The Swiss Existential Risk Initiative (CHERI) is now called Pivotal Research, and the CHERI research fellowship is now the Pivotal Research Fellowship.

Research Fellowship

The Pivotal Research Fellowship will take place in London from July 1 to August 30, 2024. In our fourth research fellowship, we offer a 9-week program providing fellows with experienced mentors and research managers. Accepted applicants will have the opportunity to work full-time on GCR reduction, focusing on emerging technologies: we look forward to hosting fellows working on technical AI safety, AI governance, biosecurity & pandemic preparedness. 

Overview of the fellowship

• Applicants submit a preliminary research proposal that outlines what they are interested in working on during the fellowship. Once accepted, fellows will collaborate with our research managers to adapt and optimize their proposal, and identify suitable mentors for their project.
• Fellows are mentored by experienced researchers and policymakers. A selection of our previous mentors can be found here. 
• The research manager is a contact throughout the fellowship, assisting with research, enhancing fellows' productivity, and providing career support.
• The fellowship will be located at the LISA offices in London. The offices are a hub for numerous initiatives within GCR, including BlueDot Impact, Apollo Research, and the MATS extension program.
• Fellows receive a stipend of £5000, travel and accommodation expense support, as well as free lunch and dinner from Monday to Friday.
• Anyone is welcome to apply. We are particularly excited about applicants with little experience but a deep interest in GCR research.  
• Application Deadline: Sunday, April 21, at 23:59 (UTC+1).

Reasons to Apply

• Gain experience in AI safety and biorisk research through the guidance of your experienced mentor.
• Set yourself on a path to an impactful career.
• Co-work at a GCR hub surrounded by like-minded researchers.

In our experience, many excellent candidates hesitate to apply. If you're unsure, we encourage you to err on the side of applying. 

We also encourage you to share this opportunity with others who may be a good fit. If we accept any fellow we contacted based on your recommendation, you'll receive $100 for each accepted candidate. The recommendation form is here. 

Apply here! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.