Fellowships — The Safety Apprentice

Fellowships are one of the most common entry points into AI safety research. These programs provide mentorship, funding, community, and a structured path from "interested" to "contributing." Most programs are looking for a combination of technical ability, genuine interest in AI safety, and the capacity to do independent research. You don't need to be a published researcher — many fellows come from adjacent fields or are early in their careers. The key is showing you've engaged seriously with the ideas and can articulate what you want to work on. These programs are competitive and many strong candidates don't get accepted on their first try. The best thing you can do is keep building: take the AI Safety Fundamentals course, join an Apart Research sprint, write up your ideas on the Alignment Forum, and apply again next round. The field needs more people, and persistence is a signal reviewers notice. For one-on-one paid career consulting — application reviews, research direction, and nav

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• N . Soma Sekhar