I’m based outside the UK. Can I still apply?

Yes! You’re welcome to apply, even if you plan to work remotely for the entire Fellowship.

Can I apply for multiple projects?

Yes! You can apply for multiple projects, though this may require answering several extended questions. We recommend limiting applications to 2-3 projects.

What are the most common mistakes in applications?

Common pitfalls include:

• Misunderstanding the project scope or the 30-minute project question.

• Focusing on personal academic/professional interests instead of the advertised project.

• Submitting a purely LLM-generated response.

• Excessive spelling/punctuation errors (a few typos are fine, but strong writing skills matter).

Is the fellowship paid?

Fellowship participants are typically unpaid. However, if financial constraints would prevent you from applying, let us know in your application—we have limited funding available, and we’d prefer to see you apply and participate than miss out for this reason. Some project leads (or their institutions) may also provide funding for FIG Fellows, and this will be clarified in each project description.

What happens after the Fellowship?

It depends on you, the project, and the project lead. Many collaborations will continue beyond the 12-week period until the project is complete, and you can discuss this with your project lead. Toward the end of the Fellowship, we’ll evaluate projects and may offer limited funding to extend particularly high-impact work.

Do I need prior experience in AI safety or policy to apply?

It can definitely be helpful, but not necessarily a requirement! If you have a strong research background in a related field (e.g. computer science, international relations, philosophy, etc.), and if you think your background matches a project lead's needs, we would encourage you to apply.

Do I need to have written academic papers?

Not necessarily! You might have written relevant reports, pre-print papers, blog posts, forum posts or other documents - you will have a chance to share a writing sample in the application.

What if I’m currently working full-time in a different field?

FIG is part-time, remote-first; we believe a lot of talented, motivated people in other fields want to make a positive impact in AI safety research. We would be excited to see people from other fields apply.

Are there opportunities to collaborate with other fellows?

Most likely! Plenty of project leads take more than one FIG Fellow for the same project, and they've often co-worked if they're in the same city! We'd be excited to see you develop strong professional relationships with other Fellows, either through your project or through our remote events.

How much interaction will there be with my project lead?

It depends on the project -- some project leads take a hands-on, mentorship approach, whereas others are looking for motivated self-starters! You can find out more in each project’s description.

What if I need to take time off during the 12-week period?

Our next fellowship will run over the Christmas and New Year period, and we'll assume little to no involvement for about two weeks during that period - you can mention any upcoming leave in your application or discuss with the project lead in an interview.

I’ve missed the deadline. Can I still apply? 

You can still submit your application after the deadline. We’ll consider late entries for roughly one week; after that applications are at the project lead’s discretion, so there’s no guarantee it will make the shortlist.

I can’t apply right now, but will there be projects available in future?

Yes! We run 2-3 fellowship rounds each year. You can submit an Expression of Interest form here to keep up with important announcements.

How can I get in touch?

Email us at info@futureimpact.group!