Top Artificial Intelligence Safety, Governance, Security, and Policy Fellowships Open for Applications in 2026

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming societies, economies, governments, and global security systems. As AI capabilities continue to advance, there is growing demand for professionals who can help shape AI governance, strengthen AI safety, improve AI security, and ensure responsible deployment of powerful AI systems.

Several prestigious fellowships and leadership programs are currently accepting applications for 2026 cohorts. These opportunities provide funding, mentorship, networking, research support, career development, and direct engagement with leading experts working at the forefront of artificial intelligence policy, governance, security, and safety.

This article highlights some of the most significant opportunities currently available to professionals, researchers, students, engineers, policymakers, and emerging leaders seeking to contribute to the future of AI.

1. Talos Network Artificial Intelligence Policy Leaders Programme 2026

The Talos Network Artificial Intelligence Policy Leaders Programme is designed for experienced professionals who are ready to influence the future of AI governance in Europe.

The programme aims to strengthen Europe’s capacity to govern advanced AI systems safely and effectively by supporting professionals with extensive experience in policy, government, international organizations, academia, industry, and related sectors.

Programme Tracks

Placement Track

The Placement Track is intended for professionals with at least eight years of experience who want to transition into AI governance.

Participants receive:

• A 12-month paid placement at an AI-focused organization
• Base compensation of EUR 5,000 per month for Brussels-based placements
• Cost-of-living adjustments for placements in other cities
• Career transition support
• Mentorship and networking opportunities

Training Track

The Training Track targets senior professionals with at least twelve years of experience who want to incorporate AI governance and AI safety considerations into their current roles.

Participants receive:

• Advanced AI governance training
• Strategic positioning support
• Access to high-level policy networks
• Career coaching and mentorship

Programme Components

Virtual European AI Policy Bootcamp

• Dates: 10 September – 22 October 2026
• Weekly sessions every Thursday
• Approximately 10 hours per week
• Compatible with full-time employment

Policymaking Summit

• Dates: 3 October – 9 October 2026
• Location: Brussels
• Fully reimbursed participation
• Workshops, networking, and engagement with senior policymakers

Additional Benefits

• One-on-one mentoring
• Career coaching
• Conference funding support
• Coworking support
• Access to Talos Network alumni
• Strategic career planning
• Connections across government, think tanks, industry, and European institutions

Who Should Consider Applying?

• Government professionals
• Policy experts
• Think tank researchers
• Industry professionals
• Academics
• Professionals interested in AI governance careers

APPLY HERE

2. Black in Artificial Intelligence Safety and Ethics Fellowship Fall 2026

The Black in Artificial Intelligence Safety and Ethics Fellowship is a 13-week remote programme designed to support Black researchers, practitioners, and future leaders working in AI safety, AI security, and AI governance.

Programme Dates

• Start Date: 8 September 2026
• End Date: 18 December 2026

Research Tracks

Participants may specialize in:

AI Alignment

Areas include:

• Interpretability
• Oversight and control
• Agency research
• Machine learning safety

AI Security

Areas include:

• Cybersecurity
• Adversarial robustness
• Risk management
• Threat detection

AI Governance

Areas include:

• Policy frameworks
• Standards
• Evaluations
• Systemic risk analysis

Programme Structure

Phase One: Foundations and Training

Weeks 1–5 focus on:

• AI safety seminars
• Expert-led training
• Structured curriculum
• Technical and analytical skills development

Phase Two: Research and Project Development

Weeks 6–13 focus on:

• Mentor-guided research
• Weekly supervision
• Capstone project development

Potential Capstone Outputs

• Research preprints
• Technical articles
• Fellowship applications
• Grant proposals

Benefits

• Expert mentorship
• AI safety training
• Research experience
• Professional development
• Access to AI safety networks
• Career preparation opportunities

Deadline

Applications are currently open. Applicants should monitor the official programme page for closing dates and updates.

APPLY HERE

3. Secure Program Synthesis Fellowship 2026

The Secure Program Synthesis Fellowship is a collaborative initiative led by Apart Research and Atlas Computing.

The fellowship focuses on one of the most important emerging challenges in AI safety: ensuring that AI-generated software behaves as intended and remains secure.

Programme Dates

• June – September 2026

Focus Areas

Participants may work on projects involving:

Specification Elicitation

Developing methods for translating informal requirements into formal specifications.

Specification Validation

Creating tools that verify the accuracy and completeness of specifications.

Specification-Driven Development

Building systems that generate and evaluate implementations based on formal specifications.

Adversarial Robustness

Exploring weaknesses and failure modes in AI-assisted software development systems.

Benefits

• Research mentorship
• Compute resources
• API support
• Community engagement
• Travel funding
• Demo Day participation
• Publication opportunities
• Research collaboration

Commitment

• 8–30 hours per week
• Fully remote

Deadline

The participant application deadline was 14 June 2026.

