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

Application Deadline: February 2nd, 2026

Applications at the moment are 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 different backgrounds in search of to strengthen sensible coverage abilities for securing a optimistic future in a world with highly effective AI.

Dates and Location

• June 1st to Aug twenty first: D.C. or distant
• Applicants could select to do the Fellowship totally in-person in D.C. or remotely.
• All fellows will come collectively for a required in-person residency in D.C. on June 1-12.

Requirements

• The program welcome candidates with coverage and technical backgrounds (e.g., business, authorities, assume tanks) at varied seniority ranges.
• Fellows vary from these in the midst of their undergraduate research to these with a long time of expertise.
• The widespread thread is a strong understanding of their material, the AI coverage priorities IAPS focuses on, or each.

Fellows will start with a two week, in-person residency in D.C. for the beginning of the Fellowship, from June 1-Twelfth. During the kickoff residency, they are going to discover the AI coverage panorama and get the chance to fulfill different fellows, IAPS researchers, and quite a lot of AI coverage specialists.

Afterwards, they are going to spend the remaining 10 weeks working with an AI coverage skilled, who will mentor them on initiatives that may affect nationwide and international AI insurance policies. Key coverage fields embody nationwide safety implications of AI, authorities acquisition and procurement of AI, CBRN capabilities of AI fashions, export controls, evaluations, geopolitics of AI, hardware-enabled mechanisms, jurisdictionally-focused coverage questions (e.g., U.S., U.Ok., and E.U.), amongst a number of others.

Fellows’ initiatives can have quite a lot of codecs relying on every skilled and fellowship coordinator, and will likely be set in partnership with every fellow. Examples of initiatives that fellows have labored on embody: 

• Authoring coverage briefs or memos
• Giving briefings or shows to authorities officers 
• Writing or contributing to a analysis report
• Organizing a 200-attendee worldwide convention
• Publishing an op-ed a couple of salient or uncared for AI coverage subject
• Providing strategic recommendation to a assume tank increasing their operations to a brand new jurisdiction
• Helping streamline the operations of a newly-created AI coverage group 
• Shaping the technique for and serving to run a observe II occasion

These concrete outputs assist strengthen fellows’ AI coverage observe document whereas reaching impactful outcomes.

Benefits

In addition to working intently with a number one skilled within the discipline, fellows obtain:

• Weekly one-on-one teaching from an IAPS Fellowship Coordinator targeted on profession growth, venture administration, and productiveness;
• Ongoing assist from IAPS researchers and coverage workers, together with direct suggestions on their initiatives, resembling through weekly work-in-progress periods;
• Access to our skilled community, together with many networking Opportunities throughout our two-week kickoff in DC; and
• Additional monetary help, in choose circumstances, to assist profession transitions after this system.

Financial Support

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

Day-to-day

Fellows work independently on initiatives resembling writing coverage memos and reviews, briefing authorities officers, and organizing formidable convenings.

They have weekly conferences with their mentor and an IAPS supervisor, and current their work within the closing week.

For More Information:

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