About the AI Security Residency
-
On a typical day, you will work in our Cambridge office alongside other residents. Here, you might have some focus time on your project, attend a workshop or in-office event, brainstorm ideas with other residents, and have lunch together. In the evening, residents will often grab dinner in central Cambridge and attend one of ERA’s social activities.
You might also have a call with your mentor, have a 1-on-1 with a member of the ERA team or other residents, or attend one of our residency events.
-
Residents will present their research at our AI Security Research Symposium and submit a written output in the format that best fits their project (e.g., policy brief, working paper, technical report, etc.). We will help you scope something ambitious but achievable, and our goal is to help you maximise the impact of your work, so the bar is very much rigour, decision-usefulness, and clarity.
-
This could absolutely be feasible, depending on whether it fits with your mentor’s project and their ability to take on multiple fellows. Please mention this early in the application process if you are interested, so we can take it into consideration. Alongside this, residents often pursue group side-projects once they are here in Cambridge. Please note, acceptance to the residency itself is based on individual merits and we will not be considering joint applications.
-
Yes. We’ll organise a broad range of events such as speaker events, networking opportunities, and skills workshops. For example, ERA’s previous research programmes have featured 1-2 events a week, with 30+ in total. These have included networking evenings with other organizations, an AI policy event at the House of Lords, and a final research symposium.
-
ERA takes community health and wellbeing very seriously. We have a dedicated Community Associate for each programme. We pride ourselves on having cultivated thriving and supportive communities, within a welcoming and inclusive environment.
Throughout the residency, there will be one-to-one wellbeing support, social events, and other community activities. Previous social events included escape rooms, punting, pub trips, picnics, board games, quiz nights, walks, and karaoke.
-
You will join our exclusive alumni network. We will keep in touch with you, offering advice and opportunities which might help you find a rewarding career working on AI Security. We also run invite-only events for our alumni and are willing to support you via letters of recommendations etc.
Application Process
-
The first stage consists of an application form containing some background and essay questions. We will review applications on a rolling basis until the deadline. Successful applicants will be invited to an interview. Simultaneously, we will reach out to your references. After reviewing all this, mentors will receive a shortlist of candidates, and have the option of running their own screening stage. The team and mentors will make final selections based on the holistic application.
-
At ERA, we value reasoning transparency and epistemic humility above all else. The field of AI Security is nascent, and faces significant uncertainty on many fronts. We are looking for candidates who can navigate this complexity thoughtfully.
We want to see how you think through problems, not just your conclusions. We appreciate candidates who can reason from first principles while still drawing on relevant literature and acknowledging where their knowledge is limited. -
For Autumn 2026, we plan to accept approximately 30 residents, split across the tracks:
~10-15 for AIxHardware
~10-15 for AIxCyber
~5-7 for Field-building & Founding). -
There are no formal eligibility restrictions beyond being 18 or older, and full visa support is available globally. We care about demonstrated ability far more than credentials — although we expect many applicants, especially for applied placements, to bring 5+ years of industry experience.
We consider this residency especially valuable for: mid-career & senior security professionals, hardware & embedded specialists, security & cryptography researchers, transitional professionals, and strong technical generalists in AI Safety. More information can be found here.
-
Yes! We welcome applications from employed professionals, and also from anyone between opportunities. The residency is designed to accommodate diverse circumstances. If accepted, professionals may need to take leave, and students may need to arrange a break from studies. We can provide support letters for your institution or employer if needed.
-
Prior formal research experience is helpful but not required. In the past, we have accepted residents with diverse backgrounds, including undergraduates with strong project work, professionals transitioning from industry, and graduate students.
What matters most is your ability to think critically about complex problems, learn quickly, and contribute meaningfully to the field. How you approach problems is often more important than formal credentials. That being said, we are expecting applicants to our applied track to have ~5 years or more industry experience.
-
Applications for our Autumn 2026 residency cohort closed on 2nd August.
Sign up to our mailing list to hear about future FASR opportunities: https://airtable.com/appXP6Vad759fSHQE/pagnNqTebqdegRfpe/form
Mentorship at FASR
-
Your mentor will provide feedback on your work and steer you towards the most relevant resources through a weekly, hour-long call. As well as perhaps sharing career opportunities, they can introduce you to collaborators and advisors in the field. For the research track, your mentor is the best person to advise on publication strategy, where to submit, timing, scope, and venue fit, should you choose to publish.
-
Your Research Manager (RM), a member of ERA’s core team, provides regular project management and, where their expertise overlaps with your project, targeted research feedback. Your Mentor is an external domain expert who offers specialised subject-matter guidance. Our RMs are active researchers and, in many cases, past or prospective ERA mentors.
-
While each fellow is formally matched with one primary mentor, ERA can sometimes facilitate additional advisory relationships for projects that span multiple domains or require specialised expertise in different areas.
-
No, we already have a list of expert mentors who will work alongside ERA to screen applicants and to find strong matches for their work streams. The application will ask you to rank your top mentor choice, but please note that this does not ‘bind’ you to a particular mentor. This is for us to get a sense of your preferences. Our application also only features a shortened list of mentors: the full list will be released later in the application process.
Residency Logistics
-
The residency starts on 12th October and lasts for 8 weeks until 4th December. It takes place in Cambridge, UK.
-
No, we provide accommodation in Cambridge for the duration of the residency.
-
We cover travel to and from Cambridge, visas, accommodation, and meals during working hours.
-
You will be working in our co-working space in central Cambridge.
-
Our preference is for residents to join us in person. Nonetheless, we are committed to forming the best cohort possible and, in some cases, do allow residents to participate remotely. Should you receive an offer from us, we are willing to discuss the possibility of remote involvement.
-
Our residency is designed with the intent of forming a cohesive cohort and we strive to adhere to established timelines. However, we are open to making accommodations for outstanding candidates under special circumstances.
-
Residents receive a pro-rated salary of £34,125 for the duration of the residency. In select cases, we may offer extensions to some participants, allowing them to continue their research. These extensions, when granted, may include additional financial support.
-
Yes, we will sponsor your visa and support international participants in their visa application process.
Please note that your passport must be valid until at least March 2027, and it must have at least one blank visa page for the visa vignette.
Join FASR
