Research Fellowship

You'll have dedicated support throughout, interfacing with several stakeholders who will support your work. Here's how it's structured:

Your research manager: day-to-day support

A dedicated research manager works alongside your team every day. They help with weekly prioritization, experiment tracking, and notes, and keep things moving. They will be your closest point of contact throughout the program.

AE researchers: set the vision

AE researchers act as visionaries for your research. You'll discuss your progress with them, get project direction, and respond to their feedback.

Midpoint check-in: senior mentorship

Halfway through, you'll have a one-on-one with someone from our leadership or our partner AE Studio's alignment leadership, to give guidance on your research, your career prospects, and feedback on your work.

Along the way, each team works toward a LessWrong post and, when the research supports it, a paper. The program closes with a Demo Day presentation.

The problems we're working on.

Fellows work on projects defined by AIAF, in collaboration with AE Studio's research team. Specific assignments happen after selection, based on background fit and the cohort's strengths. Reading about our current directions will give you a sense of the kind of research we do.

Strong candidates look like this.

You're a good fit if...

• Strong ML background. You can run experiments, implement papers, and debug your own code.
• You've spent real time thinking about AI alignment, not just reading about it.
• You've done some form of independent research before, a LessWrong post, a hackathon project, a thesis, a preprint, anything that shows you can take initiative and produce something.
• You can work autonomously for a week and show meaningful progress at the end of it.
• Any career stage: recent PhDs, MSc students, self-taught researchers, or people transitioning into AI alignment from another field.

This probably isn't for you if...

• You need significant hand-holding to get started on a new problem.
• You've never written code to run an experiment.
• You're applying for the credential but aren't genuinely interested in alignment long-term.
• You have a specific research agenda you want to pursue. We're looking for people who are flexible and excited about exploring different directions.
• You want to work on policy or governance-focused alignment. This fellowship is for technical research.

More than a stipend.

$12,000

For the full 8-week program, paid in installments.

Compute budget

Cloud GPU access and API credits per team. No out-of-pocket costs for running experiments.

A hybrid Demo Day

Attend in person in LA with all travel and expenses covered, or join remotely. We can't sponsor visas, but if you can make it, we'll handle the rest.

Research infrastructure

Linear, GitHub, Google Drive, Slack, plus AIAF's full research methodology and experiment standards.

Output you can point to

Every team works toward a LessWrong post and reproducible work. We'll work closely with your team on the opportunity to publish a paper too.

Career support

AIAF is committed to helping fellows find their next step. We work with our partner organizations, including AE Studio, to connect strong fellows with opportunities that fit.

Timeline and what we need.

Application steps

CV and a short questionnaire covering your background, what you're currently working on, and links to any relevant work (GitHub, papers, LessWrong posts, projects). Plus a short video.

Recorded on whatever device you have, no production setup needed. You'll need to answer two questions:

1. 1.Why does AI alignment matter to you?
2. 2.After reading about our research, pick one direction that interests you. Briefly describe at least one critique you have of it, something you would extend, and what you think could be most promising to explore next.

If we like your application, you'll be invited to complete a short technical test.

A conversation covering your research background, alignment thinking, and fit with the cohort.

Applications are now open.

Common questions.

No. We assign projects after selection, based on background fit and the cohort's strengths.

No. There's no guarantee. What we can say is that AIAF is committed to helping strong fellows find their next step, and we actively work with our partner organizations to connect people with opportunities that fit.

Yes. The eight weeks are fully remote. For Demo Day at the end of the program, we're planning a hybrid event in LA. If you can make it in person, we'll cover all travel and accommodation. If you can't, you'll be able to join and present remotely. Please note we're not able to sponsor visas, so attending in person requires that you sort out any travel documentation yourself.

Yes. The fellowship is fully remote, so location isn't a barrier. But you need to be open to meetings at times that overlap with other stakeholders, for example mornings Pacific Time.

Fine, as long as you can commit to 40 hours per week for the full 8 weeks. Be honest with yourself about your availability before applying.

Yes. We're looking for strong technical ability and genuine engagement with alignment, not a specific career stage. People moving in from adjacent fields are very welcome.

We review every application. If we like what we see, you'll move to a short technical test. Candidates who pass that are invited to a final interview. We aim to send decisions by early September.

The $12,000 stipend is paid in 2 installments over the duration of the program.

Questions?

We're happy to help.

If anything here is unclear, reach out and we'll get back to you.

Ready to apply?

Applications are now open. Deadline August 17, 2026.

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