AI Safety Policy Entrepreneurship Fellowship

The Policy Entrepreneurship Fellowship (PEF) empowers and guides participants to move their Day One Project policy proposals from idea to reality. During this six month experience (running from January 13th, 2025 – June 30th, 2025), hosted by the Federation of American Scientist (FAS) in partnership with the Aspen Institute, each PEF works as a part-time FAS affiliate to (i) help their specific ideas gain traction among practitioners and decision makers, and (ii) identify and pursue opportunities for impact in underlying policy areas of interest. 

This particular PEF cohort will concentrate on AI safety issues. Fellows are encouraged to explore various aspects of this field, including:

1. Technical considerations: Ensuring AI systems are reliable, aligned with human values, and behave predictably.
2. Governance and policy: Developing frameworks to guide the safe use of AI.
3. Risk assessment and mitigation for advanced AI systems.
4. Transparency and accountability: Enhancing these aspects in AI development and deployment.

This approach allows fellows to contribute to shaping responsible AI policies that address both current and future challenges in the field.

What you’ll do

The Policy Entrepreneurship Fellowship is designed as a flexible and open-ended opportunity for you to pursue impact with the help of FAS resources.

• Identification and pursuit of at least three clear deliverables. These deliverables will be developed early in the fellowship, with support from FAS and the Aspen Tech Policy Hub. The deliverables should focus on ways of bringing the Fellow’s policy idea to life.
• Completion of an interim progress report. This report will be due at the midpoint of the fellowship, and should provide a narrative summary of progress made to date.
• Compilation of a digital “PEF portfolio.” The portfolio should collect all knowledge and materials assembled and created over the course of the fellowship. The portfolio should also include a narrative memorandum that captures the arc of your fellowship; summarizes accomplishments, difficulties, and insights encountered; identifies key stakeholders with whom you developed relationships; and identifies opportunities for future action.

Your Background

• The PEF Fellowship is open to anyone, but preference will be given to individuals who have previously written a policy proposal for the Day One Project or participated in a Day One Project accelerator such as the AI Legislative Sprint. 
• Preference will be given to early-career contributors and to contributors with limited experience working in public policy. 

Professional Development

• Participation in twice-monthly group check-ins. The FAS staff will make every effort to schedule these check-ins at times that accommodate all participants. FAS staff will accommodate select absences (e.g., due to illness, work conflicts, or vacation) given appropriate notice. 
• Mandatory participation in programming provided by the Aspen Tech Policy Hub.
• The Fellows must commit to dedicating an average of 5 hours/week (20 hours/month) to the fellowship from January 13th, 2025 – June 30th, 2025, including the mandatory programming outlined above. NOTE: FAS will consider exempting participants from participation in mandatory sessions under exceptional circumstances. 

Benefits

• A $5,000 stipend. Fellows may also receive an additional $1,000 merit award, to be disbursed following the fellowship at the discretion of FAS staff (see below).
• Professional editing of written products developed during the fellowship.
• A formal FAS affiliation, including an FAS email address, access to the internal FAS workspace, and opportunity to participate in all-staff meetings.
• Invitations to FAS programming, including policymaker Q&As, curated updates on the rapidly evolving federal S&T landscape, and interactive “deep dive” sessions on practical aspects of policy entrepreneurship.
• Policy-engagement training provided by the Aspen Tech Policy Hub’s Tech Executive Leadership Initiative.
• Personalized support from the Aspen Tech Policy Hub in developing a policy-implementation roadmap.
• Support from FAS and the Aspen Tech Policy Hub in connecting with key experts and actors.
• Twice monthly group check-ins (via Zoom) facilitated by FAS staff, monthly individual check-ins with a dedicated FAS staff mentor, plus additional meetings and communications as needed.

Applications are due by 11:59 PM ET on November 18th, 2024. Apply by clicking here.

Questions? Contact FAS at (talent@fas.org).