Constellation Residency

The Constellation Residency is a year-long salaried position for experienced researchers, engineers, entrepreneurs, and other professionals to pursue self-directed work in one of our focus areas.

Program details

Constellation brings together individuals and teams from nonprofit organizations, universities, AI companies, think tanks, and governments, all working toward safely navigating the development of transformative AI. Residents will have the opportunity to connect with leading researchers, exchange ideas, and find collaborators while working from our office in Berkeley, CA. We are currently accepting applications for start dates between July 1–September 30, 2024. Applications are due April 30. You can apply for a 1–4 week visit if you are unable to visit for longer.

Responsibilities

  • Performing self-directed work in one of our focus areas or on related work
  • Publishing, presenting, and disseminating research or work output
  • Collaborating with others in the extended Constellation network

What we provide

The salary range for Constellation Residents is $100K – $180K, depending on years of experience, relevant skills, and contributions to the field. Residents are able to work out of Constellation’s shared workspace and get opportunities to connect and share ideas with over 100 researchers and staff working on our focus areas. Lunch and dinner are provided at the workspace each weekday.

Application process

Apply by April 30 for start dates between July 1 and September 30, 2024.

We aim to inform all applicants whether they have progressed to the second round within two weeks of receiving their application.

Program details

We will provide housing and transportation within Berkeley for the duration of the program. Additionally, we recommended Astra invitees to AI Safety Support (an Australian charity) for independent research grants and they have decided to provide grants of $15k for 10 weeks of independent research to accepted Astra applicants in support of their AI Safety research.

Fellows will conduct research from Constellation’s shared office space, and lunch and dinner will be provided daily. Individual advisors will choose when and how to interact with their fellows, but most advisors will work out of the Constellation office frequently. There will be regular invited talks from senior researchers, social events with Constellation members, and opportunities to receive feedback on research. Before the program begins, we may also provide tutorial support to fellows interested in going through Constellation and Redwood Research’s MLAB curriculum.

We expect to inform all applicants whether they have progressed to the second round of applications within a week of them applying, and to make final decisions by December 1, 2023. For more details on the application process, see the FAQ below. The deadline to apply has passed.

Testimonials

“Having research chats with people I met at Constellation has given rise to new research directions I hadn't previously considered, like model organisms. Talking with people at Constellation is how I decided that existential risk from AI is non-trivial, after having many back and forth conversations with people in the office. These updates have had large ramifications for how I’ve done my research, and significantly increased the impact of my research.”

Ethan Perez

Research Lead, Anthropic

"Speaking with AI safety researchers in Constellation was an essential part of how I formed my views on AI threat models and AI safety research prioritization. It also gave me access to a researcher network that I've found very valuable for my career.”

Sam Marks

Postdoc, David Bau's Interpretable Neural Networks Lab

“I worked from Constellation for a bit over a week this summer, and can highly recommend it! The main value add was chatting with (and listening in on lunchtime chats between) many top AI safety researchers, and learning what people are working on and thinking about in a way that isn't possible by reading their work online. I was really productive during my time there.”

Dmitrii Krasheninnikov

PhD Candidate at the University of Cambridge

FAQ

If your question isn't answered here, please reach out to programs@constellation.org

How is the Constellation Residency different from the Visiting Fellows program?
Can I apply to both the Constellation Residency and the Visiting Fellows program?
Who is eligible to apply?
What if my current work doesn’t fall under one of Constellation’s focus areas?
What does the day-to-day look like for a resident?
Do I need to have completed a PhD to be eligible for the Constellation Residency?
Why is Constellation running this program?
Can the residency be extended past the initial year?
Can I refer someone?
Do Constellation residents receive benefits such as health insurance?
Can I participate in the Constellation Residency remotely?