The AI and Society Fellowship is run by the Center for AI Safety (CAIS), a non-profit whose stated mission is to reduce societal-scale risks from artificial intelligence and whose field-building work includes fellowships, compute and educational material. It is a three-month, in-person program at the CAIS office in San Francisco for scholars in economics, international relations and law who want to study how advanced AI may reshape social, economic, geopolitical and legal systems. The program frames its interest around the distribution of power and wealth, the public oversight and accountability of AI developers, and how states pursue technological competition. Fellows work with significant autonomy on a research direction they define themselves, drawing on CAIS staff and its network of partners for feedback and collaboration. Each fellow is expected to finish with initial results that can be developed into a publicly shareable output such as a journal article, a blog post, a theoretical model with commentary, early empirical findings, or a lecture series. The most recent cohort ran from 1 June to 21 August 2026; applications for it closed on 24 March 2026 and the form is now shut. CAIS has not published dates for a further round.
Benefits & funding
- US$25,000 stipend for the three-month term.
- Travel to and from San Francisco covered.
- Lunch and dinner provided daily at the CAIS office.
- Regular guest-speaker events and workshops with academics and AI researchers, plus social gatherings.
- J-1 Short-Term Scholar visas arranged through a third-party sponsorship organisation for eligible participants who do not hold US work authorisation.
- Relocation costs are met out of the stipend; CAIS says extra support may be considered in exceptional circumstances based on need.
Eligibility
- Open to professors (full, associate or assistant), holders of a PhD or JD, current PhD or JD students, and researchers with PhD/JD-equivalent experience.
- Field of work must be economics, international relations, law, or an adjacent discipline such as political philosophy or security studies.
- A demonstrated record of producing high-quality research is required.
- No prior AI-related research experience is required. CAIS says it prefers applicants who have already given some thought to how advanced AI intersects with their discipline, because the term is short.
- No nationality or residency restriction is stated, and visa sponsorship is offered to participants who need it.
- No age limit and no minimum years of work experience are stated.
- Participation is in person in San Francisco. Remote participation is not accommodated by default, and exceptions are considered only for strong candidates in exceptional circumstances.
Can you apply?
Worth a closer look
Sign in and add your profile to check this against your nationality, residency, and studies.
Education required
PhD Enrolled · PhD
Not in your profile yet
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Check the two substantive bars: a doctoral-level qualification (or equivalent research experience) and a research record in economics, international relations, law or an adjacent field.
- 2Prepare the four required items: a CV, a writing sample, a brief research proposal, and a statement of what you want out of the fellowship.
- 3Submit the online application form linked from the fellowship page before the deadline. For the 2026 round this was 24 March 2026, 23:59 PDT.
- 4Selected applicants are invited to a remote interview.
- 5Decisions go to all applicants by mid-April.
- 6Accepted fellows arrange visa sponsorship where needed and relocate to San Francisco for the 1 June start.
Program timeline
24 March 2026, 23:59 PDT
Application deadline for the 2026 cohort
Remote interviews with shortlisted applicants
Late March to mid-April 2026
Decisions communicated to all applicants
Mid-April 2026
Fellowship begins in San Francisco
1 June 2026
Fellowship ends
21 August 2026