AI Policy Fellowship Spring 2027

Overview

The IAPS AI Policy Fellowship is a fully funded, three-month program for professionals from varied backgrounds seeking to strengthen practical policy skills for securing a positive future in a world with powerful AI.

Applications for the Spring 2027 program are now open. Submit your application by September 27, 2026.

Info session

Dates and Location

• February 22 to May 14, 2027
• D.C., London, or Remote Applicants may choose to do the Fellowship in-person at our DC or London hubs, or remotely. All fellows must attend the initial in-person event in D.C. from February 22 until March 5, 2027.

Financial Support

• Senior Fellows will receive $24,000 and Fellows $18,000 as a stipend to work full-time during the three-month program.
• Fellows on the DC or London track will also receive an additional $3,000 stipend.
• We can provide part-time options for exceptional candidates.
• We will provide financial support for travel and accommodation for the two-week D.C. event.

Day-to-day

Fellows work independently on projects that can range from drafting briefings and proposals, organizing ambitious convenings, advancing research to support actionable policy, reviewing legislative drafts, and working on technical guidelines. They have weekly meetings with their mentor (an AI policy expert) and an IAPS manager, and present their project in the final week of the Fellowship.

Who Should Apply

We are looking for people who want to develop a career in AI policy and address the lasting implications of frontier AI. We encourage applicants to familiarize themselves with IAPS’s areas of focus by checking out our research. Applicants with policy, technical, academic, and government backgrounds are strongly recommended, but we are open to a wide variety of backgrounds.

About the Fellowship

The IAPS Policy Fellowship is designed to cultivate the talent needed to ensure AI policy can meet the magnitude of challenges emerging from the frontier. Participants embed into the live AI policy field, responding to priority policy windows, and developing the skills to further their careers at leading organizations in the field. Fellows will join IAPS for a fully funded, three-month program during which they will be paired with a mentor, either from in-house or within our network, to gain experience in advancing AI policy. Two tracks are available to participants: Research Track: The Research track pairs you with an IAPS researcher (or an external supervisor at a partner organization) to produce a substantive piece of AI policy research over the course of the Fellowship. You will scope a question with your supervisor in the first weeks, then take primary ownership of the analysis and writing, with regular feedback on research direction, methods, and drafting for a policy audience. The goal is developing the ability to carry a research project from open question to evidence-based conclusions, and to produce a publishable output. Former Fellows have published reports written during their time with IAPS. Applied Track: The Applied track focuses more on hands-on policy work rather than a single research output. You will work with a supervisor on projects closer to the practice of AI policy that will require adaptability to real-life, evolving situations rather than building deep specialization on a research question. This track would suit people coming from an adjacent field (government, programs, operations, event organizing, grantmaking, etc.) who want to fast-track the conversion of existing professional skills into AI policy experience, or researchers who want to transition to practitioner roles. Former Fellows have run policy workshops, assisted in evaluating grant applications, and collaborated on policy memos. During the Fellowship The Fellowship begins with a two week, in-person event in D.C., from February 22 to March 5, during which participants are immersed in the AI policy landscape and exchange ideas with other Fellows, IAPS researchers, and experts in the AI policy ecosystem. Afterwards, they will spend the remaining 10 weeks working with an AI policy expert, who will mentor them on projects that could influence national and global AI policies. Key policy fields include chip export controls, verification technology, and AI-enabled cyberattacks. Each project is set in partnership with the Fellow and reflects the variety of work that comprises AI policy. In addition to working closely with a leading expert in the field, fellows receive:

• Weekly one-on-one coaching from an IAPS Fellowship Coordinator focused on career development, project management, and productivity.
• Ongoing support from IAPS researchers and policy staff, including direct feedback on their projects, such as via weekly work-in-progress sessions.
• Access to our professional network.
• Additional financial assistance, in select cases, to support career transitions. After the Fellowship The Fellowship is designed to support a smooth transition into an AI policy career. Whether you're aiming to work in government, a think tank, or industry, the program equips you with the skills, knowledge, and connections needed to succeed. Alumni of the Fellowship have gone on to full-time roles in industry, government, and at top think tanks like AI Futures Project, Future of Life Institute, RAND, the Institute for Progress, the Center for Health Security, the Future Society, and IAPS.

Frequently Asked Questions

Watch our live info session, held on Sep 10, to hear from alumni and learn more.

• What are you looking for in successful candidates? We encourage you to apply if you have an interest in our work and are considering a career in policy to address the lasting implications of frontier AI. We are interested in candidates from a broad set of professional backgrounds. When assessing applications, the primary quality we look for in candidates is demonstrated good judgment and a strong aptitude for understanding the implications of AI. Strong research and writing skills are a strong plus, but are not necessary, as not all fellows will be working on research-oriented placements. Policy or government experience (particularly in the US, but also in the UK or EU) are also a strong plus.

• Do I need to have a technical background or a deep technical understanding of AI systems? No. The Fellowship is designed to train professionals from a variety of backgrounds and no technical expertise is expected. We have historically accepted fellows with varying work and educational experience. Showing a demonstrated interest and fluency in the AI topics that IAPS focuses on is a key part of the selection process.

