Horizon Fellowship Applicant FAQs – Horizon Institute for Public Service

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horizonpublicservice.org·horizonpublicservice.org/horizon-fellowship-applicant-faqs/

This FAQ page describes the Horizon Fellowship, a program placing early-to-mid career AI and biotech experts in government and think tank roles, relevant to AI governance and policy workforce development.

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Summary

This page provides detailed eligibility and application information for the Horizon Fellowship, which places individuals with AI, biotechnology, and emerging technology expertise into congressional, executive branch, and think tank roles. It covers work authorization requirements, security clearance considerations, educational prerequisites, and subject-matter expertise expectations. The program targets early-to-mid career professionals seeking to contribute to technology policy.

Key Points

•Fellowship is open to early-to-mid career individuals with expertise in AI, biotech, or related emerging technologies; no PhD required.
•Applicants must have pre-existing US work authorization; visa sponsorship is not provided, with limited exceptions for certain visa categories.
•Security clearances are not universally required; they depend on placement type (executive branch vs. congressional vs. think tank).
•A junior fellow track for think tank placements is available to current college students or recent graduates without extensive work experience.
•The program evaluates applicants holistically on background, knowledge, and motivation rather than formal credentials.

1 FactBase fact citing this source

Entity	Property	Value	As Of
Horizon Institute for Public Service	Fellow Stipend	$113,000	Jan 2025

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Horizon Fellowship Applicant FAQs &#8211; Horizon Institute for Public Service 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 Horizon Fellowship Applicant FAQs

 This page answers some of the most common questions that we have received from prospective applicants for the Horizon Fellowship, covering eligibility , our application process and selection criteria, and program goals and structure. View a recording of our 2024 Horizon Fellowship information session 

 Get in touch if your question is not answered here 
 
We will update this page as we receive additional questions. 

 Eligibility Who is eligible for the Horizon Fellowship?
 Eligible fellows are early-to-mid career individuals with demonstrated subject-matter expertise, interest, and relevant background in AI, biotechnology , and related emerging technology areas. Historically, Horizon has supported individuals with varying levels of work and educational experiences.

 Demonstrated subject-matter expertise does not need to be a PhD-level specialization; it may be a paper, internship, work project, relevant undergrad degree, or coursework. Beyond credentials, during the application process, we will assess your subject-matter expertise. We expect competitive applicants to be able to explain concepts in their subject area to a non-technical expert.

 Can I apply if I am not a US citizen or green card holder? We are not able to sponsor visas for fellows; applicants must have pre-existing work authorization not dependent on employer sponsorship to be eligible for the program. 

 One potential exception is special visas available to citizens from Australia (E-3), Canada (TN), and Mexico (TN), and Singapore (H-1B1), which may enable their eligibility for think tank placements; we will need to investigate eligibility further with each individual on a case-by-case basis. We can also support individuals on F-1 visas during their first year of post-graduation OPT for think tank placements. We cannot support individuals on a STEM OPT extension.

 Permanent residents (green card holders) are eligible for the fellowship, but may not be able to work in the executive branch due to citizenship and/or security clearance requirements.

 If you have further questions regarding visas, please contact us at fellowship@horizonpublicservice.org.

 Do I need to be eligible for a security clearance to participate in the program? No. Security clearances may be required for some executive branch placements, but will generally not be necessary for congressional or think tank placements.

 Only US citizens are eligible to receive a US security clearance, with some rare exceptions for citizens of close US allies. For more information on security clearances, see this primer . You can also look through SF-86 , the form used to apply for security clearances.If you are selected for the fellowship and require a security clearance for your position, we will provide you with access to a 

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