The Constellation Astra Fellowship 2026 is now inviting expressions of interest from exceptional researchers, technologists, and professionals seeking to transition into the rapidly growing field of AI safety. As Constellation’s flagship programme, Astra is a fully funded, five-month, in-person fellowship hosted at the organization’s research centre in Berkeley, California.
Designed to accelerate frontier AI safety research and develop high-impact talent, the fellowship provides generous financial support, world-class mentorship, research funding, career placement services, and opportunities to collaborate with leading experts from organizations including OpenAI, Anthropic, Redwood Research, Google DeepMind, METR, and the UK AI Security Institute.
The next cohort has not yet opened for applications, but interested candidates are encouraged to register their expression of interest to receive notification when applications launch.
About the Constellation Astra Fellowship
As artificial intelligence continues advancing at unprecedented speed, ensuring that powerful AI systems remain safe and aligned with human values has become one of the world’s most urgent challenges. The Astra Fellowship was created to bring outstanding individuals into AI safety research and equip them to tackle these complex problems.
The programme combines intensive research, expert mentorship, structured career development, and collaboration within one of the world’s most active AI safety communities. Fellows work full time on frontier projects while receiving dedicated research management and professional support from Constellation.
More than 80% of Astra’s inaugural cohort secured full-time positions in AI safety after completing the programme, demonstrating its strong track record of launching impactful careers.
Fellowship Benefits
Astra is fully funded and provides comprehensive financial and professional support throughout the five-month programme.
Selected fellows receive:
- US$8,400 monthly stipend for the full duration of the fellowship
- Fully funded participation in the five-month residential programme
- Visa guidance and support for international participants
- Dedicated workspace at Constellation’s Berkeley research centre
- Weekly mentorship from internationally recognized AI safety researchers
- Career placement support with leading AI organizations
- Access to seminars, workshops, conferences, and collaborative research events
For fellows in the Empirical Research Stream, Constellation also provides approximately US$15,000 per month in compute and research resources to support machine learning experiments.
Two Research Streams
Applicants can apply to one of two specialized fellowship tracks based on their expertise and interests.
Empirical Research Stream
This stream focuses on technical AI safety and machine learning research. Fellows work on cutting-edge projects in areas including:
- AI alignment
- AI control
- Model evaluations
- Scalable oversight
- Safety benchmarking
- Machine learning safety research
Participants receive substantial computational resources and collaborate closely with technical mentors from leading research institutions.
Strategy & Governance Stream
This track is designed for applicants with strong knowledge of catastrophic AI risks, governance, and policy. Fellows investigate difficult, high-impact questions related to:
- AI governance
- International AI policy
- Strategic risk reduction
- Institutional design
- Global coordination for advanced AI
- Governance of frontier AI systems
The programme emphasizes independent thinking, analytical rigor, and solving unstructured policy challenges.
Who Should Apply?
Constellation welcomes talented individuals from a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds. Previous AI safety experience is not required.
Strong candidates typically demonstrate:
- Motivation to reduce catastrophic risks from advanced AI
- Technical or policy expertise relevant to AI safety
- Research, engineering, governance, or analytical experience
- Interest in transitioning into a full-time AI safety career
- Ambition to launch new AI safety initiatives or organizations
Many successful fellows have entered from adjacent disciplines such as computer science, economics, public policy, philosophy, mathematics, engineering, and social sciences.
Mentorship from Leading AI Experts
Astra fellows receive weekly guidance from internationally recognized researchers and practitioners working at the forefront of AI safety.
Technical mentors include experts affiliated with Redwood Research, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Truthful AI, while governance mentors come from organizations such as Coefficient Giving, AI Futures Project, AI Policy Network, Helve, and the Safe AI Forum.
This close mentorship provides fellows with valuable research feedback, career advice, and opportunities to build long-term professional relationships across the AI safety ecosystem.
Career Outcomes
The Astra Fellowship is specifically designed to prepare participants for high-impact careers. Previous fellows have secured positions at organizations including:
- OpenAI
- Anthropic
- Redwood Research
- METR
- Google DeepMind
- UK AI Security Institute
- Center for AI Standards and Innovation
Constellation also supports fellows interested in founding new research projects by providing incubation services covering fundraising, operations, hiring, communications, and organizational development.
Why This Fellowship Stands Out
Few AI fellowships combine generous financial support, elite mentorship, substantial research funding, and direct pathways into leading AI safety organizations. Astra offers an immersive environment where fellows collaborate daily with researchers tackling some of the most important technical and governance questions surrounding advanced artificial intelligence.
For aspiring AI researchers and policy professionals, it represents one of the strongest fully funded opportunities available globally.
How to Register Your Interest
The next Astra cohort will open soon. Interested candidates should complete Constellation’s Expression of Interest form to receive early notification when applications become available.
International applicants are welcome, and Constellation provides visa support for selected fellows relocating to Berkeley.
