Research institutions get unified AI platform for funding and strategy
Web of Science Research Intelligence, a new AI platform, launched globally on May 6. The system combines curated research data with analytics-grade AI to help universities and research offices find funding, identify collaborators, and measure research impact.
The platform unifies data from publications, patents, funding records, policy documents, and clinical trials into a single source. Over 50 early adopter institutions across 20 countries shaped the platform's development before launch.
The problem it solves
Research institutions face mounting pressure to secure competitive funding and demonstrate the value of their work. Yet the tools they use remain fragmented and inconsistent.
General-purpose AI tools generate answers quickly but often lack reliability or grounding in authoritative data. Research offices need decision-ready insights they can trust and defend.
How it works
The platform grounds all outputs in curated, publisher-neutral data from Web of Science Core Collection, Derwent Innovations Index, Cortellis Clinical Trials Intelligence, and Pivot-RP. Every AI-generated response includes transparency about how it was created.
A purpose-built Research Intelligence Assistant handles common research management tasks. It uses computed indicators and standardized methods to produce structured analyses rather than general summaries.
Users can drill down into underlying data to verify findings. This approach differs from broad AI tools that pull from unverified sources.
What institutions can do now
Research offices can track funding opportunities aligned to institutional priorities. Library teams gain clearer visibility into research performance across the organization.
Researchers can independently explore emerging topics, find experts in their field, and identify potential collaborators. The platform also supports institution-level reporting on research performance and societal impact.
Lisa Nanstad, Research Intelligence Strategist at University of Colorado Boulder, said the value came from shaping the platform around real institutional workflows. "We were not simply reacting to a finished product - we were helping shape a research intelligence platform around the needs universities have now and the strategic questions we know are coming next."
What comes next
Planned features include deeper AI-guided analysis, automated report generation, and team modeling for strategic planning. The platform will eventually track impact at the department and researcher level.
Additional data sources will be added, including medical guidelines, dissertations, and institution-supplied data. Users will be able to build flexible reports and integrate the platform into existing systems.
The shift in research intelligence
Research intelligence is moving away from static reporting toward real-time guidance. As funding becomes more competitive and accountability demands rise, institutions need insights they can trust and act on immediately.
The platform represents a broader change: research intelligence is no longer just reporting available data. It's about connecting and transforming data into actionable insight for funding decisions, collaboration planning, and impact evaluation.
Interested institutions can register for upcoming webinars on May 20 (11 a.m. New York / 4 p.m. London) or May 21 (1 p.m. Beijing / 3 p.m. Canberra) to see the platform in action and hear from early adopters.
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