APPLY HERE

4. Stanford University Center for International Security and Cooperation Artificial Intelligence Fellowships 2026–2027

Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation offers prestigious fellowship opportunities focused on AI, international security, geopolitics, and strategic competition.

Open Fellowship Tracks

• Artificial Intelligence in Strategic Stability and Military Competition Fellowship
• Geopolitics of Artificial Intelligence Fellowship

Benefits

• One academic year of research
• Faculty mentorship
• Access to Stanford researchers
• Participation in seminars
• Collaborative research environment
• Professional development opportunities

Deadline

Applications close on 8 June 2026.

Ideal Candidates

• Researchers
• Scholars
• Security experts
• AI governance professionals
• International affairs specialists

APPLY HERE

5. Constellation Visiting Fellowship Fall 2026

The Constellation Visiting Fellowship supports AI safety researchers through an immersive research residency in Berkeley, California.

Duration

• Three to six months

Benefits

Housing and Travel

• Fully covered housing
• Travel support

Workspace

• 24/7 office access
• Collaborative research environment

Meals

• Lunch and dinner provided on weekdays

Networking

• Access to more than 100 researchers
• Research talks and events

Visa Support

• Guidance for international participants

Program Requirements

Applicants should be working full-time on AI safety or closely related research.

Deadline

Applications close on 12 June 2026 at 11:59 PM Anywhere on Earth.

APPLY HERE

6. Coefficient Giving Navigators Incubator – Artificial Intelligence Security Cohort

The Navigators Incubator is a leadership development programme focused on solving neglected and high-impact global catastrophic risk challenges.

The first cohort focuses on securing transformative artificial intelligence.

What Participants Receive

• Salary matching support
• Research funding
• Compute resources
• Conference budgets
• Networking opportunities
• Advisory support
• Potential long-term project funding

Program Duration

• Six months to two years

Focus Areas

Participants may work on:

• AI model security
• Infrastructure protection
• Compute verification
• AI integrity
• AI control
• Rogue deployment detection

Locations

• Washington, D.C.
• San Francisco
• London
• Tel Aviv
• Remote participation available

Ideal Candidates

• Cybersecurity professionals
• National security experts
• AI security researchers
• Technical founders
• Security engineers

Deadline

Applications are currently open. Interested candidates should apply as early as possible.

APPLY HERE

7. Center for Human-Compatible Artificial Intelligence Research Fellowship

The Center for Human-Compatible Artificial Intelligence (CHAI) at the University of California, Berkeley, offers a prestigious research fellowship designed to train outstanding postdoctoral researchers working to advance beneficial and human-compatible artificial intelligence. Fellows work closely with leading AI researchers, including Stuart Russell, Pieter Abbeel, and Anca Dragan, while collaborating with Berkeley AI Research and affiliated institutions.

About the Fellowship

The fellowship is intended for highly qualified researchers interested in developing AI systems that remain aligned with human values and interests. Fellows have significant freedom to pursue original research across a wide range of AI-related disciplines.

Research Areas

Potential research topics include:

• Theoretical foundations of intelligent agent architecture
• Probabilistic programming and formal probability models
• Long-term decision making
• Lifelong learning systems
• Human-in-the-loop planning and reinforcement learning
• Human-robot interaction
• Human preference modeling
• Multi-human value alignment
• Robust cooperation in multi-agent systems
• Mechanism design for human-machine systems

Fellowship Benefits

Participants receive:

• Funding for two years, with the possibility of renewal up to three years based on performance
• Competitive salary based on University of California, Berkeley salary scales
• Visa sponsorship eligibility
• Visa cost support for fellows and eligible dependents
• Access to world-leading AI researchers and research networks
• Opportunities to supervise students and lead research collaborations

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

• Hold or be close to completing a PhD in computer science, statistics, mathematics, theoretical economics, or a related technical discipline
• Demonstrate a strong publication and research record
• Have a solid understanding of modern AI and statistical learning methods (preferred)

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit:

1. Resume/Curriculum Vitae
2. One-page statement of research interests
3. Contact details for two academic referees

Deadline

No application deadline is specified. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and interested candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

APPLY HERE

Why These Opportunities Matter

The future of artificial intelligence will be shaped by the people who understand both its capabilities and its risks. These fellowships and leadership programmes provide unique opportunities to gain specialized expertise, build influential networks, contribute to impactful research, and help shape policies governing some of the most consequential technologies of our time.

Whether your background is in policy, engineering, cybersecurity, governance, academia, or international affairs, these programmes provide pathways to become part of the growing global ecosystem working to ensure advanced AI systems remain safe, secure, and beneficial.

Given the rapidly approaching deadlines for several opportunities, interested applicants should prepare their materials and submit applications as soon as possible.

Discover more Global Fellowship Opportunities on OFY here.