The AI Alignment Foundation (AIAF) has opened applications for an 8-week, fully remote AI safety research fellowship offering a $12,000 stipend for the full-time programme.
The fellowship is designed for people interested in technical AI alignment research who have strong machine-learning skills and some experience conducting independent research.
Fellowship Details
- Fellowship: AIAF Fellowship 2026
- Host: AI Alignment Foundation
- Partner: AE Studio
- Duration: 8 weeks
- Format: Fully remote
- Workload: Full-time, 40 hours per week
- Stipend: $12,000
- Available places: 6
- Program start: September 8, 2026
- Application deadline: August 17, 2026 AoE
- Application fee: None stated
What the Fellowship Offers
Selected fellows will work on real AI alignment research at an industry-style pace. Each fellow will receive dedicated support throughout the programme.
The programme structure includes:
Research Manager
A dedicated research manager provides day-to-day support, including weekly prioritization, experiment tracking and research notes.
AE Studio Researchers
Researchers from AE Studio help set research direction, review progress and provide feedback.
Senior Mentorship
At the midpoint of the fellowship, participants receive a one-on-one session with a senior leader from AIAF or AE Studio’s alignment leadership.
Teams will work toward producing a LessWrong post and, where appropriate, a research paper. The programme concludes with a Demo Day presentation.
Research Areas
The fellowship’s current research directions include:
- Modular Pretraining Enables Access Control
- Self-Interpretation in Language Models via Adapter Probes
- Steering Resistance and Self-Correction Circuits in Large Language Models
Specific assignments are determined after selection based on each fellow’s background and the strengths of the cohort.
Who Should Apply?
The fellowship is aimed at candidates with a strong technical background who are genuinely interested in AI alignment.
Strong candidates should have:
- A strong machine learning background
- Ability to run experiments and implement research papers
- Experience debugging their own code
- A demonstrated interest in AI alignment
- Some previous independent research experience
- Evidence of initiative, such as a thesis, preprint, hackathon project, GitHub work or LessWrong post
- Ability to work autonomously and make meaningful progress
The programme welcomes applicants at different career stages, including recent PhD graduates, master’s students, self-taught researchers and professionals transitioning into AI alignment.
The fellowship is specifically focused on technical AI alignment research, rather than policy or governance-focused alignment.
What You Receive
In addition to the $12,000 stipend, fellows receive:
- Cloud GPU and API compute resources
- Research infrastructure
- Access to AIAF’s research methodology and experiment standards
- Research and technical mentorship
- Peer collaboration
- Career support
- Opportunity to develop publishable research
- Opportunity to present research at Demo Day
The Demo Day can be attended remotely or in person in Los Angeles. For those attending in person, the programme states that travel and expenses are covered. The organization does not sponsor visas.
Application Process
The application process consists of several stages.
1. Submit an application
Applicants provide a CV, questionnaire and links to relevant work such as GitHub projects, papers, LessWrong posts or other research. A short video is also required.
2. Submit a short video
The video must be 5 minutes or less and address two questions:
- Why does AI alignment matter to you?
- After reviewing AIAF’s research directions, which direction interests you, and what critique, extension or promising next step would you propose?
3. Technical test
Shortlisted applicants complete a technical assessment.
4. Interview
Finalists participate in an interview covering their research experience, AI alignment thinking and fit with the cohort.
Application Timeline
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications open | July 13, 2026 |
| Applications close | August 17, 2026 AoE |
| Interviews | August 18–29, 2026 |
| Fellowship begins | September 8, 2026 |
| Duration | 8 weeks |
Is the Fellowship Fully Remote?
Yes. The programme is structured as a fully remote, full-time fellowship, with fellows working 40 hours per week.
There is also an option to attend the final Demo Day in person in Los Angeles, with travel and expenses covered according to the programme information.
How to Apply
Applicants should submit their application through the AI Alignment Foundation’s official fellowship application process before the August 17, 2026 AoE deadline.
AI Alignment Foundation Fellowship
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