diff --git a/docs/src/conf.py b/docs/src/conf.py
index c9de1502..d367c9eb 100644
--- a/docs/src/conf.py
+++ b/docs/src/conf.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 # to include the documentation
 os.environ["METATENSOR_IMPORT_FOR_SPHINX"] = "1"
 os.environ["RASCALINE_IMPORT_FOR_SPHINX"] = "1"
+os.environ["PYTORCH_JIT"] = "0"
 
 import metatrain  # noqa: E402
 
@@ -53,9 +54,11 @@ def generate_examples():
     # METATENSOR_IMPORT_FOR_SPHINX=1). So instead we run it inside a small script, and
     # include the corresponding output later.
     del os.environ["METATENSOR_IMPORT_FOR_SPHINX"]
+    del os.environ["PYTORCH_JIT"]
     script = os.path.join(ROOT, "docs", "generate_examples", "generate-examples.py")
     subprocess.run([sys.executable, script])
     os.environ["METATENSOR_IMPORT_FOR_SPHINX"] = "1"
+    os.environ["PYTORCH_JIT"] = "0"
 
 
 def setup(app):
diff --git a/docs/src/dev-docs/utils/index.rst b/docs/src/dev-docs/utils/index.rst
index 312ee534..0f5cf8ab 100644
--- a/docs/src/dev-docs/utils/index.rst
+++ b/docs/src/dev-docs/utils/index.rst
@@ -24,4 +24,5 @@ This is the API for the ``utils`` module of ``metatrain``.
    omegaconf
    output_gradient
    per_atom
+   transfer
    units
diff --git a/docs/src/dev-docs/utils/transfer.rst b/docs/src/dev-docs/utils/transfer.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ba971029
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/src/dev-docs/utils/transfer.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+Data type and device transfers
+##############################
+
+.. automodule:: metatrain.utils.transfer
+    :members:
+    :undoc-members:
+    :show-inheritance:
diff --git a/src/metatrain/experimental/alchemical_model/trainer.py b/src/metatrain/experimental/alchemical_model/trainer.py
index 0dd13a2b..c9b9b5f6 100644
--- a/src/metatrain/experimental/alchemical_model/trainer.py
+++ b/src/metatrain/experimental/alchemical_model/trainer.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
     get_system_with_neighbor_lists,
 )
 from ...utils.per_atom import average_by_num_atoms
+from ...utils.transfer import systems_and_targets_to_dtype_and_device
 from . import AlchemicalModel
 from .utils.composition import calculate_composition_weights
 from .utils.normalize import (
@@ -222,11 +223,9 @@ def train(
 
                 systems, targets = batch
                 assert len(systems[0].known_neighbor_lists()) > 0
-                systems = [system.to(dtype=dtype, device=device) for system in systems]
-                targets = {
-                    key: value.to(dtype=dtype, device=device)
-                    for key, value in targets.items()
-                }
+                systems, targets = systems_and_targets_to_dtype_and_device(
+                    systems, targets, dtype, device
+                )
                 for additive_model in model.additive_models:
                     targets = remove_additive(
                         systems, targets, additive_model, model.dataset_info.targets
@@ -262,11 +261,9 @@ def train(
             for batch in val_dataloader:
                 systems, targets = batch
                 assert len(systems[0].known_neighbor_lists()) > 0
-                systems = [system.to(dtype=dtype, device=device) for system in systems]
-                targets = {
-                    key: value.to(dtype=dtype, device=device)
-                    for key, value in targets.items()
-                }
+                systems, targets = systems_and_targets_to_dtype_and_device(
+                    systems, targets, dtype, device
+                )
                 for additive_model in model.additive_models:
                     targets = remove_additive(
                         systems, targets, additive_model, model.dataset_info.targets
diff --git a/src/metatrain/experimental/soap_bpnn/trainer.py b/src/metatrain/experimental/soap_bpnn/trainer.py
index b67d9dd8..cdfc3ba8 100644
--- a/src/metatrain/experimental/soap_bpnn/trainer.py
+++ b/src/metatrain/experimental/soap_bpnn/trainer.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
     get_system_with_neighbor_lists,
 )
 from ...utils.per_atom import average_by_num_atoms
+from ...utils.transfer import systems_and_targets_to_dtype_and_device
 from .model import SoapBpnn
 
