US-China AI Governance PhD Fellowships – Future of Life Institute

All Fellowships US-China AI Governance PhD Fellowships 

 The PhD Fellowship in US-China AI governance collaboration is for PhD students who plan to work on US-China AI governance research, or for existing PhD students who would not otherwise have funding to work on US-China AI AI governance research. Status: Closed for submissions Deadline: November 21, 2025 Fellows receive:

 Tuition and fees for 5 years of their PhD, with extension funding possible.
 $40,000 annual stipend at universities in the US, UK and Canada.
 A $10,000 fund that can be used for research-related expenses such as travel and computing.
 Invitations to virtual and in-person events where they will be able to interact with other researchers in the field.
 Applicants who are short-listed for the Fellowship will be reimbursed for this year's application fees for up to 5 PhD programs.
 See below for research priorities and additional eligibility criteria.

 Questions about the fellowship or application process not answered on this page should be directed to grants@futureoflife.org

 Grant winners

 People that have been awarded grants within this grant program: Ruofei Wang 

 University of Southern Denmark 
 Class of 2025 View profile John Ferguson 

 University of Cambridge 
 Class of 2025 View profile Kayla Blomquist 

 University of Oxford 
 Class of 2025 View profile Request for Proposal US-China AI Governance Research Priorities

 Research on “US-China AI Governance” refers to work that explores risk reduction in US-China relations in AI. This includes:

 Research that investigates the role of global governance in reducing the risks associated with a US-China AI competition. In particular, this research stream refers to the conditions to mitigate AI race dynamics in which countries cut corners on safety to develop and deploy advanced AI systems (Cave and ÓhÉigeartaigh 2018). Examples include: Analyzing the political factors that would shape the effectiveness of US-China cooperation on AI governance. One possible approach translates lessons learned from great power cooperation in other technologies to global AI governance. Related work has found that the strength of transnational scientist-to-scientist interactions played an important role in whether the US shared nuclear safety and security technologies with its rivals (Ding 2024).
 Exploring the particular characteristics of AI technology that make it more or less amenable for US-China engagement. For example, some researchers have argued that arms control agreements for military AI systems will be unlikely because these systems will likely be indistinguishable from their civilian counterparts (Vaynman and Volpe 2023).
 
 Research that explores the current extent of US-China collaboration on AI governance issues, with a focus on specific areas and institutions that could benefit from strengthened interaction. Examples include: Research that improves understanding of China and/or the U.S.’s approach to AI risk management, wi

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