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Become a mentor
Impact First is looking for project supervisors for the next cohort of our Research Fellowship! If you’re interested, please fill out our short expression of interest form below.
Become a mentor
Impact First is looking for project supervisors for the next cohort of our Research Fellowship! If you’re interested, please fill out our short expression of interest form below.
About
About
Our 8-week Research Fellowship helps talented and ambitious students in London take the first steps toward a high-impact research career. With guidance from experienced mentors, teams of 2–4 high-potential students work on a research project - such as a short paper, essay, or report - in one of our core focus areas: AI safety (with technical and governance tracks), biosecurity, global health, or animal welfare. Throughout the programme 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.
Week 0
Step 1: You'll come up with 1-3 project ideas, which we'll review to ensure they’re a good fit for the programme and the incoming participants.
Step 2: You’ll work with us to scope your project(s) and prepare a concise A4 summary to share with participants. You can see past examples here.
Week 1 (Kick-Off)
Day 1 (Saturday): You'll present your project ideas to the students in your stream, taking approximately 5-10 minutes per proposal and answering any questions they may have.
Day 2 (Sunday): You'll hold your first team meeting and start scoping your project together.
Weeks 2–8
During the programme, you’ll meet with your team once per week to provide feedback on their progress and help guide next steps. Your team will submit their work in advance, allowing you time to prepare (we suggest setting aside 1-2 hours for review). Weekly meetings will last approximately 1 hour and can be held in person or online.
At the end of the programme, teams submit a ~2000-word written project. In the following weeks, they independently prepare a 10-minute presentation for the programme's awards ceremony, where they will summarise their research and key findings.
Optional Extras
Awards Ceremony (Date TBD): We’d love for you to attend the final ceremony to celebrate your team’s work, though this is entirely optional.
Co-working sessions: You're very welcome to join our bi-weekly co-working sessions at the office (meals provided). You're also welcome to host your team meetings here at your convenience.
What does a mentor do?
Our 8-week Research Fellowship helps talented and ambitious students in London take the first steps toward a high-impact research career. With guidance from experienced mentors, teams of 2–4 high-potential students work on a research project - such as a short paper, essay, or report - in one of our core focus areas: AI safety (with technical and governance tracks), biosecurity, global health, or animal welfare. Throughout the programme 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
We're flexible on project topics, as long as each idea has a clear path to impact and is something both you and your team can confidently and enjoyably engage with.
When coming up with ideas, feel free to draw inspiration from:
The Effective Thesis research question databases:
Michael Aird's directory for open research questions
This research agendas database
Keep in mind that the primary aim of the programme is to help talented students develop the skills and confidence to engage in high-impact research. We don’t expect projects to produce groundbreaking results; instead, they should offer a valuable learning experience and serve as a first step into the world of impactful research.
What should my projects look like?
While the students selected for the programme are high-achieving, our primary selection criteria are their written application answers and interview performance, which help us assess motivation, reasoning ability, and alignment with the programme’s goals.
The programme is designed as a 0-to-1 introduction to impactful research. We prioritise students who show strong potential and a clear drive to make a positive impact through their careers, rather than those with prior experience or impressive credentials.
On average, we receive around 250 applications per round and typically select the top 10%, though this varies by stream. Some streams (such as Global Health and AI Governance) are more popular and therefore more competitive. We’re happy to share more about the applicants if it would help you decide whether to mentor with us or assist you in coming up with project ideas.
What are our fellows like?
What does a mentor do?
What does a mentor do?
Week 0
Step 1: You'll come up with 1-3 project ideas, which we'll review to ensure they’re a good fit for the programme and the incoming participants.
Step 2: You’ll work with us to scope your project(s) and prepare a concise A4 summary to share with participants. You can see past examples here.
Week 1 (Kick-Off)
Day 1 (Saturday): You'll present your project ideas to the students in your stream, taking approximately 5-10 minutes per proposal and answering any questions they may have.
Day 2 (Sunday): You'll hold your first team meeting and start scoping your project together.
Weeks 2–8
During the programme, you’ll meet with your team once per week to provide feedback on their progress and help guide next steps. Your team will submit their work in advance, allowing you time to prepare (we suggest setting aside 1-2 hours for review). Weekly meetings will last approximately 1 hour and can be held in person or online.
At the end of the programme, teams submit a ~2000-word written project. In the following weeks, they independently prepare a 10-minute presentation for the programme's awards ceremony, where they will summarise their research and key findings.
Optional Extras
Awards Ceremony (Date TBD): We’d love for you to attend the final ceremony to celebrate your team’s work, though this is entirely optional.
Co-working sessions: You're very welcome to join our bi-weekly co-working sessions at the office (meals provided). You're also welcome to host your team meetings here at your convenience.
What should my projects look like?
What should my projects look like?
We're flexible on project topics, as long as each idea has a clear path to impact and is something both you and your team can confidently and enjoyably engage with.
When coming up with ideas, feel free to draw inspiration from:
The Effective Thesis research question databases:
Michael Aird's directory for open research questions
This research agendas database
Keep in mind that the primary aim of the programme is to help talented students develop the skills and confidence to engage in high-impact research. We don’t expect projects to produce groundbreaking results; instead, they should offer a valuable learning experience and serve as a first step into the world of impactful research.
What are our fellows like?
What are our fellows like?
While the students selected for the programme are high-achieving, our primary selection criteria are their written application answers and interview performance, which help us assess motivation, reasoning ability, and alignment with the programme’s goals.
The programme is designed as a 0-to-1 introduction to impactful research. We prioritise students who show strong potential and a clear drive to make a positive impact through their careers, rather than those with prior experience or impressive credentials.
On average, we receive around 250 applications per round and typically select the top 10%, though this varies by stream. Some streams (such as Global Health and AI Governance) are more popular and therefore more competitive. We’re happy to share more about the applicants if it would help you decide whether to mentor with us or assist you in coming up with project ideas.