 
@@ -251,11 +252,9 @@ def train(
                     targets = remove_additive(
                         systems, targets, additive_model, train_targets
                     )
-                systems = [system.to(dtype=dtype, device=device) for system in systems]
-                targets = {
-                    key: value.to(dtype=dtype, device=device)
-                    for key, value in targets.items()
-                }
+                systems, targets = systems_and_targets_to_dtype_and_device(
+                    systems, targets, dtype, device
+                )
                 predictions = evaluate_model(
                     model,
                     systems,
@@ -294,11 +293,9 @@ def train(
                     targets = remove_additive(
                         systems, targets, additive_model, train_targets
                     )
-                systems = [system.to(dtype=dtype, device=device) for system in systems]
-                targets = {
-                    key: value.to(dtype=dtype, device=device)
-                    for key, value in targets.items()
-                }
+                systems, targets = systems_and_targets_to_dtype_and_device(
+                    systems, targets, dtype, device
+                )
                 predictions = evaluate_model(
                     model,
                     systems,
diff --git a/src/metatrain/utils/transfer.py b/src/metatrain/utils/transfer.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5aae6929
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/metatrain/utils/transfer.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+from typing import Dict, List
+
+import torch
+from metatensor.torch import TensorMap
+from metatensor.torch.atomistic import System
+
+
+@torch.jit.script
+def systems_and_targets_to_dtype_and_device(
+    systems: List[System],
+    targets: Dict[str, TensorMap],
+    dtype: torch.dtype,
+    device: torch.device,
+):
+    """
+    Transfers the systems and targets to the specified dtype and device.
+
+    :param systems: List of systems.
+    :param targets: Dictionary of targets.
+    :param dtype: Desired data type.
+    :param device: Device to transfer to.
+    """
+
+    systems = [system.to(dtype=dtype, device=device) for system in systems]
+    targets = {
+        key: value.to(dtype=dtype, device=device) for key, value in targets.items()
+    }
+    return systems, targets
diff --git a/tests/utils/test_transfer.py b/tests/utils/test_transfer.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cceb3bf2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/utils/test_transfer.py
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import metatensor.torch
+import torch
+from metatensor.torch import Labels, TensorMap
+from metatensor.torch.atomistic import System
+
+from metatrain.utils.transfer import systems_and_targets_to_dtype_and_device
+
+
+def test_systems_and_targets_to_dtype_and_device():
+    system = System(
+        positions=torch.tensor([[1.0, 1.0, 1.0]]),
+        cell=torch.tensor([[1.0, 0.0, 0.0], [0.0, 1.0, 0.0], [0.0, 0.0, 1.0]]),
+        types=torch.tensor([1]),
+    )
+    targets = TensorMap(
+        keys=Labels.single(),
+        blocks=[metatensor.torch.block_from_array(torch.tensor([[1.0]]))],
+    )
+
+    systems = [system]
+    targets = {"energy": targets}
+
+    assert systems[0].positions.dtype == torch.float32
+    assert systems[0].positions.device == torch.device("cpu")
+    assert systems[0].cell.dtype == torch.float32
+    assert systems[0].types.device == torch.device("cpu")
+    assert targets["energy"].block().values.dtype == torch.float32
+    assert targets["energy"].block().values.device == torch.device("cpu")
+
+    systems, targets = systems_and_targets_to_dtype_and_device(
+        systems, targets, torch.float64, torch.device("meta")
+    )
+
+    assert systems[0].positions.dtype == torch.float64
+    assert systems[0].positions.device == torch.device("meta")
+    assert systems[0].cell.dtype == torch.float64
+    assert systems[0].types.device == torch.device("meta")
+    assert targets["energy"].block().values.dtype == torch.float64
+    assert targets["energy"].block().values.device == torch.device("meta")