Constellation Institute · Berkeley, California
Applications and expressions of interest are available for the Constellation Astra Fellowship 2026–2027, a fully funded, full-time opportunity for talented researchers and professionals interested in working on some of the most challenging questions surrounding artificial intelligence safety and governance.
The Astra Fellowship is organized by Constellation Institute and takes place in person at the organization's research centre in Berkeley, California, United States. The programme brings fellows together with experienced mentors and other researchers while giving them the time, resources, and professional support to pursue substantive work related to advanced AI safety.
The current Strategy and Governance Stream runs from September 2026 to February 2027. Fellows work on research projects aimed at reducing catastrophic risks associated with advanced artificial intelligence, with projects potentially covering areas such as AI strategy, governance, policy, security, and related research questions.
Artificial intelligence is developing quickly, creating new research questions about how increasingly capable systems should be evaluated, governed, and made safer. The Constellation Astra Fellowship was created to bring talented people into this emerging field and give them an environment where they can work intensively on AI safety problems.
Constellation describes Astra as its flagship fellowship for accelerating AI safety research and talent. The programme pairs fellows with senior mentors and gives them access to research management and career support throughout the fellowship.
The Strategy and Governance Stream is aimed at people who are comfortable working on difficult and relatively unstructured problems. Applicants are expected to have a strong understanding of catastrophic AI risks and be able to develop research ideas independently.
Previous experience specifically in AI safety is not always required. Constellation states that many fellows have entered the field from adjacent areas and gone on to make contributions to AI safety. Relevant backgrounds can include policy, strategy, governance, technical research, security, grantmaking, or other areas connected to advanced AI.
Successful fellows can receive:
The Strategy and Governance Stream focuses on strategic and governance questions related to advanced AI.
Fellows may explore questions surrounding AI policy, governance, security, strategy, international coordination, AI progress, risk assessment, or other areas where research can contribute to reducing catastrophic risks from advanced AI.
Constellation notes that some mentors may have additional preferences, including candidates with strong policy backgrounds or relevant technical expertise.
Applicants do not necessarily need to arrive with a fully developed research proposal. However, they should be able to demonstrate strong analytical ability, independence, and an interest in tackling difficult problems.
The Astra Fellowship may be suitable for researchers, technologists, policymakers, strategists, and other professionals who want to dedicate themselves to AI safety work.
A strong candidate should be comfortable dealing with complex questions where there may not be an obvious answer or established research path. The ability to think independently, communicate clearly, conduct research, and turn broad questions into useful projects is important.
The fellowship may also appeal to people who want to transition into a full-time AI safety career or establish an organization focused on AI safety.
Applicants who are interested in technical AI safety should note that Astra also has an Empirical Stream, which covers areas such as AI alignment, AI control, model evaluations, and scalable oversight.
Interested candidates should first review the official Astra Fellowship information and determine which stream best matches their background and interests.
For the Strategy and Governance Stream, applicants should consider how their previous experience relates to AI safety, governance, strategy, policy, security, or other relevant areas.
Candidates should also be prepared to explain why they want to work on AI safety and what types of research or problems they would like to explore.
Berkeley, California
Constellation Institute
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