Ambitious researchers, PhD students, entrepreneurs, and professionals passionate about mitigating catastrophic risks from advanced AI — this is your chance to level up in 2026!
The ERA:AI Fellowship Summer 2026 is a highly selective, fully funded 10-week in-person talent programme running from 6th July to 11th September 2026 in Cambridge, UK. Organised by ERA Fellowship, it brings together talented individuals to conduct individual research projects, receive high-touch mentorship, and build careers as leading researchers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers in AI safety and governance.
This is not a typical academic programme — it’s a hands-on, immersive experience focused on understanding and reducing existential and catastrophic risks from frontier AI systems. With a generous stipend, travel and visa support, and access to ERA’s powerful network, selected fellows gain the resources and connections needed to make real impact in this critical field.
Application Deadline: 12th April 2026 (11:59 PM AoE) — Rolling evaluation, so apply early!
Whether you’re an early-career researcher, PhD student, or working professional from law, engineering, computer science, or related fields, ERA strongly encourages applications even if you’re unsure about your background. They particularly welcome diverse perspectives.
Table of Contents
- About the ERA:AI Fellowship Summer 2026
- Fellowship Tracks Available
- Who Can Apply? Eligibility Criteria
- Benefits & What You Get
- Key Application Requirements
- Important Dates for 2026
- Step-by-Step Application Guide
- Pro Tips to Submit a Strong Application
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Conclusion & Next Steps
1. About the ERA:AI Fellowship Summer 2026
The ERA:AI Fellowship is designed for people dedicated to tackling the most pressing risks posed by advanced AI. During the 10 weeks in Cambridge, fellows work on individual research projects, receive intensive mentorship, and gain career support to become influential voices in AI safety, governance, and risk mitigation.
A separate AIxBiosecurity Fellowship is also launching soon with its own application process. The programme emphasises original thinking, theory of change, and long-term impact on reducing large-scale catastrophic risks.
2. Fellowship Tracks (Choose One)
You must select one primary track (rare reassignments possible):
- AI Governance — International governance, frontier AI policy, legal frameworks, jurisdiction-specific policy, corporate governance.
- Technical AI Governance — Science of evaluations, agent governance, safety cases, compute governance, AI security, technical standards, model weight security, forecasting, verification mechanisms.
- Technical AI Safety — Mechanistic interpretability, scalable oversight, AI control, cooperative AI, machine unlearning, model organisms of misalignment, chain-of-thought monitoring, adversarial robustness.
You can also indicate interest in up to three additional AI-related research areas.
3. Who Can Apply? Eligibility Criteria
- Aged 18 or over (no one under 18 will be accepted).
- Passionate about understanding and mitigating catastrophic risks from frontier AI systems.
- Open to early-career researchers, PhD students, and professionals from diverse fields (law, engineering, computer science, etc.).
- Must have a passport valid until at least March 11, 2027, with at least one blank page (visa sponsorship available, but prepare early).
- All written responses must be 100% your own work — no AI tools (LLMs) allowed for generating or refining text. Detection leads to disqualification.
- Strong interest in the selected track and willingness to relocate to Cambridge for 10 weeks.
No strict prior AI experience required — genuine interest and potential matter most.
4. Benefits of the ERA:AI Fellowship
- Generous stipend to cover living expenses in Cambridge.
- Travel and visa expense support (including sponsorship where needed).
- High-touch mentorship and career development support.
- Access to ERA’s broader network of experts and organisations.
- Opportunity to work on impactful individual research projects.
- Professional growth in one of the most important fields of our time.
Everything is designed to remove financial and logistical barriers so you can focus on meaningful work.
Explore more opportunities like this
5. Key Application Requirements
- CV upload.
- Short essay-style answers with strict character limits:
- Why do you want to work on reducing risks from advanced AI? (1200 characters)
- Which concrete AI risk issues interest you most? (Select up to 4)
- Post-fellowship plans (select up to 2 options).
- Relevant experience for your chosen track (800 characters).
- One potential project/research question you’d like to explore (2000 characters) — focus on theory of change and risk reduction.
- LinkedIn profile (or N/A).
- Up to 5 references (ERA won’t contact without permission).
- How you heard about the fellowship (1–3 sentences).
- Confirmation that no AI/LLM assistance was used.
Optional: Demographic questions (confidential, for diversity monitoring only).
6. Important Dates for 2026
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications Open | Already open |
| Application Deadline | 12th April 2026 (11:59 PM AoE) |
| Shortlist Notifications | By 16th April 2026 (rolling basis) |
| Programme Start | 6th July 2026 |
| Programme End | 11th September 2026 |
7. Step-by-Step Application Guide
- Visit the official application form: https://airtable.com/appKHAYhmzWpZyOCg/pag0VHHxQWTBRmHHS/form
- Read the ERA website thoroughly (especially Past Research, AI Risks, and Applicant Guidance).
- Fill in personal information, career level, and chosen track.
- Answer all essay questions thoughtfully and originally (no AI help).
- Upload your CV and provide LinkedIn (if available).
- Add references and any additional information.
- Confirm you did not use AI tools.
- Submit before the deadline.
No confirmation email is sent after submission. Check the FAQ on erafellowship.org for more guidance.
Contact: hello@erafellowship.org for questions.
8. Pro Tips to Submit a Strong Application
- Focus on content and genuine reasoning rather than polished language.
- Clearly articulate your theory of change — how your project or interest helps reduce catastrophic AI risks.
- Be specific about relevant experience (include links to projects/code if applicable).
- Brainstorm a realistic yet ambitious project idea (it’s not a binding commitment).
- Apply even if you feel underqualified — they welcome diverse backgrounds.
- Start early to avoid rushing the essays.
- Prepare your passport now if renewal is needed.
9. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Is the ERA:AI Fellowship fully funded?
A: Yes — generous stipend, travel, and visa support are provided.
Q: Do I need prior AI experience?
A: No strict requirement — strong interest and potential are key.
Q: Can Nigerians or Africans apply?
A: Yes — the programme is open internationally.
Q: Is AI assistance allowed in the application?
A: Absolutely not — all text must be your own work.
Q: What is the duration and location?
A: 10 weeks (6 July – 11 Sept 2026) in Cambridge, UK.
Q: Is there a Q&A session?
A: Yes — register interest via the separate form on the ERA site.
10. Conclusion & Next Steps
The ERA:AI Fellowship Summer 2026 is a rare, fully supported opportunity to dive deep into AI safety and governance at a critical time. With Cambridge as your base and access to top mentors and networks, this could be the launchpad for your impact in shaping the future of AI.
Deadline is 12th April 2026 — don’t wait!
Read the full guidance first at https://erafellowship.org/ and https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fvr5_B0Fc78QI4ffz6D2OhKGnCYeq096xLKopU6wWJ8/edit
Share this with researchers, PhD students, engineers, lawyers, and anyone serious about AI risks. Questions? Drop them in the comments or email hello@erafellowship.org.
2026 could be the year you start making a real difference in AI safety. Apply now!
