The Collective Intelligence Project (CIP) has officially opened applications for its CIP Research Fellowship 2026 Pilot Cohort, offering an exciting opportunity for researchers interested in AI, public values, democratic governance, and policy innovation.
This fully remote, six-month fellowship is designed for scholars who want to conduct original, publishable research using exclusive datasets that are unavailable elsewhere. Selected fellows will receive a $9,000 stipend, mentorship, co-authorship opportunities, and access to one-of-a-kind data on global public attitudes toward AI.
If you are a late-stage PhD candidate, postdoctoral researcher, or independent scholar with strong research experience, this fellowship could be a major career opportunity.
About the CIP Research Fellowship
The Collective Intelligence Project (CIP) is seeking three research fellows for its pilot cohort. Fellows will work with proprietary datasets from CIP’s major research initiatives and produce both academic and public-facing outputs focused on how societies understand, deliberate, and govern artificial intelligence.
This fellowship supports interdisciplinary work at the intersection of:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Democratic Governance
- Public Values
- Comparative Politics
- Computational Social Science
- Deliberative Research
- AI Policy and Regulation
The program is remote and non-residential, making it accessible to researchers from around the world.
Fellowship Overview
Fellowship Size
- 3 Fellows (Pilot Cohort)
Duration
- 6 Months
Time Commitment
- 5–10 hours per week
- Bi-weekly 1-hour virtual lab meetings
Format
- Remote
- Non-residential
Compensation
- Fixed stipend of $9,000
- Paid in three milestone-based tranches
Application Deadline
- May 15, 2026
Exclusive Data Available to Fellows
Selected fellows will gain internal access to three major CIP research projects:
1. Global Dialogues
A recurring multi-country survey tracking public attitudes toward AI across 70+ countries with more than 7 completed rounds.
Data includes:
- Binary votes
- Pairwise comparisons
- Open-ended responses
- Demographic segmentation
Much of this dataset is also partially available on GitHub.
2. Collective Generation
CIP’s deliberative methodology for building AI evaluation frameworks through consensus-building and public participation.
Fellows will access:
- Deliberative session datasets
- Bridging consensus frameworks
- Public reasoning data
3. Weval
An open AI evaluation platform featuring:
- 100+ community-contributed blueprints
- Testing across 112+ model configurations
Performance scores range from approximately 23% to 95%, revealing major differences in how AI systems handle socially complex tasks.
Fellows will receive access to:
- Codebase
- Evaluation platform
- Internal tools for creating and running evaluations
Research Themes for Fellows
Each fellow will work within a distinct thematic lens to ensure complementary research.
1. Democratic & Comparative
Focus areas may include:
- Cross-national AI governance attitudes
- Polarization and consensus patterns
- Cultural and demographic drivers of AI values
- Comparative deliberation outcomes
2. Communication & Deliberation
Potential topics include:
- Discourse analysis of AI values
- Framing patterns in public reasoning
- Computational text analysis across languages
- Perspective shifts during deliberative processes
3. Governance & Institutions
Research could explore:
- Public trust in institutions
- AI regulatory preferences
- Policy consensus on governance frameworks
- National and political clustering of governance preferences
These themes are flexible, and strong proposals aligned with CIP’s mission are encouraged.
Deliverables and Fellowship Timeline
Compensation is tied to three milestones:
Phase I: Onboarding (Month 1)
- Signed agreement
- Finalized 2-page Research Plan
Phase II: Analysis (Months 2–4)
- Preliminary findings presentation to the CIP team
Phase III: Final Draft (Months 5–6)
A final deliverable such as:
- Published research paper
- Public blog series
- Working prototype
- Policy-oriented report
Who Should Apply?
CIP is primarily looking for:
- Late-stage PhD candidates (ABD)
- Early-career postdoctoral researchers
Preferred fields include:
- Political Science
- Computational Social Science
- Sociology
- Computer Science (ML/AI)
Researchers from adjacent disciplines with strong quantitative or mixed-methods expertise are also encouraged to apply.
Importantly, CIP is not selecting based on institutional prestige. They are seeking researchers who can produce rigorous, original, and impactful work.
International applicants are welcome.
Fellowship Benefits
Selected fellows will receive:
- Exclusive access to unique AI governance datasets
- $9,000 fixed stipend
- Co-authorship opportunities on CIP Working Papers
- Public visibility through CIP’s platforms
- Affiliation with a recognized AI governance organization
- A peer network with the other fellows
- Direct influence on future CIP research and data collection
Required Application Materials
Applicants must submit:
1. One-Page Research Proposal
Include:
- Proposed research topic
- Specific dataset(s) you will use
- Why the research matters
- Novelty and impact of the project
2. CV / Resume / LinkedIn Profile
Maximum:
- 2 pages (for CV/resume)
3. Brief Statement (200–300 words)
Describe:
- Your experience working with large datasets
- Your interest in CIP’s mission and work
4. Writing Sample
Examples:
- Academic paper
- Working paper
- Research article
- Analytical blog post
This should demonstrate strong analytical rigor.
Important Before Applying
Applicants are strongly encouraged to first explore the publicly available Global Dialogues dataset on GitHub before submitting.
This helps ensure your proposal is grounded in the available research infrastructure.
Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
CIP aims to contact shortlisted candidates within two weeks after the May 15 deadline.
However, they reserve the right to select earlier applicants before the final deadline, so early application is strongly recommended.
The CIP Research Fellowship 2026 is an outstanding opportunity for researchers passionate about shaping the future of AI governance through evidence-based scholarship.
With strong financial support, exclusive datasets, global visibility, and policy relevance, this fellowship offers far more than funding—it provides a platform to influence how AI is governed worldwide.
If your work sits at the intersection of AI and democracy, this is a fellowship worth applying for.
Apply Now
Interested candidates should prepare their proposal and submit their application before May 15, 2026.
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