Effective Thesis

Effective Thesis is a nonprofit organization that helps university students choose high-impact thesis topics and build research careers focused on pressing global challenges. Founded in July 2017 by David Janku with support from Daniel Hnyk and the Czech EA Association, the organization has grown from a small initiative into a global platform that has supported over 2,000 students and provided one-on-one coaching to more than 500 of them. The organization offers several structured programs. The Accelerator is an 8-week online program where students learn to identify and prioritize high-impact research topics, designing theses with clear theories of change that map how their research can create real-world impact. The Fellowship program runs for 3 months, matching students with vetted high-impact research projects and pairing them with expert mentors or partner organizations to co-develop their theses. Students can also receive personalized 1:1 Advising from the Effective Thesis team on their thesis and career journey, with introductions to relevant experts in the network. Effective Thesis focuses on several critical research areas including AI safety, global health and development, animal welfare, biosecurity, and mental health. In AI safety specifically, the organization identifies research directions spanning technical alignment, AI governance and policy, ethics and value alignment, transparency and interpretability, robustness and security, long-term development scenarios, and safety measurements. The organization maintains a network of over 165 expert advisors and a curated database of high-impact research questions. It has disseminated research across more than 30 countries and attracts 70,000 to 90,000 unique website visitors annually. Effective Thesis also runs the Exceptional Research Award (ETERA) to recognize promising student research with potential for significant real-world impact. The organization has undergone several leadership transitions since its founding. David Janku served as founder and project manager, followed by Joel Christoph as Director from July 2023 to August 2024, then Hana McMahon-Cole as Director. As of early 2026, Christine PX Tan serves as Executive Director, supported by a core team and a board that includes founder David Janku alongside advisors from organizations such as Future Matters, The Future Society, EffiSciences, and the Center for Public University Transformation. Effective Thesis is a registered nonprofit in Czechia and has obtained an NGOsource Equivalency Determination, confirming its recognition as equivalent to a US 501(c)(3) public charity. The organization operates on a lean budget and has historically been funded primarily through Effective Altruism Funds and the Survival and Flourishing Fund.