4 Paid AI Fellowships for 2027, From Abuja to London, You Can Apply to Now

Maybe you’ve just graduated, and the job offer hasn’t arrived yet. Maybe you’ve spent a couple of years building AI tools and want harder problems to work on. Or maybe you’re wrapping up a PhD and wondering where your research goes next.

Whichever stage you’re at, there’s a fellowship that will pay you to spend 2027 working on real AI projects alongside established researchers and institutions.

We’ve rounded up four that are open right now, listed by deadline. One closes this Sunday, two more close within the next two weeks, and the last accepts applications all year round.

Put simply, here’s who each one is for. Pivotal is open to anyone aged 18 or older, degree or not. The Gates Foundation fellowship needs a technical degree and at least two years of applied AI experience. EPFL and DAAD are for recent PhD graduates and doctoral students close to finishing.

6 Fellowships Offering Up to $500,000 in 2026

These six programmes offer more than financial support, opening doors to industry networks, practical experience, and specialised mentorship.

TechloyDavid Adubiina

1. Pivotal AI Safety Research Fellowship 2027 (closes November 1)

How about spending 15 weeks in London researching AI and getting paid at least £15,000 ($20,112) for it? Pivotal Research is offering just that through its AI Safety Research Fellowship, which runs from January 18 to April 30, 2027.

If you’re interested, move fast. Applications close at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 1, 2026. In Lagos, that’s about 1 p.m. on Monday, November 2.

You don’t need a computer science degree to apply. The fellowship welcomes applicants aged 18 or older from a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds, including machine learning, philosophy, policy, physics, and biology.

Selected fellows work full-time and in person at the London Initiative for Safe AI (LISA). Each one gets a weekly one-on-one with an external mentor, weekly support from a Pivotal research manager who helps with scoping and career planning, and a cohort of about 40 peers. Past fellows have ranged from first-year undergraduates to PhD holders and professionals without university degrees.

The financial support is worth a close look, particularly if moving to London would normally be out of reach. Fellows receive a stipend of £15,000 to £18,000 ($20,112 to $24,134), depending on seniority. Travel costs are covered, and eligible fellows based outside London get £1,800 ($2,413) a month towards accommodation. Weekday lunches and dinners are provided, along with the computing resources your research needs.

You also keep ownership of your research, which matters if you plan to keep developing the work after the programme ends.

• Programme: 15-week, full-time AI safety research fellowship.
• Benefits: £15,000 to £18,000 ($20,112 to $24,134) stipend depending on seniority; covered travel; accommodation support for eligible fellows; weekday meals; research resources and mentorship.
• Eligibility: Anyone aged 18 or older, from any academic or professional background.
• Location: London, United Kingdom.
• Programme dates: January 18 to April 30, 2027.
• Application deadline: November 1, 2026.