Application Guide

How to Apply for Request for Proposals, AI Safety Grant

at Foresight Institute

🏢 About Foresight Institute

The Foresight Institute is unique as a research nonprofit that specifically targets early-stage and interdisciplinary technologies that traditional institutions overlook. They focus on accelerating transformative technologies like AI safety, making them an ideal partner for researchers working on frontier AI safety concepts that might be too novel for conventional funding sources.

About This Role

This role involves developing and submitting detailed proposals for AI safety projects, specifically in secure AI or neurotechnology for safe AI, with quarterly deadlines. It's impactful because successful proposals directly fund research that could shape critical safety protocols for advanced AI systems, contributing to Foresight's mission of responsible technological advancement.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day involves researching recent developments in AI safety literature, refining project proposals with specific technical details and safety metrics, and coordinating with collaborators to ensure alignment with Foresight's interdisciplinary focus. You might also draft progress updates for upcoming quarterly reviews or analyze feedback from previous proposal submissions to strengthen future applications.

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🎯 Who Foresight Institute Is Looking For

  • Has hands-on experience in either secure AI (e.g., adversarial robustness, model security) or neurotechnology for safe AI (e.g., brain-computer interfaces for AI alignment, neuromorphic computing safety)
  • Can articulate a clear project plan with specific milestones, deliverables, and safety metrics, whether for a short-term proof-of-concept or multi-year research initiative
  • Demonstrates understanding of Foresight's focus on interdisciplinary, early-stage work by proposing projects that bridge AI safety with other fields like neuroscience, cryptography, or formal verification
  • Shows capacity to execute independently or as part of a team, with evidence of past project completion in relevant domains

📝 Tips for Applying to Foresight Institute

1

Explicitly align your proposal with Foresight's quarterly review deadlines by including a timeline that shows deliverables or milestones matching March 31, June 30, September 30, or December 31 dates

2

Reference specific Foresight initiatives or past grantees in your proposal to demonstrate you've researched their portfolio and understand their funding priorities

3

Structure your project proposal to clearly distinguish between the secure AI or neurotechnology for safe AI focus areas—don't blend them unless you can justify the interdisciplinary connection

4

Include concrete safety metrics or evaluation frameworks in your proposal, as Foresight emphasizes measurable impact in AI safety

5

If applying as a team or organization, clearly define roles and demonstrate how your collective expertise covers both technical execution and safety considerations

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Explain why your specific AI safety project is both early-stage/interdisciplinary enough for Foresight yet sufficiently developed to show promise', "Demonstrate familiarity with Foresight's mission by connecting your work to their focus on transformative technologies that legacy institutions might overlook", 'Highlight your capacity to meet quarterly deadlines by describing past experience with structured project timelines or grant reporting', 'Articulate how your project in secure AI or neurotechnology for safe AI addresses a specific, underfunded gap in current AI safety research']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Review Foresight's past AI safety grantees and their projects to understand what types of proposals they've funded previously
  • → Study their 'Neurotech & AI Safety' and 'Secure AI' program pages to identify specific research priorities and terminology they use
  • → Look into Foresight's workshops and events on AI safety to understand their network and which researchers they engage with
  • → Examine their annual reports or blog posts about AI safety to grasp their evolving focus areas and success metrics
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you adapt your project plan if initial results don't meet safety benchmarks by a quarterly review deadline?
2 What specific neurotechnology approaches (e.g., brain-inspired architectures, neural monitoring for AI alignment) do you think hold the most promise for AI safety, and why?
3 How does your project balance technical innovation with practical safety considerations that could be implemented by AI developers?
4 Can you walk us through your methodology for evaluating the security of an AI system against novel attack vectors?
5 How would you communicate the importance of your interdisciplinary work to both technical experts and non-specialist stakeholders at Foresight?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Submitting a generic AI research proposal without explicitly addressing safety considerations in secure AI or neurotechnology contexts
  • Proposing projects that are too incremental or similar to well-funded mainstream AI research, rather than focusing on early-stage, interdisciplinary safety approaches
  • Failing to structure the proposal around the quarterly review deadlines or omitting clear milestones aligned with March/June/September/December timelines

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

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 Foresight Institute!

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