9 Prestigious AI Programs & Fellowships (Sept 2026)
Co-founder at King’s Cross Labs · ex-LinkedIn PM & Forbes 30 Under 30
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Nine fully funded AI programs are accepting applications right now, and the first one closes in two days. Stipends run from £10,000 for ten weeks up to $500K in startup capital. I pulled every deadline, every comp number, and who each one is actually built for, so you can apply to the ones that fit instead of reading nine application pages tonight.
Why a fellowship is a faster path than another job hop
The fastest route to a time-rich career right now is not another title bump. It's getting paid to build AI fluency in public, with a name attached to it that people recognize.
That's what these programs sell. Three months to two years of funded runway, a cohort of people solving the same problems, and a line on your resume that says you were early. Most of them pay well enough to cover the gap. Some hand you capital and keep zero equity.
The catch is timing. These open and close on their own schedule, and the good ones don't extend for you.
Key insight: Most people find these programs the week after they close. The whole advantage is being the person who applies in September, not the person who bookmarks it for next year.
Which AI programs close in the next two weeks?
Four of them. Start here if you want to catch anything this month.
1. Cambridge ERA:AI Fellowship — closes September 13
A paid 10-week residency in Cambridge.
- Comp: £10,000 stipend
- Format: In person in Cambridge, so you need to be able to relocate
- Best for: Governance and TechGov applicants
- Apply here
Two days out. If you were already half-considering this one, the decision is tonight.
2. The Open Accelerator Residency — applications open September 15
A Boston program run with IBM Ventures and Red Hat, focused on enterprise GTM and architecture.
- Cohort starts: February 1, 2027
- Format: Boston
- Best for: Enterprise builders, especially anyone who already sells into large orgs
- Apply here
This is the one to set a calendar reminder for rather than an alarm. Applications open Monday.
3. Mercor Research Fellowship (APEX) — listed as September 25
You get paid to design AI evaluations, which is one of the least crowded and most in-demand skills in AI right now.
- Comp: $40K for 3 months, or $80K for 6 months
- Format: Remote or SF, 30+ hours a week
- Best for: Research operators
- Apply here
The September 25 date is what's listed publicly. Confirm it on the form before you plan around it.
4. IAPS AI Policy Fellowship — closes September 27
A three-month spring 2027 fellowship for people who want to work on AI policy professionally.
- Comp: $18K–$24K stipend
- Format: DC, London, or remote
- Best for: Aspiring AI policy professionals, including career switchers
- Apply here
The remote option makes this one of the few policy fellowships you can do without moving countries.
Which ones close in October and November?
Three, and they're the biggest checks on this list.
5. Schmidt AI in Science Postdoc — closes October 5
A two-year postdoc at the University of Toronto.
- Comp: $85K CAD per year
- Format: Toronto, two years
- Best for: PhD holders going deep on academic AI research
- Apply: via Nature Careers
The only program here with a hard credential gate. If you have the PhD, it's the longest funded runway on the list.
6. a16z Speedrun SR008 — rolling, priority review October 12 to November 1
The early-2027 SF cohort.
- Check size: Up to $1M
- Format: San Francisco
- Best for: Startup teams, and notably this one takes GTM and marketing operators, not only engineers
- Apply here
Rolling means you can apply anytime, but the priority window is the one that matters. Applications inside October 12 to November 1 get looked at first.
7. YC Winter 2027 — closes November 2 at 8 p.m. PT
- Check size: $500K on the standard deal
- Best for: Founders already building something
- Apply here
YC accepts late applications but doesn't promise a decision date on them, so the 8 p.m. PT cutoff is a real one. If you want to understand what actually gets in right now, I broke down the numbers in what the YC Spring 2026 batch reveals about winning applications.
Which ones can I apply to anytime?
Two, and both are worth a look even if you're not ready this month.
8. MATS Winter 2027 — confirm deadline on the application page
A funded Founding and Field-Building track.
- Starts: January 19
- Best for: Founders and field-builders who can take full-time leave
- Apply here
The deadline isn't clearly posted, so check the application page directly. The January 19 start date means you'd need your leave conversation done by December.
9. South Park Commons Member Residency — rolling
Six months in SF or NYC, and they take no equity.
- Equity: None
- Format: SF or NYC, six months
- Best for: Founders who want a serious peer community without giving anything up
- Apply here
I'll be biased here because I went through SPC myself, though on a different track. I was a Founder Fellow in the inaugural cohort, which came with $400K in funding and an equity relationship. The Member Residency is the no-equity version, and honestly the community is the part that mattered most to me either way. You end up surrounded by people who have already shipped hard things, which changes what you think is normal to attempt.
The real value is the room, not the program structure. If you're pre-idea and your current network has no founders in it, that swap is worth more than a check.
How do I pick which one to apply to?
Match the program to your stage, not to the brand name.
- You have a company already: YC, a16z Speedrun
- You want the founder path but have no company yet: SPC Member Residency, MATS
- You want to get paid to build AI skills: Mercor APEX, Cambridge ERA
- You want to work on policy or governance: IAPS, Cambridge ERA
- You're academic: Schmidt Postdoc
- You sell to enterprise: The Open Accelerator
Applying to all nine is the wrong move. Pick two that genuinely fit and write real applications. If your resume needs work before you start, I have a set of Claude prompts that score your resume against a specific job post and rewrite the weak bullets.
And if none of these fit your timing, six more founder programs from August are still open, plus the June fellowship roundup has programs on annual cycles worth tracking for next year. For the Anthropic one specifically, I wrote a full breakdown of how to stand out in a Claude Corps application.
I post AI opportunities and programs like this every other week. Follow @its.mikareyes so you see them while the deadlines are still open, and send this to the one friend who keeps saying they want out.
Here are some related guides to check out:
Frequently asked questions
- Can I apply to an AI fellowship if I don't have a technical background?
- Yes, several of these are open to non-technical applicants. a16z Speedrun explicitly takes GTM and marketing operators, the IAPS policy fellowship is built for aspiring policy professionals rather than engineers, and Cambridge ERA:AI is aimed at governance applicants. Read each program's best-for line and apply to the ones that match your actual experience.
- Which of these AI programs pays the most?
- It depends on whether you want a stipend or startup capital. For salary, Mercor's APEX fellowship pays $80K for six months, and the Schmidt postdoc pays $85K CAD a year for two years. For capital, YC invests $500K and a16z Speedrun goes up to $1M, but those come with equity.
- Do I have to relocate for these fellowships?
- Not for all of them. Mercor APEX runs remote or in SF, and the IAPS policy fellowship offers DC, London, or remote. Cambridge ERA:AI, the Schmidt postdoc, the Open Accelerator, and YC all require you to be in a specific city, so check the format line before you apply.
- What does rolling admission actually mean for these programs?
- It means there's no single cutoff date, but it usually still has a window that matters. a16z Speedrun reviews applications submitted between October 12 and November 1 first, so applying inside that window gets you a faster read. South Park Commons and MATS take applications on an ongoing basis.
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