MATS Residency Winter 2027: paid AI safety research

The MATS Residency is open for its Winter 2027 intake. It gives researchers six to twenty four months of paid time to work on reducing catastrophic risks from AI. Applications opened on 25 August 2026 and close on 31 October 2026, anywhere on earth.

Residents are paid $155,000 to $285,000 a year gross, with the exact figure set by circumstances, seniority and experience. Compute has no preset cap and is provided against research need. Intake windows run three times a year, and the next one opens in March 2027.

There are three tracks. Bridge is for people moving into AI safety or strengthening their research foundation. Anchor is a two year staff researcher position for experienced researchers. Incubation is for people developing a new research agenda or a new organisation.

Applicants choose between the London, Berkeley and Washington DC offices. The work is hybrid, with an expectation of at least one third in person attendance. The role is full time, although academics on sabbatical may be considered for part time work case by case.

Everyone submits profile and eligibility details, a track choice with reasons, two references, one work sample and two short written answers plus a counterfactual question. Each track asks for extra material such as a research plan. Decisions come at the end of November 2026, interviews and work tests run in the first week of December, and selected residents are told before the end of the year. MATS says it weighs the quality and seriousness of the work rather than the titles on a CV.