Research Fellowship

Research Fellowship

The Pivotal Research Fellowship is a 9-week program designed to enable promising researchers to produce impactful research and accelerate their careers in AI safety, AI governance, and biosecurity. Throughout the fellowship, fellows collaborate with experienced mentors, engage in workshops and seminars, and build strong networks within the AI safety research community in London and beyond.

The 2025 Q1 Research Fellowship will run from February 3rd to April 4th. Fellows will receive:

  • Direct mentorship from established researchers

  • Conduct research in person in London at the London Initiative for Safe AI alongside leading AI Safety researchers

  • £5000 stipend, meals included, support for travel, accommodation, and compute costs

This marks our 5th research fellowship, building on a strong track record of supporting researchers in tackling important questions about the safety and governance of emerging technology.

Applications Are Now Closed
Express interest in all upcoming opportunities.

For questions about the application process, please reach out.

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Dates & Locations

February 3rd to April 4th,
London UK

Eligibility

Anyone passionate about a career in global catastrophic risk

Financial Support

£5,000 stipend, relocation support, free weekday lunches

We will also run a Research Fellowship in summer 2025.
Express interest in all upcoming opportunities.

Express Interest

 FAQs

FAQs

  • The exact application process might change. But we currently expect to have 3 short stages:

    1. Written Application

    2. Short, Automated Interview

    3. Personal Interview (with opportunity for applicants to ask questions)

  • Fellows typically work on research papers ranging from 10-20 pages. However, alternative formats such as blog posts, forum posts, or audiovisual work are also welcome. Our main priority is ensuring a valuable learning process and giving you the opportunity to test your fit for this type of work.

  • While most fellows work on individual research projects with mentor support, we are open to collaborative work on certain topics. After acceptance, we'll work together to determine the optimal arrangement of fellows, research projects, and potential teammates.

  • While meeting all relevant entry requirements is each fellow's responsibility, we provide an information document on entry requirements for the Research Fellowship (accuracy and completeness not guaranteed). We may be able to offer assistance during the process, depending on the circumstances.

  • Anyone who is at least 18 years old at the start of the fellowship is eligible to apply.

  • To offer context for potential research areas, we have curated a selection of resources that cover possible directions: AI Governance & Policy (here, here, here), Technical AI Safety , Technical AI Governance, and Biosecurity.

    These examples illustrate the range of research we support but are not meant to limit your options. We encourage you to develop your own original research proposal that reflects your interests and expertise.

  • Global catastrophic risks (GCRs) are events or situations that pose a risk of major harm on a global scale, with the potential to impact millions or even billions of people.

  • Pivotal is committed to addressing global catastrophic risks, which we consider to be among the most important and neglected global challenges. We believe that building a strong field of researchers, policymakers, and academics who are dedicated to reducing these risks is crucial. Our primary focus at the moment is on delivering a high-quality research fellowship to cultivate talent in the global catastrophic risk field. In the future, we may explore opportunities to create year-round research opportunities.

  • We’re always excited about hearing from people who want to work with us in some form. You can find out at “Work With Us.”

Previous Mentors

Previous Mentors
  • A young man with fair skin, short light brown hair, and glasses poses for a portrait, wearing a white collared shirt under a dark sweater, with a neutral background.

    Jonas Schuett

    2022 & 2023 Mentor

    Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for the Governance of AI.

    Linkedin

  • Ingvild Bode

    Ingvild Bode

    2024 Mentor

    Professor, Center for War Studies, University of Southern Denmark

    Website

  • A man with glasses, a beard, and a mustache standing indoors near a window, wearing a striped button-up shirt.

    Sebastien Krier

    2023 Mentor

    Policy Development & Strategy Manager at DeepMind.

    Linkedin

  • A young man with glasses and blonde hair smiling outdoors in front of a blurred, green background.

    Jonas Sandbrink

    2022 & 2023 Mentor

    Chem-Bio Lead, UK AI Safety Institute.

    Linkedin

  • A young woman with wavy dark hair smiling at the camera against a light textured wall.

