Summary

The AI safety field has a pipeline problem: many skilled engineers and researchers are locked out of full‑time overseas fellowships. Our answer is the Technical Alignment Research Accelerator (TARA) — a 14‑week, part‑time program designed for talented professionals and students who can’t put their careers or studies on hold or leave their families for months at a time. Our inaugural TARA cohort provided a cost‑effective, flexible model that achieved:

Exceptional Satisfaction: 9.43/10 average recommendation score
High Completion: 90% finished the program
Career Impact: 15 of 19 graduates became more motivated to pursue AI safety careers, with several already securing roles or publishing research
Cost Efficiency: $899 AUD per participant (note: organizers were either paid from other grants or volunteers. The cost per participant would otherwise be much higher)
Access: Most participants could not join a similar program without a part‑time format

In this report, we share key learnings, results and operational details so that others can replicate this success. We are seeking funding partners for another TARA cohort.

Theory of Change

The Problem

The AI safety field faces a critical talent pipeline bottleneck. While millions are becoming aware of AI risks (the 80,000 Hours documentary has almost reached 6 million views) and organizations like BlueDot plan to train 100,000 people in AI safety fundamentals over the next 4.5 years, there's a massive gap between awareness-level training and the technical expertise required to qualify for selective research fellowships.

BlueDot's online courses can't provide hands-on training in critical areas like reinforcement learning, evaluations, AI x cybersecurity, and mechanistic interpretability. Meanwhile, advanced programs like MATS - which has accelerated 450+ researchers over 3.5 years - require participants to already possess substantial technical expertise.

AI safety needs scalable programs that bridge the gap between introductory courses and elite research fellowships.

Why Current Solutions Fail

Existing technical training programs face fundamental constraints:

Full-time residential fellowships:
- Require some participants to quit jobs, (briefly) relocate internationally, and commit months of uninterrupted time - extremely difficult for professionals with careers, families, or financial obligations
- Are bottlenec

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