Application Guide

How to Apply for Grants, Launch Round

at grantmaking.ai

🏢 About grantmaking.ai

grantmaking.ai is a unique platform that democratizes funding for AI safety work, making it accessible to anyone with a promising idea, regardless of background. Unlike traditional grantmakers, they operate transparently by publishing project pages and requiring public updates, fostering a collaborative ecosystem to reduce x-risk from AI.

About This Role

The Grants, Launch Round is a contract role where you propose a project aimed at reducing AI x-risk—whether it's a career change, exploratory research, or a concrete intervention. If selected, you'll receive funding and contribute to a public database, helping other funders discover and build on your work.

💡 A Day in the Life

As a grantee, your day-to-day will depend on your project, but expect to spend time on research, development, or networking aligned with your proposal. You'll also prepare quarterly updates summarizing progress, challenges, and next steps, which will be published on the platform for other funders to see.

🚀 Application Tools

Generate Cover Letter

AI-powered, tailored for grantmaking.ai

Interview Prep

Practice questions for this role

🎯 Who grantmaking.ai Is Looking For

  • Has a clear, actionable idea for reducing AI existential risk, even if early-stage or unconventional.
  • Comfortable with transparency and committed to providing quarterly public updates on progress.
  • No specific credentials required, but must demonstrate thoughtfulness about AI safety and how their project fits into the broader landscape.
  • Open to individuals from any field—e.g., technical, policy, communications—as long as the idea is relevant to AI x-risk.

📝 Tips for Applying to grantmaking.ai

1

Focus your proposal on a specific, well-defined project rather than a vague research area—e.g., 'creating a dataset for detecting deceptive AI' vs. 'studying AI safety'.

2

Explain how your project would concretely reduce x-risk, not just advance AI safety in general; tie it to a clear threat model.

3

Mention how you'll handle quarterly updates—e.g., a blog, public spreadsheet, or video—to show you've thought about transparency.

4

If you're proposing a career change, outline a plan for how you'll gain relevant skills or connections, not just a desire to switch.

5

Keep your application concise but specific; avoid jargon and make it accessible to a broad funder audience.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your motivation for reducing AI x-risk and why this specific project is a high-impact use of funds.', 'How your background (even if non-traditional) uniquely qualifies you to execute this project.', 'Your commitment to transparency and willingness to share progress publicly to benefit the field.', 'A brief mention of how your project complements or differs from existing efforts in AI safety.']

Generate Cover Letter →

🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Review the current projects listed on grantmaking.ai's database to understand the types of work they fund and avoid overlap.
  • → Read their blog or about page to grasp their philosophy on transparency and open funding.
  • → Familiarize yourself with the AI safety landscape—e.g., key organizations like MIRI, OpenAI, or Anthropic—to position your project.
  • → Look into other 'launch round' grants or similar initiatives to see what kinds of proposals were successful.
Visit grantmaking.ai's Website →

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Walk us through your project idea: the problem, your solution, and expected impact on x-risk.
2 How would you measure success for your project? What milestones would you track?
3 What risks or challenges do you foresee, and how would you mitigate them?
4 How do you plan to engage with the broader AI safety community and share learnings?
5 Why did you choose grantmaking.ai over other funders? What do you value about their model?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Submitting a vague or overly broad proposal without a clear, testable hypothesis or deliverable.
  • Ignoring the requirement for public updates; if you're uncomfortable with transparency, this role isn't for you.
  • Overpromising on impact without a realistic plan—funders value honesty and incremental progress.

📅 Application Timeline

⏰ Deadline: July 13, 2026

We recommend applying at least a few days early to avoid last-minute technical issues.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to grantmaking.ai!

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