The Institute for AI Policy and Strategy (IAPS) AI Policy Fellowship 2026 for young professionals ($15,000 stipend)

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Application Deadline: February 2nd, 2026

Applications are now open for the 2026 Institute for AI Policy and Strategy (IAPS) AI Policy Fellowship. The IAPS AI Policy Fellowship is a fully-funded, three-month program for professionals from varied backgrounds seeking to strengthen practical policy skills for securing a positive future in a world with powerful AI.

Dates and Location

• June 1st to Aug 21st: D.C. or remote
• Applicants may choose to do the Fellowship fully in-person in D.C. or remotely.
• All fellows will come together for a required in-person residency in D.C. on June 1-12.

Requirements

• The program welcome applicants with policy and technical backgrounds (e.g., industry, government, think tanks) at various seniority levels.
• Fellows range from those in the middle of their undergraduate studies to those with decades of experience.
• The common thread is a solid understanding of their subject matter, the AI policy priorities IAPS focuses on, or both.

Fellows will begin with a two week, in-person residency in D.C. for the start of the Fellowship, from June 1-12th. During the kickoff residency, they will explore the AI policy landscape and get the opportunity to meet other fellows, IAPS researchers, and a variety of AI policy experts.

Afterwards, they will spend the remaining 10 weeks working with an AI policy expert, who will mentor them on projects that will influence national and global AI policies. Key policy fields include national security implications of AI, government acquisition and procurement of AI, CBRN capabilities of AI models, export controls, evaluations, geopolitics of AI, hardware-enabled mechanisms, jurisdictionally-focused policy questions (e.g., U.S., U.K., and E.U.), among several others.

Fellows’ projects can have a variety of formats depending on each expert and fellowship coordinator, and will be set in partnership with each fellow. Examples of projects that fellows have worked on include:

• Authoring policy briefs or memos
• Giving briefings or presentations to government officials
• Writing or contributing to a research report
• Organizing a 200-attendee international conference
• Publishing an op-ed about a salient or neglected AI policy issue
• Providing strategic advice to a think tank expanding their operations to a new jurisdiction
• Helping streamline the operations of a newly-created AI policy organization
• Shaping the strategy for and helping run a track II event

These concrete outputs help strengthen fellows’ AI policy track record while achieving impactful outcomes.

Benefits

In addition to working closely with a leading expert in the field, fellows receive:

• Weekly one-on-one coaching from an IAPS Fellowship Coordinator focused on career development, project management, and productivity;
• Ongoing support from IAPS researchers and policy staff, including direct feedback on their projects, such as via weekly work-in-progress sessions;
• Access to our professional network, including many networking opportunities during our two-week kickoff in DC; and
• Additional financial assistance, in select cases, to support career transitions after the program.

Financial Support

• Senior Fellows will receive $22,000 and Fellows will receive $15,000 as a stipend to work full-time during the 3-month program.

Day-to-day

Fellows work independently on projects such as writing policy memos and reports, briefing government officials, and organizing ambitious convenings.

They have weekly meetings with their mentor and an IAPS manager, and present their work in the final week.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Institute for AI Policy and Strategy (IAPS) AI Policy Fellowship