How to apply for Research Fundraising Lead

About Iliad

Iliad is an umbrella organization that advances applied mathematics research in AI alignment. It runs conferences, research incubation, and fellowship programs. Working there means supporting multiple incubated research orgs rather than a single product team.

About the role

You own fundraising strategy and grant applications for Iliad's incubated AI alignment research organizations. You work with PIs to turn technical research into funder-ready narratives, track budgets, and manage submission timelines across multiple orgs. The role is remote and full-time.

A typical day

A typical day might involve drafting sections of a grant application with a PI, updating a funder map with new priorities or deadlines, and checking the status of pending grants across several incubated orgs. You would also coordinate budget numbers with PIs and decide which upcoming funding rounds are worth pursuing. Specific routines and team structure are not described in the job details, so ask about them in an interview.

Who Iliad is looking for

• Has technical grounding in AI alignment research, either through a STEM background or prior participation in an Iliad program.
• Can write clearly about technical research for funders without overclaiming or overselling results.
• Is organized enough to run funder strategy, application timelines, and grant submissions for several research orgs at once.
• Has the strategic judgment to decide which funding opportunities are worth pursuing and to push back on overclaimed pitches from PIs.

Tips for this application

• Name specific AI alignment funders and their stated priorities in your application. The role requires maintaining a working map of funders, so show you already have one.
• Include a short writing sample that translates a technical alignment research result into funder-ready language. This directly tests the core skill in the job description.
• If you participated in an Iliad conference, incubation, or fellowship program, say so explicitly and describe what you did.
• Describe a grant application or fundraising effort you managed end to end, including budget coordination and tracking pending grants.
• Explain how you would push back on a PI who overclaims a research result in a pitch. Give a concrete example if you have one.

What to cover in your cover letter

State your technical grounding in AI alignment research and where it comes from. Describe your experience owning grant submissions or funder strategy, including timelines and budgets. Give an example of translating technical research into funder-ready language without overselling. Explain why you want to support multiple incubated research orgs rather than a single lab or team.

Research before applying

• Read Iliad's website and any public materials on its conferences, research incubation, and fellowship programs to understand what the incubated orgs actually do.
• Find out which funders currently support AI alignment research and what each one lists as its priorities and funding rounds.
• Look at past grant applications or public writeups from AI alignment research orgs to see the standard format and level of technical detail expected.
• Check whether Iliad has published anything about its incubated orgs' research areas so you can speak to specific projects in an interview.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would build and maintain a map of alignment funders, their priorities, and funding rounds.
• How you would work with a PI to shape a technical research result into a funder-ready narrative without overclaiming.
• How you would decide which funding opportunities are worth pursuing and which to skip.
• How you would coordinate budgets and track pending grants across multiple research orgs at once.
• Your technical understanding of AI alignment research and how it affects the way you write grant applications.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Writing about fundraising in general terms without naming alignment funders or showing knowledge of their priorities.
• Overselling research results in your application materials, which directly contradicts the job's requirement to avoid overclaiming.
• Applying without any technical grounding in AI alignment research or prior Iliad program participation, since both are strongly preferred.