• Do I need policy experience to apply? No. This program is designed to accommodate people without prior experience in policy, though individuals with policy experience are encouraged to apply, and may be particularly suitable for the Applied track.

• What does the selection process look like? We expect to respond to initial applications by mid-October, at which point successful applicants will be invited to the next stage, comprising a written task and a short pre-recorded interview. The final stage will consist of a live interview in November. We expect to finalize selection by early December.

• What are IAPS’s motivations and goals for the program? The Fellowship is a talent development program. We hope that fellows will gain skills and experiences through their participation that enable them to contribute to the most important problems in AI policy. We believe that addressing the implications of frontier AI will be difficult and will require a strong policy talent, and that IAPS is well suited to identifying, supporting, and training talent to enter the field.

• How many Fellows are you planning to select? We expect to select up to 45 Fellows in total, but exact cohort size will depend on the composition and quality of our applicant pool.

• How will I get matched with my mentor? Once Fellows are selected, IAPS will work with fellows to understand their preferences for their project and mentor, and then work with our researchers and network to facilitate an appropriate match. Mentors will have the final say on choosing to work with a Fellow.

• How are Fellows matched with a project and can they work independently? We typically embed Fellows into their supervisor’s workstream following a thoughtful matching process that takes into account the Fellows’s interests, career goals, and skillset. This approach gives Fellows an opportunity to more fully experience AI policy work, contributing to projects with real impact. For example, previous Fellows have contributed to landmark policy research published by IAPS and contributed to the organization of policy workshops. In cases where the Fellow has an especially strong project idea matched with the skillset to enable independent work, supported by a supervisor, then a limited number of independent project proposals will be selected per cohort. There is a chance to indicate this preference during the application. To see the kind of issues our researchers work on, check out our research on our website and on our blogs: the Attack Surface, the Substrate, and Logogram.

• Can I do the program part-time? We can provide part-time options for exceptional candidates who have day jobs or other commitments. However, the default is for fellows to undertake the program full-time, and the number of part-time fellows we typically have is limited.

• Who is eligible to apply to the D.C. option? Only candidates who have the right to work in the U.S. between February 22 and May 14, 2027 are eligible to apply for the D.C. track, as we are not able to sponsor visas for this Fellowship.

• Who is eligible for the remote option? As a remote-first organization, IAPS has the systems and experience to fully support remote participation and are able to legally hire in many countries. However, due to administrative or legal constraints, there may be some exceptions. These vary by individual circumstance, and we’ll follow up directly if there are any limitations based on your location. If you have questions about eligibility for hiring in a specific country, feel free to contact us at fellowship@iaps.ai.

• Will I receive funding support to relocate to D.C.? Fellows choosing to base themselves in D.C. will be supported with an additional $3k. Fellows in DC will also receive desk space in our office, as well as daily lunch at the office.

• Is there a London-based track? Fellows in London will receive an additional $3k. Candidates will have the option to indicate interest in a London-based track in the application. We have an IAPS hub and office space in London, which we will provide access to. However, there won’t be as much active programming relative to the D.C. track.

• How do I pick between the Applied and Research Tracks? See above for a description of the two tracks. If you are uncertain which track is a better fit, or you are interested in both, you can indicate interest in both in your application, and we will make a determination which track you are likely to be best fit for. There may also be some opportunity to switch tracks after receiving an offer, if particular projects would be a uniquely good fit.

• Is there flexibility on the start date? Yes, under exceptional circumstances we can shift the start date to a few weeks later than February 22, 2027, though in this case, fellows will miss some or all of the in-person programming in D.C. that will take place from February 22 to March 5, 2027.

• Is there flexibility on the end date? The Fellowship will end on May 14 by default. We will offer the option for fellows to apply for an extension during the Fellowship. During our last cohort, more than half of our Fellows extended their Fellowship between 4-12 weeks.

• What are the salaries and benefits for Fellows? Senior Fellows will receive $24,000 and Fellows will receive $18,000 as a stipend to work full-time during the three-month program. Fellows based in-person in D.C. will receive an additional $3,000 stipend. We can provide part-time options for exceptional candidates, who will be provided a pro-rated stipend. Fellows will also get access to healthcare benefits and a $500 professional development stipend for the duration of their Fellowship.

• How do I obtain a visa as a remote Fellow for the two-week residency in D.C.? Can you help with this? We provide invitation letters to support the visa process for the two-week D.C. residency. However, we cannot provide additional individual visa support. Fellows will need to obtain their visa for the two-week event themselves.

Fellowship Timeline

Apply Here

Curious about IAPS’s work?

Advanced AI systems pose both immense opportunities and complex challenges. IAPS addresses these with practical policy solutions at the intersection of AI policy and national security through in-depth policy research.

Read our research

Curious about our past fellows?

Our fellows have secured positions in government, industry, leading think tanks, and academia, founded new projects and organizations, and been recognized on lists of the best AI policy researchers.

Read about our 2026 fellows