Pivotal Research Fellowship applications are open (deadline May 3)
Offers £8,000 stipend, 6-month extensions, and mentorship from DeepMind & UK AISI researchers.
The Pivotal Research Fellowship, a selective 9-week in-person program hosted at the London Initiative for Safe AI (LISA), is now accepting applications for its 2026 Q3 cohort. Running from June 29 to August 28, the fellowship provides a structured research environment with stipends of £6,000 for Fellows and £8,000 for Senior Fellows, plus travel, housing support, and compute resources. Participants work on individual projects with weekly 1:1 mentorship from leading AI safety researchers at institutions like UK AISI, Google DeepMind, and Redwood Research. For strong projects, the program offers up to 6 months of continued funding and support, with a 90% acceptance rate for extensions in the last cohort.
The program targets a broad range of applicants, from undergraduates to experienced professionals, with a typical acceptance rate around 3%. Alumni from its seven previous cohorts have gone on to roles at top AI safety organizations, founded companies, or started PhDs at institutions like Oxford and Stanford. The application process has been streamlined for this round, with the main form designed to take under an hour. The final deadline for applications is May 3, 2026, with decisions communicated by May 22.
- Offers £6,000-£8,000 stipends plus travel, housing, and compute funding for a 9-week London program
- Provides mentorship from researchers at UK AISI, Google DeepMind, and Redwood Research, with 90% extension acceptance for strong projects
- Accepts applicants 18+ from all backgrounds, with a 3% acceptance rate and a May 3 application deadline
Why It Matters
This fellowship directly trains the next generation of researchers critical to steering powerful AI systems toward safe and beneficial outcomes.