FAQs

About

  • The Talos Fellowship is a programme for ambitious individuals who aim to work on frontier AI Governance. The goal of this fellowship is to prepare a new generation of policymakers in Europe with expertise in artificial intelligence.

  • The length of the fellowship depends on which track you are selected for:

    • Training Track: ~2 months, part-time

    • Placement Track: ~6–8 months total

      • Includes ~2 months of part-time participation in the Training Track

      • Followed by a 4–6 month, full-time, in-person placement at a partner organisation

  • The Talos Fellowship runs twice per year:

    • Spring cohort: Starts in January

    • Autumn cohort: Starts in August

    • Placement track fellows receive a monthly stipend of at least €3,000 for placements based in Brussels. We may offer a higher stipend for candidates with significant prior work experience. 

    • Training track fellows are not automatically offered a stipend, but may apply for a needs-based stipend (covering 1–2 months) to support their participation.

    • Fellows with significant professional experience or extenuating circumstances may apply for additional financial support.

  • The Talos Fellowship contains two tracks: a training track and a placement track. Fellows must indicate which track(s) they are interested in applying for at the application stage.

    • Training track: Fellows on this track participate in an 8-week course EU AI Policy Fundamentals Programme, attend a week-long policymaking summit in Brussels, and receive personalised support to launch a career in tech policy.

    • Placement track: Fellows on this track participate in an 8-week course EU AI Policy Fundamentals Programme, attend a week-long policymaking summit in Brussels, and then complete a 4-6 month placement at a European think tank. 

  • The fellowship includes both part-time and full-time components:

    • European AI Policy Fundamentals Programme: Part-time (up to 10 hours/week)

    • Brussels Summit: Full-time (1 week)

    • Placement (placement track only): Full-time (4–6 months)

  • The programme combines remote and in-person elements:

    • European AI Policy Fundamentals Programme: Remote

    • Talos Summit: In-person in Brussels (attendance required)

    • Placement: In-person in Brussels. Remote placements may be considered in exceptional cases. 

  • Yes. All travel, accommodation, breakfast and lunch costs will be fully covered.

  • Absolutely. You’ll engage with your cohort weekly during the online European AI Policy Fundamentals Programme and in person during the Brussels Summit. Fellows also collaborate on assignments and attend speaker events. During the placement period, monthly meetups in Brussels are arranged, and we facilitate ongoing connections with past Talos Fellows.

  • The goal of this programme is to build up a strong network of EU and UK policymakers working on emerging tech. We have a strong preference for candidates with European citizenship since many of the most important roles in EU / UK institutions are only open to those citizens. However, exceptional candidates who are not EU / UK citizens but possess significant relevant experience (at least 3 years) may be considered. 

  • The fellowship has received support from Open Philanthropy, EA Funds, and a number of independent donors. The Talos Fellowship accepts general financial contributions of any amount. If you’d like to help support our work, please get in touch.

  • We aim to have 15 to 20 people in each cohort.

  • We strive to recruit a cohort from a diversity of backgrounds. We recognise the unique challenges that people from underrepresented backgrounds face in fields such as this. We strongly encourage individuals from these groups to apply, and we will work hard to ensure they match with a suitable host organisation and receive tailored mentorship and support that will enable them to succeed in their fellowship. All work samples are graded blind and we consider the composition of the entire cohort when selecting fellows.

Placements

  • All placements are at well-respected and prestigious think tanks active in European AI policy. Examples include the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) and The Future Society (TFS).​

  • Yes, we are open to fellows interested in arranging their own placements, provided they fit with the intentions of the programme. This is not required as we have a number of partner institutions interested in hosting fellows.

  • We have agreed with all placement institutions that fellows will work on relevant and interesting topics. We strive to provide fellows with useful experience to advance their careers in this area. To ensure a good fit during placements, we are in touch with past fellows and host organisations about their experiences on a regular basis. 

  • Fellows won’t be onboarded as employees by their host org. Fellows receive their monthly remuneration in the form of an educational stipend from Talos directly. In some European countries, this stipend is tax-free. We encourage you to look into your local tax obligations.

  • Stipends will be received at the end of each month during the placement. Different payment intervals are possible.

  • Many previous fellows have been hired by their host institutions, however, completing a placement does not require the host organisation to offer a job opportunity. It depends on the fellow’s fit, performance, and the host organisation’s hiring needs. Besides that, placements offer you a network and valuable career paths for work within European institutions.

Apply

  • Find more info on the Talos Fellowship applications window on this page. For the Policy Leaders Programme applications window, this page contains more info.

  • All applicants should expect to hear whether they have progressed to the second stage of the application process ~4 weeks after the application deadline.

  • Fellows in the Spring Cohort will be selected in December. Fellows in the Autumn Cohort will be selected in July.

  • There is no age limit for applying.

  • Your current location does not matter, as long as you:

    • Would be open moving to Brussels or your national capital for tech policy work

    • Have EU or UK citizenship

    EU / UK residents without EU / UK citizenship will be considered if they have extensive experience, such as several years of AI lab experience or 5-10+ years of policy/lobby experience in the UK or US.

  • We expect you to at least have an undergraduate degree. We are open to applicants from any discipline but are particularly interested in applicants with a background in computer science, public policy, or European Law.

  • We're open to accepting fellows who are still studying and expect to graduate within 6 months of finishing the Talos Fellowship. However, we prefer candidates that have finished university and are prepared to start working full time once the programme ends. 

  • We aim to support people who have already done some initial exploration and have a reasonable sense that AI policy could be a good fit for them. While you don't need to be certain, we expect applicants to have tested their interest through cheaper, lower-commitment means, such as conversations, attending events, or volunteering in policy-relevant settings, before applying to the fellowship.

  • We suggest prospective applicants focus on developing their understanding of EU institutions, emerging technology, and AI governance.

  • Applications will be visible to the members of the Talos Fellowship team and may in some cases be shared with a very limited number of advisors. With your permission we may also share it with your potential host organisation for their assessment.