Partnering with
Connect to Content
Add layers or components to infinitely loop on your page.
Connect to Content
Add layers or components to infinitely loop on your page.
Research Fellowship
Research Fellowship
Work on a high-impact research project in one of our core focus areas, building domain-specific skills and expertise.
Work on a high-impact research project in one of our core focus areas, building domain-specific skills and expertise.
About the programme
About the programme
Our research track helps talented and ambitious students in London take the first steps toward a high-impact research career. Over 8 weeks, participants work in small teams to explore a research question in one of our key focus areas: AI safety (with technical and governance tracks), biosecurity, global health, or animal welfare. With guidance from experienced mentors, students develop their research skills and contribute to work that addresses pressing global challenges - with a £2,000 prize awarded to the best overall project.
Our research track helps talented and ambitious students in London take the first steps toward a high-impact research career. Over 8 weeks, participants work in small teams to explore a research question in one of our key focus areas: AI safety (with technical and governance tracks), biosecurity, global health, or animal welfare. With guidance from experienced mentors, students develop their research skills and contribute to work that addresses pressing global challenges - with a £2,000 prize awarded to the best overall project.
About the programme
Kick-Off Weekend
All fellows are expected to attend the programme's kick-off weekend, which will be held in-person at Impact First's London based office.
As a fellow, over the course of the weekend you will:
Connect with fellows from other research streams
Build essential research skills through interactive workshops
Meet your stream's mentors, who will present their project proposals
Express interest in the research projects that interest you the most
Be assigned to a team and paired with a mentor
Attend your first team meeting to discuss the direction and scope of your project
Research Phase
Each participant is expected to dedicate at least 5 hours per week to the programme, though each team can determine their exact time commitment. Based on previous cohorts, the most successful teams tend to include members who can commit up to 10 hours per week.
Every week, your team will submit written work to your mentor for review ahead of your check-in meeting. During these meetings, you will update your mentor on your work, and they will provide constructive feedback to guide your next steps.
On select dates, you’ll also have access to the Impact First's office for team meetings and co-working sessions.
Final Submission
At the end of the programme, each team will submit a final written report, which will be evaluated by a panel of industry experts.
Following this, all teams will be invited to the final prize-giving ceremony, where they will deliver short presentations summarising their work.
Final rankings will be based on the combined scores from the written report and presentation. The winning team will receive a £2,000 prize, with additional prizes awarded to runners-up and participants who particularly impressed the judges. With permission, the top three projects will be featured on our website, and we encourage all teams to share their work publicly on platforms such as the EA Forum or LessWrong.
Programme structure
Programme structure
Programme structure
Kick-Off Weekend
All fellows are expected to attend the programme's kick-off weekend, which will be held in-person at Impact First's London based office.
As a fellow, over the course of the weekend you will:
Connect with fellows from other research streams
Build essential research skills through interactive workshops
Meet your stream's mentors, who will present their project proposals
Express interest in the research projects that interest you the most
Be assigned to a team and paired with a mentor
Attend your first team meeting to discuss the direction and scope of your project
Research Phase
Each participant is expected to dedicate at least 5 hours per week to the programme, though each team can determine their exact time commitment. Based on previous cohorts, the most successful teams tend to include members who can commit up to 10 hours per week.
Every week, your team will submit written work to your mentor for review ahead of your check-in meeting. During these meetings, you will update your mentor on your work, and they will provide constructive feedback to guide your next steps.
On select dates, you’ll also have access to the Impact First's office for team meetings and co-working sessions.
Final Submission
At the end of the programme, each team will submit a final written report, which will be evaluated by a panel of industry experts.
Following this, all teams will be invited to the final prize-giving ceremony, where they will deliver short presentations summarising their work.
Final rankings will be based on the combined scores from the written report and presentation. The winning team will receive a £2,000 prize, with additional prizes awarded to runners-up and participants who particularly impressed the judges. With permission, the top three projects will be featured on our website, and we encourage all teams to share their work publicly on platforms such as the EA Forum or LessWrong.
Streams
Streams
Students can apply to do a research project in one of our core focus areas, AI safety (on our technical or governance track), biosecurity, global health and development, or animal welfare.
Students can apply to do a research project in one of our core focus areas, AI safety (on our technical or governance track), biosecurity, global health and development, or animal welfare.
AI Safety
Rapid advances in artificial intelligence introduce significant risks if systems behave unpredictably or become misaligned with human values. AI safety research aims to understand these challenges and develop technical and governance solutions to address them.
AI Safety
Rapid advances in artificial intelligence introduce significant risks if systems behave unpredictably or become misaligned with human values. AI safety research aims to understand these challenges and develop technical and governance solutions to address them.
AI Safety
Rapid advances in artificial intelligence introduce significant risks if systems behave unpredictably or become misaligned with human values. AI safety research aims to understand these challenges and develop technical and governance solutions to address them.
Biosecurity
The world remains vulnerable to future pandemics, made more likely by advances in biotechnology and AI. Biosecurity research aims to understand these risks and develop the systems, policies, and technologies needed to prevent, detect, and respond to catastrophic biological threats.
Biosecurity
The world remains vulnerable to future pandemics, made more likely by advances in biotechnology and AI. Biosecurity research aims to understand these risks and develop the systems, policies, and technologies needed to prevent, detect, and respond to catastrophic biological threats.
