Horizon Institute for Public Service AI Rapid Response Fellowship 2026 (With Funding Available)

Published: July 03, 2026
Deadline: July 22, 2026
Category: Fellowship
Eligible Locations: United States

Applications are currently being accepted for the Horizon Institute for Public Service AI Rapid Response Fellowship 2026. Interested applicants are encouraged to click here to learn more about this opportunity and apply for it.

About Horizon Institute for Public Service AI Rapid Response Fellowship

AI capabilities are advancing rapidly, and the most recent generation of models has brought the security implications of those advances into sharp public focus. Policymakers and the federal government are mobilizing to respond, but have also identified a consistent bottleneck to effective action: a shortage of government staff with domain expertise in AI, cybersecurity, and other relevant fields.

The AI Rapid Response Fellowship is a focused effort to help close that gap. Horizon is recruiting a specialized cohort of exceptional technical and policy talent to work full-time at executive branch offices on AI security-related issues, with placements beginning as soon as possible.

Unlike our regular Horizon Fellowship program, which supports people transitioning into public service careers, the AI Rapid Response Fellowship is built for people with relevant prior experience who can contribute to executive branch offices from day one. Candidates who have worked in government before are encouraged to apply. Relevant experience can include technical or policy work in cybersecurity, AI/ML, biosecurity, or China studies, among many other areas. Some fellows will be deeply technical, others more policy-focused, and many will bring a mix of both. Strong candidates across this spectrum should apply.

The program has two tracks: a Fellow track for established professionals (typically 2-6+ years of experience) and a Senior Fellow track for candidates ready to play a senior role in government (typically 10-15+ years of experience). Nearly all roles will be DC-based, but a small number may be performed remotely or from another city where the host agency maintains an office (e.g. San Francisco).

Sponsor Organisation: Horizon Institute for Public Service

Benefits of Horizon Institute for Public Service AI Rapid Response Fellowship

Fellow track. For candidates with technical or policy expertise relevant to AI security—typically 2-6+ years of full-time relevant experience—who are ready to contribute meaningfully in a federal office. We expect most applicants to be considered for this track. Salary range: $170,000–$200,000+, plus an additional stipend for benefits.
Senior Fellow track. For candidates with substantial prior experience—typically 10-15+ years in relevant technical, policy, or leadership roles—who could play a senior role within a host office. Compensation starts at $250,000, plus an additional stipend for benefits, commensurate with the seniority of the placement.

Horizon Institute for Public Service AI Rapid Response Fellowship Requirements

They are looking for technically literate, public service-oriented candidates with the judgment, communication skills, and subject-matter expertise to be effective from day one in a federal policy office.

Core qualifications:

Expertise relevant to AI security. This could include national security policy, cybersecurity, building AI/ML systems, critical infrastructure protection, biosecurity, US-China policy, intelligence analysis, AI evaluations, supply chain security, or adjacent technical or policy domains. We are open to expertise developed through self-study.
Relevant work experience. This can include prior policy or government experience focused on AI and/or security issues, as well as technical or leadership work in the private sector—for example, leading projects or teams at an AI startup, security firm, or major technology company.
Active or prior security clearance preferred. Several potential host offices require clearances, and prior clearance significantly accelerates onboarding. Candidates without clearances are still encouraged to apply, and we expect that not all placements will require a clearance.
Strong written and verbal communication. Federal policy work depends on the ability to write a clear memo, distill complex technical material for non-technical audiences, and operate effectively in fast-moving interagency settings.
US citizenship.