Anthropic Opens AI Safety Fellows Program With $15K Monthly Compute
March 6, 2026 · 2 min read
David Almeida
Anthropic is accepting applications for two new cohorts of its AI Safety Fellows Program, beginning in May and July 2026. Each four-month fellowship offers a weekly stipend of $3,850, approximately $15,000 per month in compute resources, and direct mentorship from Anthropic's research team.
What Fellows Actually Build
The program funds empirical research projects across scalable oversight, adversarial robustness, AI control, mechanistic interpretability, model organisms, AI security, and model welfare. Fellows are expected to produce publishable work by the end of their four-month term.
Previous cohorts have delivered concrete results. Fellows built agents that identified $4.6 million in blockchain smart contract vulnerabilities and discovered two novel zero-day vulnerabilities. Over 80% of the first cohort produced published research, and more than 40% subsequently joined Anthropic full-time.
No PhD Required — Execution Is What Counts
Anthropic explicitly prioritizes execution ability over credentials. No PhD, prior machine learning experience, or publications are required. Successful fellows have come from physics, mathematics, computer science, cybersecurity, and other quantitative fields. The core requirements: strong Python skills, genuine interest in mitigating AI risks, and the ability to learn quickly under uncertainty.
Applications are open now through Anthropic's careers page. Stipends are also available in GBP (£2,310/week) and CAD ($4,300/week) for fellows based outside the US.
Why the Compute Budget Matters
Most academic AI safety grants come with minimal compute. Anthropic's program provides roughly $60,000 in compute alone per fellowship, plus the stipend — total per-fellow investment likely exceeds $75,000 for four months of work. For researchers who want to pivot into safety work without committing to a full-time role, this is one of the most accessible and well-resourced entry points in the field.
More AI funding opportunities, from federal programs to foundation grants, are covered in depth on the Granted blog.