Impact Academy: Global AI Safety Fellowship

Impact Academy is a nonprofit founded in 2022, originating as a project of Effective Altruism Sweden before becoming an independent entity incorporated in the UK in July 2023. It was co-founded by Vilhelm Skoglund, former Executive Director of EA Sweden, and Sebastian Schmidt. The organization's stated mission is to accelerate experts to shape AI's future by connecting exceptional global technical talent with placement and mentorship opportunities at leading AI safety organizations. Its flagship program, the Global AI Safety Fellowship, is a 3-6 month fully-funded research fellowship aimed at exceptional STEM talent from around the world, with explicit attention to candidates from regions traditionally underrepresented in AI safety research. Fellows receive a financial package covering salary and living expenses (up to USD 30,000 for six months, scaled by location), foundational AI safety learning resources, regular mentorship, and one-on-one coaching. The fellowship's partner organizations for its first cohort (launching in 2025) included the Center for Human-Compatible AI at UC Berkeley, FAR.AI, Conjecture, and the UK AI Safety Institute. Fellows work on research areas including mechanistic interpretability, adversarial robustness, cognitive emulation, model evaluations, scalable oversight, and value learning. The selection process is rigorous, involving a programming test, ML proficiency assessments, technical interviews, and partner organization assessments. A paid AI Safety BootCamp is offered as an optional intermediate step for candidates new to the field. Beyond the Global AI Safety Fellowship, Impact Academy ran a Summer Research Fellowship and an AI Safety Careers Course in 2024, as well as an EU Tech Policy Fellowship in partnership with the Talos Network. The organization is also associated with the Secure AI Futures Lab. Impact Academy has incubated startups and supported alumni who have gone on to found AI safety ventures such as TamperSec. The registered office is 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London—a serviced office address typical of lean early-stage nonprofits.

Endorsements support Impact Academy Limited.

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