Summer Research Fellowship 2026

The Existential Risk Laboratory (XLab) at the University of Chicago is accepting applications for the 2026 Summer Research Fellowship (SRF), a 10-week, in-person research program for students and early-career researchers working on AI safety and security, nuclear security, or the confluence of these issues. The program is designed to enable fellows to develop their own research agendas. Each fellow scopes their own research question, justifies its importance, identifies appropriate methods, and delivers a significant written product: a journal article, workshop submission, white paper, or equivalent. They are advised by a domain expert mentor, but the intellectual direction of the project is theirs. The fellowship provides a $10,000 stipend, University of Chicago dorm housing, a full dining hall meal plan, and funds for weekday lunches. Technical fellows receive $4,000 in compute and API credit support. Fellows have regular one-on-one check-ins with a research manager throughout the program and access to domain expert advisors. The program includes workshops on research methodology, including forecasting, open-source intelligence, and research process skills, alongside Q&A sessions with policy practitioners and active researchers. The program focuses on AI strategy, security, and governance and nuclear weapon security, with special interest in projects that employ analytic methods such as open-source intelligence, forecasting, strategic net assessment, or scenario analysis. A cohort of 15-20 peers provides community, peer review sessions, and professional networking opportunities. Fellows are expected to make the program their primary commitment for the duration of the fellowship.