design, responsible AI practices, and integrating lived experience. It will culminate in an in-person event in the UK in November 2025. The program is designed to position teams as strong candidates for an exclusive large-scale funding call of up to £3 million per award from Wellcome, available only to accelerator participants. The final call closes on 2 December 2025.

Key Accelerator Dates

• Application Deadline – 28 May 2025
• Accelerator Decision Announcements – Late July/Early August 2025
• Wellcome’s Major Funding Call Opens – Early August 2025
• Virtual Workshops and Training Sessions – August to October 2025
• Accelerator In-Person Event – 3-4 November 2025
• Wellcome Funding Call Closes – 2 December 2025

View the Recording of our Accelerator Launch Webinar

Learn more about the MEXA Generative AI for Mental Health Research Accelerator and Wellcome’s upcoming funding call by viewing the recording of our two launch events.

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