AI Alignment Foundation Fellowship 2026: Applications Open for AI Safety Research Fellowship
The AI Alignment Foundation (AIAF) is inviting applications for its 2026 Fellowship Cohort, an intensive opportunity for people interested in exploring important and under-researched questions in artificial intelligence alignment. The programme is designed for individuals who want to contribute to research on how advanced AI systems can remain safe, beneficial and aligned with human values.
Applications for the 2026 cohort are currently open, with the deadline set for 17 August 2026 Anywhere on Earth (AoE). The fellowship begins on 8 September 2026 and runs through 30 October 2026.
About the AI Alignment Foundation Fellowship
The AIAF Fellowship provides participants with an opportunity to spend several weeks working intensively on AI alignment research. Fellows are expected to commit 40 hours per week for the entire programme, making this a full-time research opportunity.
The fellowship is particularly interested in applicants who can identify unconventional or neglected approaches to AI alignment. Rather than simply pursuing established research directions, applicants are encouraged to think creatively about ideas that may be speculative, unusual or even likely to fail.
This makes the programme suitable for people who enjoy investigating difficult problems and developing new research directions.
Fellowship Timeline
Important dates and requirements for applicants include:
- Application deadline: 17 August 2026 (Anywhere on Earth)
- Programme start: 8 September 2026
- Programme end: 30 October 2026
- Commitment: 40 hours per week
- Application time: Approximately 20 minutes
- Video requirement: Up to 5 minutes
Applicants should prepare their materials before beginning the application because the form requires a CV, relevant work links and a short video.
Who Can Apply?
The application form asks candidates to provide their personal and professional information, including:
- First and last name.
- Email address.
- Phone number.
- Current location.
- LinkedIn profile, if available.
- CV or résumé.
- Links to relevant previous work.
Relevant work is optional, but applicants can provide up to five links. These could include:
- GitHub projects.
- Academic papers.
- LessWrong posts.
- Research projects.
- Other relevant work demonstrating their ability to think about AI alignment or related questions.
Applicants should ensure that all submitted links are accessible to anyone with the link.
Full-Time Commitment Required
A major eligibility requirement is the ability to commit full-time, 40 hours per week, from 8 September through 30 October 2026.
Applicants will also be asked whether they can work as a contractor or receive a stipend in their current location.
The application additionally asks whether candidates can participate in meetings during Pacific Time working hours.
These requirements are important because the fellowship is structured as an intensive programme rather than a part-time learning opportunity.
AI Alignment Research Question
One of the most important sections of the application asks candidates to answer a short research question:
What is a neglected approach to AI alignment that you would be excited to see someone try?
Applicants have a maximum of 250 words for their response.
The Foundation is specifically looking for ideas that are unusual, speculative or potentially unsuccessful and that are not already being seriously pursued in the exact form proposed.
Applicants should address three key areas.
1. Why Could the Idea Work?
Candidates should explain the basic reasoning behind their proposed approach.
The goal is not to provide a detailed technical implementation. Instead, applicants should communicate the central idea and explain why it could potentially contribute to solving an important AI alignment problem.
2. Would It Remain Relevant to Self-Improving AI?
Applicants should consider whether their proposed approach would remain useful for AI systems capable of recursive self-improvement.
If the approach would eventually become less relevant as AI systems become more capable, candidates should explain why investigating it would nevertheless be valuable.
3. What Would the First Test Look Like?
Applicants should propose a high-level initial experiment or test that could help determine whether the idea deserves further investigation.
The application specifically encourages candidates to focus on the core research idea rather than implementation details.
Five-Minute Video Requirement
Applicants must also submit a video of up to five minutes.
The video should answer two questions.
Why Does AI Alignment Matter to You?
Candidates should explain their personal motivation for working on AI alignment.
A strong response could communicate what makes the problem intellectually important, socially significant or personally compelling to the applicant.
What Research Direction Interests You?
Applicants should read about AIAF’s research before recording their video and select one research direction that interests them.
They should then discuss at least one of the following:
- A critique of the research direction.
- Something they would extend.
- What they believe would be most promising to explore next.
This section gives applicants an opportunity to demonstrate that they can engage critically with existing research rather than simply expressing enthusiasm for AI safety.
What Applicants Should Prepare
Before starting the application, candidates should have the following ready:
- An updated CV or résumé.
- LinkedIn profile, if applicable.
- Up to five links to relevant work.
- A thoughtful response to the 250-word AI alignment question.
- A short video of no more than five minutes.
- Confirmation that submitted links can be accessed by anyone with the link.
- Availability for the full-time fellowship period.
Applicants should also consider their ability to work during Pacific Time hours and whether they are legally able to work as a contractor or receive a stipend where they currently live.
Application Process
The application takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
The application is divided into six sections:
- About You – Personal and contact information.
- Your Work – CV and relevant research or project links.
- Eligibility & Logistics – Availability, working arrangements and time-zone requirements.
- One Short Question – A 250-word response about a neglected AI alignment approach.
- Your Video – A five-minute maximum video answering two research-related questions.
- Agreements – Terms, privacy policy and optional consent for sharing applications with partner organisations.
Applicants will receive a confirmation email once their application has been received.
Key Opportunity Details
- Programme: AI Alignment Foundation Fellowship
- Cohort: 2026
- Organisation: AI Alignment Foundation
- Programme dates: 8 September – 30 October 2026
- Commitment: Full-time, 40 hours per week
- Application deadline: 17 August 2026 (AoE)
- Application duration: Approximately 20 minutes
- Video: Up to 5 minutes
- Relevant work: Up to 5 links
- Research response: Maximum 250 words
- Time-zone requirement: Ability to take meetings during Pacific Time working hours
- Work arrangement: Applicants must be able to work as a contractor or receive a stipend where they live
Why Consider the Fellowship?
The AIAF Fellowship could be particularly valuable for applicants interested in AI safety, AI alignment, technical research, emerging AI risks and unconventional approaches to advanced AI governance and safety.
Rather than requiring applicants to present a conventional research proposal, the application encourages original thinking about neglected problems. The 250-word research question is therefore an important opportunity to demonstrate intellectual curiosity, creativity and the ability to identify potentially valuable research directions.
Applicants should also use the video to demonstrate that they can critically evaluate existing research. Simply explaining why a particular area is interesting may be less compelling than identifying a genuine limitation, proposing an extension and explaining what should be investigated next.
With the application deadline approaching, prospective fellows should prepare their CV, research links and video early.
Application deadline: 17 August 2026 (Anywhere on Earth).
For questions about the fellowship, applicants can contact fellowship@aialignmentfoundation.org.
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Disclaimer: Remote Job Opportunities (RJO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the responsible organization directly. Please do not send your applications to RJO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.
