Anthropic: Anthropic Fellows Program, The Anthropic Institute (Economics & Policy)
Headquarters: London, UK; Ontario, CAN; Remote-Friendly, United States; San Francisco, CA
About Anthropic
Anthropic’s mission is to create reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. We want AI to be safe and beneficial for our users and for society as a whole. Our team is a quickly growing group of committed researchers, engineers, policy experts, and business leaders working together to build beneficial AI systems.
Anthropic Fellows Program Overview
The Anthropic Fellows Program is designed to foster AI research and engineering talent. We provide funding and mentorship to promising technical talent—regardless of previous experience.
Fellows will primarily use external infrastructure (e.g., open-source models, public APIs) to work on projects aligned with our research priorities, with the goal of producing a public output (e.g., a paper submission). In one of our earlier cohorts, over 80% of fellows produced papers. We run multiple cohorts of Fellows each year and review applications on a rolling basis.
We are accepting applications for the next cohort expected to start in January 2027. In some circumstances, we can accommodate fellows starting outside the usual cohort timelines—please note in your application if the January 2027 start date doesn't work for you.
What to Expect
- 4 months of full-time research
- Direct mentorship from Anthropic researchers
- Weekly stipend of 3,850 USD / 2,310 GBP / 4,300 CAD + benefits (these vary by country)
- Funding for compute (~$15k/month) and other research expenses
Interview Process
The interview process will include an initial application & reference check, assessments & interviews, and a research discussion.
We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every single qualification. Research shows that people who identify as being from underrepresented groups are more prone to experiencing imposter syndrome and doubting the strength of their candidacy, so we urge you not to exclude yourself prematurely.
Compensation
The expected base stipend for this role is 3,850 USD / 2,310 GBP / 4,300 CAD per week, with an expectation of 40 hours per week for 4 months (with possible extension).
The Anthropic Institute Fellows (Economics & Policy)
Mentors & Research Areas
Fellows will undergo a project selection & mentor matching process. Potential research areas and mentors include:
Economics
- Maxim Massenkoff
- Peter McCrory
Policy, Security, and Society
- Jack Clark
- Marina Favaro
- Jim Baker
Potential Projects
Projects in this workstream may include:
- Designing and conducting empirical research on AI's economic effects, drawing on external data sources
- Developing new methodological approaches for studying AI's impact on labor markets, the future of work, and society
- Analysing the offense–defense balance for AI-enabled cyber and bio capabilities as models scale
- Measuring the extent to which model performance increases with custom harnesses
- Identifying market-driven mechanisms that could improve societal resilience to anticipated threats from AI systems
- Identifying which metrics relating to AI R&D could serve as early warning signals for recursive self-improvement
Past Project Examples
- How AI Impacts Skill Formation: Judy Shen and Alex Tamkin
- Stress-Testing Model Specs Reveals Character Differences among Language Models: Jifan Zhang, Henry Sleight, Andi Peng, John Schulman, and Esin Durmus
Candidate Criteria
You might be a great fit if you:
- Have an interest in economics or policy research (prior experience is a plus but not required)
- Are adaptable and collaborative, able to take direction and contribute to team priorities
- Are skilled at writing up and communicating your results, even when they are null or unexpected
- Are passionate about translating research insights into actionable recommendations
You may also be a good fit if you:
- Are motivated by making sure AI is safe and beneficial for society
- Are excited to transition into AI research and would be interested in a full-time role at Anthropic
- Have a strong track record of empirical research
- Thrive in fast-paced, collaborative environments
- Can implement ideas quickly and communicate clearly
Requirements:
- Fluent in Python programming
- Available to work full-time on the Fellows program
Logistics
- Work Authorization: You must have work authorization in the US, UK, or Canada and be located in that country during the program.
- Visa Sponsorship: We are not currently able to sponsor visas for fellows.
- Workspace: We have designated shared workspaces in SF. We are also open to remote fellows in the UK, US, or Canada.
- Duration: The program runs for 4 months, full-time. If you cannot commit to the full duration, please note your constraints in the application.
Note: The standard Anthropic policies for full-time roles (such as hybrid office requirements) do not apply to the Fellows Program.