Research Scholar
1 week ago
**About the Team**_
GovAI was founded to help humanity navigate the transition to a world with advanced AI. Our first research agenda, published in 2018, helped define and shape the nascent field of AI governance. Our team and affiliate community possess expertise in a wide variety of domains, including AI regulation, responsible development practices, compute governance, AI company corporate governance, US-China relations, and AI progress forecasting.
GovAI researchers — particularly those working within our Policy Team — have closely advised decision makers in government, industry, and civil society. Our researchers have also published in top peer-reviewed journals and conferences, including International Organization, NeurIPS, and Science. Our alumni have gone on to roles in government, in both the US and UK; top AI companies, including DeepMind, OpenAI, and Anthropic; top think tanks, including the Centre for Security and Emerging Technology and RAND; and top universities, including the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.
Although we are based in Oxford, United Kingdom — and currently have an especially large UK policy focus — we also have team members in the United States and European Union.
- **About the Role**_
Research Scholar is a one-year visiting position. It is designed to support the career development of AI governance researchers and practitioners — as well as to offer them an opportunity to do high-impact work.
As a Research Scholar, you will have freedom to pursue a wide range of styles of work. This could include conducting policy research, social science research, or technical research; engaging with and advising policymakers; or launching and managing applied projects.
For example, past and present Scholars have used the role to:
- produce an influential report on the benefits and risks of open-source AI;
- conduct technical research into questions that bear on compute governance;
- take part in the UK policy-making process as a part-time secondee in the UK government; and
- launch a new organisation to facilitate international AI governance dialogues.
Over the course of the year, you will also deepen your understanding of the field, connect with a network of experts, and build your skills and professional profile, all while working within an institutional home that offers both flexibility and support.
You will receive research supervision from a member of the GovAI team or network. The frequency of supervisor meetings and feedback will vary depending on supervisor availability, although once-a-week or once-every-two-weeks supervision meetings are typical. There will also be a number of additional opportunities for Research Scholars to receive feedback, including internal work-in-progress seminars. You will receive further support from Emma Bluemke, GovAI's Research Manager.
Some Research Scholars may also — depending on the focus of their work — take part in GovAI’s **Policy Team**, which is led by Markus Anderljung. Members of the GovAI Policy Team do an especially large amount of policy engagement and coordinate their work more substantially. They also have additional team meetings and retreats. While Policy Team members retain significant freedom to choose projects, there is also an expectation that a meaningful portion of their work will fit into the team’s joint priorities.
- **Areas of Interest**_
**We are open to work on a broad range of topics.** To get a sense of our focus areas, you may find it useful to read our About page or look at examples listed on our Research page. Broad topics of interest include — but are not limited to — responsible AI development and release practices, AI regulation, international governance, compute governance, and risk assessment and forecasting.
- **Qualifications and Selection Criteria**_
- A strong interest in using their career to positively influence the lasting impact of artificial intelligence, in line with our organisation’s mission
- Demonstrated ability to produce excellent work (typically research outputs) or achieve impressive results
- Self-direction and proactivity
- The ability to evaluate and prioritise projects on the basis of impact
- A commitment to intellectual honesty and rigour
- Receptiveness to feedback and commitment to self-improvement
- Strong communication skills
- Collaborativeness and motivation to help others succeed
- Some familiarity with the field of AI governance
- Some expertise in a domain that is relevant to AI governance
- A compelling explanation of how the Research Scholar position may help them to have a large impact
- **Duration, Location, and Salary**_
- Duration_
- Location_
Although GovAI is based in Oxford, **we are a hybrid organisation**. Historically, a slight majority of our Research Scholars have actually chosen to be based in countries other than the UK. **However, in some cases, we do have significant location preferences*
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