Biosecurity
The world remains vulnerable to future pandemics, made more likely by advances in biotechnology and AI. Biosecurity research aims to understand these risks and develop the systems, policies, and technologies needed to prevent, detect, and respond to catastrophic biological threats.
Global Health
Millions of people in low-income countries die each year from preventable diseases such as malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis, while many more endure chronic conditions that limit their well-being. Global health research aims to understand these challenges and develop cost-effective, scalable solutions.
Global Health
Millions of people in low-income countries die each year from preventable diseases such as malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis, while many more endure chronic conditions that limit their well-being. Global health research aims to understand these challenges and develop cost-effective, scalable solutions.
Global Health
Millions of people in low-income countries die each year from preventable diseases such as malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis, while many more endure chronic conditions that limit their well-being. Global health research aims to understand these challenges and develop cost-effective, scalable solutions.
Animal Welfare
An estimated 1.6 to 4.5 trillion animals are killed each year, the vast majority of them raised in inhumane conditions on factory farms. Animal welfare work focuses on improving living conditions, advancing alternatives to animal products, and reducing the scale of factory farming.
Animal Welfare
An estimated 1.6 to 4.5 trillion animals are killed each year, the vast majority of them raised in inhumane conditions on factory farms. Animal welfare work focuses on improving living conditions, advancing alternatives to animal products, and reducing the scale of factory farming.
Animal Welfare
An estimated 1.6 to 4.5 trillion animals are killed each year, the vast majority of them raised in inhumane conditions on factory farms. Animal welfare work focuses on improving living conditions, advancing alternatives to animal products, and reducing the scale of factory farming.
What our fellows say
What our fellows say
Read testimonials from fellows who have participated in our research programme.
Read testimonials from fellows who have participated in our research programme.
"Arcadia’s support style didn’t stop with our project, it was clear they wanted to develop us to go on to have a meaningful impact."
"This was a great opportunity to work on a proposal that could actually positively impact the world. I had the opportunity to speak with and gather insights from various experts at top organisations. I cannot recommend this programme enough!"
"I learned practical skills like transcribing interviews, qualitative coding, and working with research frameworks - things I hadn't done before."
"I am very inspired by people participating in this programme and truly impressed by how much thought and effort each team put into their research."
"This was my first formal research project and in just 8 weeks, my research skills and my confidence in my ability to work on global challenges have skyrocketed."
"Students from different backgrounds get together to discuss the most pressing challenges in the world. You can not only discuss in your own group, but also meet friends in different research tracks. What could be a more thrilling experience than this?"
"Arcadia’s support style didn’t stop with our project, it was clear they wanted to develop us to go on to have a meaningful impact."
"I learned practical skills like transcribing interviews, qualitative coding, and working with research frameworks - things I hadn't done before."
"This was my first formal research project and in just 8 weeks, my research skills and my confidence in my ability to work on global challenges have skyrocketed."
"This was a great opportunity to work on a proposal that could actually positively impact the world. I had the opportunity to speak with and gather insights from various experts at top organisations. I cannot recommend this programme enough!"
"I am very inspired by people participating in this programme and truly impressed by how much thought and effort each team put into their research."
"Students from different backgrounds get together to discuss the most pressing challenges in the world. You can not only discuss in your own group, but also meet friends in different research tracks. What could be a more thrilling experience than this?"
"Arcadia’s support style didn’t stop with our project, it was clear they wanted to develop us to go on to have a meaningful impact."
"I learned practical skills like transcribing interviews, qualitative coding, and working with research frameworks - things I hadn't done before."
"This was my first formal research project and in just 8 weeks, my research skills and my confidence in my ability to work on global challenges have skyrocketed."
"This was a great opportunity to work on a proposal that could actually positively impact the world. I had the opportunity to speak with and gather insights from various experts at top organisations. I cannot recommend this programme enough!"
"I am very inspired by people participating in this programme and truly impressed by how much thought and effort each team put into their research."
"Students from different backgrounds get together to discuss the most pressing challenges in the world. You can not only discuss in your own group, but also meet friends in different research tracks. What could be a more thrilling experience than this?"
Past Winners
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) sections are vital components of any website, especially for platforms like Edux they serve as a centralized hub of information where users can quickly find answers.
2nd
“The Safety and Efficacy of Continuous Low-Dose 222 nm Far-UVC for Indoor Pathogen Inactivation”
George Stone, Sofiia Furman, Sian Littlewood
1st
“The Data of Gradual Disempowerment: Measuring Systemic Existential Risks from Incremental AI Development”
Michael Conradi, María Victoria Carro, Mihika Chechi, Max Ramsahoye, Phoenix Xinyu Zhou
3rd
“Refusal Is More Than a Single Direction”
James R.H. Mann, Ida Caspary, Victor A. Carreras, Zachary Levin, Anita B
2nd
“A High-Level Comparative Analysis of Governance Structures at Frontier AGI Labs”
Ben Norman, Monica Viggars, Lucas Tang, and Iain Lim Eu An
1st
“Understanding Real-World AI Use: Towards Sharing User Interaction Data”
Luke Cargan, Cyril Davydenko, Elsa Donnat, and Fiona Lodge
3rd
“Case Studies of Successful Alt-Protein Products in China and Southeast Asia”
Oleksandra Mukha and Ananya Vijan