Surge AI Research Fellowship 2026 — Paid Research Role for PhD-Level Experts in AI Safety & Evaluation
- Omran Aburayya
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
If you're a PhD-level researcher or expert in STEM fields passionate about rigorously improving the next generation of AI systems, the Surge AI Research Fellowship 2026 is a high-impact opportunity. Surge AI invites scholars and practitioners to join a pioneering research initiative aimed at probing the limits of current AI models, strengthening safety, evaluation, and scholarly capabilities — all with the ambition of raising artificial general intelligence (AGI) that mirrors the richness of human intelligence.
🎓 Fellowship Summary
Host: Surge AI (SurgeHQ)
Type: Research Fellowship
Target Group: PhD-level researchers, domain experts in STEM disciplines, or equivalent practitioners
Focus Areas: Model evaluation, fault/failure mode identification, benchmark design, AI safety and robustness
Compensation: Hourly pay (not a full-time salaried role) — flexible work schedule, non-exclusive commitment
Commitment: Fellows set their own hours; the role complements existing academic or professional work
✨ What to Expect as a Fellow
Responsibilities:
Critically assess current AI model behavior, identify limitations, and design evaluation challenges.
Collaborate with Surge AI leadership to propose improvements, refine evaluation methodologies, and build robust strategies.
Create rigorous benchmarks or red-teaming tasks to stress-test frontier AI models.
Working Style:
Maintain flexibility: the fellowship is designed to complement other academic or professional work, not displace it.
Work remotely, on your own schedule, with no requirement for exclusivity.
Receive compensation for your time (hourly rate), acknowledging the value of high-quality research input.
ℹ️ Why Join Surge AI
Work with world-class talent: You’ll join a team of researchers and experts from leading institutions (Harvard, MIT, Cambridge, Columbia, etc.) deeply invested in AI safety, evaluation, and academic rigor.
High-impact projects: Fellows gain access to exclusive research initiatives, helping to shape how models are evaluated and aligned.
Autonomy & flexibility: Set your own hours, work in parallel with your current commitments, and contribute meaningfully without giving up your primary role.
Collaborative leadership: Your feedback is not just welcomed — it's essential. Surge’s leadership aims to co-develop research strategies with Fellows.
Ethical & rigorous mission: The fellowship aligns with Surge’s vision of building AGI that is both safe and knowledgeable, grounded in deep human insight and scholarly excellence.
✅ Eligibility & Ideal Profile
PhD-level scholars or individuals with equivalent research experience in STEM — mathematics, physics, computer science, engineering, etc.
Strong background in research, evaluation, or AI development.
Experience or interest in AI safety, failure mode analysis, red-teaming, or benchmark design.
Ability to communicate clearly: you should be able to design tests, write proposals, and collaborate with other researchers.
Highly motivated by a mission-driven environment: Surge is building toward AGI that doesn’t just scale, but deeply reasons.
📝 Application Process
Prepare your materials: Update your CV, and gather relevant work samples — research papers, project write-ups, code, evaluation design, etc.
Email your application: Send your CV and work samples to researchfellows@surgehq.ai.
Selection: Surge reviews applications for fit, expertise, and potential contribution. If selected, you'll be onboarded for an initial collaboration.
Start collaborating: Once accepted, you’ll begin collaborating on specific projects, evaluations, or research challenges, working with Surge’s leadership to define your role and deliverables.
👌🏻 Tips for Applicants
Tailor your CV and samples to highlight research rigor, evaluation, or safety-relevant projects.
Show impact: If you have designed benchmarks or evaluative studies before, detail them — Surge cares deeply about evaluation.
Be mission-aligned: In your email or sample work, reflect on why AI safety, quality evaluation, and academic rigor matter to you.
Maintain flexibility: Demonstrate how you can contribute on an hourly basis without fully pivoting from your existing work.
Reach out with questions: If anything is unclear — scope, pay, or structure — contact Surge via their fellowship email. They seem to support open, thoughtful collaboration.
🚀 Final Thoughts
The Surge AI Research Fellowship 2026 is a rare and exciting chance to work at the cutting edge of AI evaluation, model safety, and academic rigor — without sacrificing your current professional or academic path. For researchers who care deeply about building trustworthy, high-quality AI systems, this fellowship is not just a job — it’s a chance to shape the future of intelligence.