    Jenny Xiao

    2022 Mentor

    Researcher VC at Leonis Capital

    Linkedin

  • A young man with curly brown hair and light skin, smiling slightly, wearing a dark sweater, outdoors in a green field under a cloudy sky.

    Marius Hobbhahn

    2022 & 2023 Mentor

    Director and co-founder of Apollo Research.

    Linkedin

  • Portrait of a man in business attire with glasses, smiling in front of a plain background.

    Dave Denkenberger

    2021 & 2023 Mentor

    Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering; Co-founder of ALLFED.

    Linkedin

  • Portrait of a young man with short light brown hair, dressed in a white shirt and dark blazer, standing against a light background.

    Jakob Graabak

    2023 Mentor

    Research lead at ICFG.eu, working on risks from AI and biotechnology

    Linkedin

  • A young man with brown hair and a beard, smiling outdoors with a green field and trees in the background.

    Jérémy Scheurer

    2022 Mentor

    Research Scientist - AI Alignment at Apollo Research

    Linkedin

  • A smiling man with short brown hair, blue eyes, and a beard, wearing a leopard print hoodie outdoors in a grassy area with trees in the background.

    Lee Sharkey

    2022 Mentor

    Research engineer at Conjecture, Neural Data Analysis, AI Safety.

    Linkedin

  • Professional woman with long, wavy brown hair wearing a black blazer and white shirt, smiling against a gray background.

    Sophie-Charlotte Fischer

    2021 Mentor

    Senior Researcher at the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich

    Linkedin

  • A young man with light brown hair, blue eyes, wearing a dark gray suit, light blue shirt, and patterned tie, standing indoors in front of windows with metal frames.

    Nicolas Moës

    2022 Mentor

    Executive Director at The Future Society

    Linkedin

  • Michael Parker

    Michael Parker

    2024 Mentor

    Assistant Dean, Georgetown University

    Linkedin

Testimonials

Testimonials
  • Portrait of a young woman with brown hair, blue eyes, and earrings, smiling slightly, standing in front of a blurred brick wall background.

    Pivotal Research Fellowship opened the door to AI governance, enabling me to conduct impactful research in this field and connecting me to the broader AI governance community and new opportunities.

    – Kristina Fort, 2024 Cohort

  • A young man with light brown hair and a big smile, wearing a cream-colored turtleneck sweater, standing in front of a brick wall.

    The fellowship allowed me to work with top AI safety researchers – a great privilege early in my career! People were surprised what can be accomplished in two months, including me.

    - Lennart Finke, 2024 Cohort

  • A young woman with fair skin, dark hair in a bun, wearing a sleeveless blue top with decorative hooks on the neckline, sitting against green bush background.

    The research fellowship allowed me to gain exposure to AI governance research. I believe this experience was crucial for me now continuing my work in AI governance as a Winter Fellow at GovAI.

    — Caroline Baumoehl, 2023 Cohort

  • Young man smiling outdoors, wearing a red and black plaid shirt, with trees and a white house in the background.

    The fellowship had a profound impact on my research direction and career. It was essential for my participation in the Biological Weapon Convention 9th Review Conference and enabled enduring connections with local think tanks.

    — Théo Knopfer, 2022 Cohort

  • A woman smiling outdoors with mountains and cloudy sky in the background.

    The fellowship allowed me to develop my thinking in AI security under the guidance of a knowledgeable mentor, who continues to offer advice, and supported my career development by helping me evaluate my strengths, desired skills, and AI policy roles I want to explore.

    — Chiara Gerosa, AI Fellowship Director at Talos Network, 2021 Cohort

  • Close-up portrait of a young woman with fair skin, blue eyes, and long brown hair, wearing a black top and pearl earrings, standing against a blurred brick wall background.

  • A smiling man with dark hair wearing a dark gray shirt, in front of a brick wall background.

  • A young woman with blue eyes and long light brown hair, wearing a light blue blazer, a beaded necklace, gold hoop earrings, and a black top with white polka dots, smiling in front of a brick wall.

  • Young man with wavy brown hair, wearing glasses and a dark green sweatshirt, standing in front of a brick wall.