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Summary

• Programme: Cambridge ERA:AI Fellowship
• Cohort: Winter 2027
• Location: Cambridge, United Kingdom
• Duration: 10 weeks
• Start Date: 18 January 2027
• Funding: £10,000 stipend + travel expenses + visa support + meals during working hours
• Research Focus: Frontier AI safety and governance
• Eligibility: Applicants aged 18 or older
• Fields: Technical AI safety, AI governance and technical AI governance
• Application Status: Open
• Application Deadline: 13 September 2026 at 11:59pm Anywhere on Earth

About the Fellowship

The Cambridge ERA:AI Fellowship is a 10-week research programme hosted in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The Winter 2027 fellowship begins on 18 January 2027 and is designed for people interested in conducting research on the safety and governance of increasingly capable artificial intelligence systems.

The programme is run by ERA and brings fellows into a research environment where they can work on an individual research project with support from research managers, mentors and ERA’s wider institutional network.

The programme is deliberately talent-first. ERA states that it cares about much more than conventional credentials and welcomes applicants from a wide range of subject areas who are committed to its mission.

There are no formal eligibility restrictions beyond being at least 18 years old.

This makes the fellowship considerably broader than a conventional academic fellowship. ERA specifically encourages applications from researchers at different career stages, professionals from technical, policy, security, legal and economic backgrounds, people seeking to redirect an existing research agenda toward advanced AI, and applicants with distinctive expertise that could contribute to understanding and addressing risks from advanced AI.

During the fellowship, participants develop and complete a research project focused on technical and/or governance measures for mitigating risks posed by frontier AI systems.

Scholarship Benefits

The Cambridge ERA:AI Fellowship is officially described as fully funded.

Successful fellows receive:

• £10,000 stipend.
• Travel expense coverage.
• Visa support.
• Meals during working hours.
• Dedicated desk space in ERA’s Cambridge office.
• Expert mentorship.
• Research management support.
• Access to ERA’s institutional and professional network.
• Networking, speaker and skills-development opportunities.

ERA also states that, in special cases, it may provide additional financial assistance to support impactful career transitions.

The programme provides more than financial support. Fellows work closely with mentors and research managers while participating in a community of researchers and professionals working on AI safety and governance.

ERA’s previous fellowship activities have included speaker events, networking opportunities and skills workshops.

The programme is designed around producing meaningful research outputs. Fellows are expected to present their research at ERA’s Research Symposium and submit a written output in an appropriate format, such as a policy brief, working paper, technical report, replication or audit report, or technical project documentation.

Who Can Apply?

ERA states that anyone can apply, provided they are at least 18 years old.

There are no formal academic or professional eligibility restrictions beyond the minimum age requirement.

However, the fellowship is especially valuable for applicants who fit one or more of the following profiles:

• Researchers at any career stage interested in AI safety or governance.
• Professionals from technical fields who want to apply their expertise to frontier AI.
• Professionals working in policy, security, law, economics or related areas.
• Researchers seeking to redirect their work toward advanced AI risks.
• Applicants with distinctive technical, policy or domain expertise relevant to AI safety or governance.

ERA emphasises that it is a talent-first programme, meaning applicants are not assessed solely on conventional credentials.

The important question is whether an applicant can contribute meaningfully to research addressing risks from increasingly capable AI systems.

Step-by-Step Application Process

Step 1: Confirm the Programme Fits Your Interests

Review ERA’s research areas and determine whether your background and interests can contribute to frontier AI safety or governance.

Step 2: Develop a Research Direction

Think carefully about the research question you would like to investigate during the fellowship.

ERA supports research across technical AI safety, AI governance and technical AI governance.

Step 3: Submit the Written Application

The first stage consists primarily of short essay questions.

ERA estimates that the written application should take approximately two hours to complete.

Your responses should clearly communicate your background, interests, reasoning ability and potential contribution to the fellowship.

Step 4: Round-One Interview

ERA plans to invite approximately the top 20% of candidates from the first stage to interviews.

For the Winter 2027 cohort, these interviews are scheduled for late September 2026.

Step 5: Round-Two Interview

Applicants who perform strongly in the first interview may be invited to a shorter second interview.

These interviews are expected to take place in early October 2026.

ERA will also contact references at this stage.

Step 6: Fellowship Offer and Project Development

After final offers are made, ERA will work with the selected 2027 fellows to develop their project ideas and match them with appropriate mentors.

Step 7: Join the Cambridge Fellowship

Successful fellows will participate in the 10-week programme in Cambridge, beginning on 18 January 2027.

Important Deadline

The official application deadline is:

13 September 2026 at 11:59pm Anywhere on Earth

The Winter 2027 fellowship begins on:

18 January 2027

ERA states that first-round interviews will take place in late September, with second-round interviews scheduled for early October.

Official Application Link

Official ERA Fellowship Application:

Final Note from AK Travels LTD

The Cambridge ERA:AI Fellowship is a particularly strong opportunity for applicants who want to move into the rapidly developing fields of AI safety, AI governance or technical AI governance.

One of the most important features of this fellowship is its broad eligibility policy. ERA explicitly states that there are no formal eligibility restrictions beyond being 18 or older and describes the programme as talent-first.

That does not mean the fellowship is easy to obtain. The programme is research-focused, and applicants need to demonstrate that they can contribute meaningfully to important questions surrounding increasingly capable AI systems.

Applicants should therefore avoid treating the application as a generic scholarship form. The written application is the first major selection stage, followed by two rounds of interviews for shortlisted candidates.

A strong applicant should be able to explain what they are interested in researching, why the question matters, what expertise they bring and how they could contribute to AI safety or governance.

Another major advantage is the level of support provided after selection. Fellows receive a £10,000 stipend, travel expense coverage, visa support and meals during working hours, while also receiving research management support and mentorship.

The programme also expects fellows to produce a concrete research output and present their work at ERA’s Research Symposium. This makes the opportunity particularly suitable for people who want to build a serious research portfolio rather than simply attend a short training programme.

At AK Travels LTD, we recommend that prospective applicants begin by studying ERA’s three research streams — technical AI safety, governance and technical AI governance — and then identify where their existing knowledge or professional experience could make the strongest contribution.

Applications for Winter 2027 close on 13 September 2026 at 11:59pm Anywhere on Earth.

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