A program built around impact, held to a real standard.

You may already have the expertise to make important contributions to AI safety but need a dedicated runway to build a portfolio that will catch the attention of employers, collaborators, and experts in the field. Some examples: A professor with a strong record in empirical machine learning may need to demonstrate how their work connects to safety-relevant questions. A MATS alumnus may be temporarily unavailable to join a frontier lab because of visa timelines, hiring cycles, or limited team capacity. A senior industry researcher may have extensive technical expertise but lack published AI safety research that hiring committees can evaluate. A policy or governance professional may bring deep expertise in regulation or national security but need to build a portfolio that translates their perspective into concrete AI safety research.

The Bridge track fills this gap by helping experienced researchers establish a credible AI safety research portfolio. Residents pursue an independent research agenda while producing reviewable work that demonstrates their expertise and relevance. Through the Placement Desk, MATS also provides career development support, tracks relevant opportunities, facilitates introductions, and provides referral letters where appropriate.

For researchers new to AI safety, the track begins with a Safety Orientation Week, followed by a three-week Translation Sprint, where participants take a piece of prior work and reframe it around a safety-relevant threat model. This helps them establish an initial research direction while connecting their existing expertise to concrete safety questions.

The Bridge track also supports more substantial career transitions. Established academics may use a supported sabbatical, fellowship, or postdoctoral placement of up to two years to redirect their research toward AI safety, field-building, or founding a new organization. While normally taken as full-time leave, part-time arrangements may be considered on a case-by-case basis. This reduces the financial and reputational risks associated with a mid-career transition.

For recent PhD graduates, the Bridge track offers an alternative to a conventional postdoctoral position. Participants pursue an AI safety research agenda of their choice, work with senior researchers from frontier labs, and produce reviewable outputs that support subsequent placement into research organizations.

• Duration: 6 to 24 months (up to two years for academic sabbatical cases)
• Review Cycle: 12 weeks (first block may be 6 to 8 weeks for timing-sensitive cases)
• Key feature: Placement Desk (career development, opportunity tracking, and referral letters)
• For newcomers: Safety Orientation Week and Translation Sprint in Block 1

Many capable researchers who do not fit a traditional academic trajectory have difficulty finding long-term roles that match their depth and independence. The Anchor track provides an alternative research pathway for engineers, evaluators, and technical or policy practitioners whose work is fundamentally research. Residents are held to the same rigorous standards of evidence, research quality, and demonstrated progress expected across the Residency.

During the first four weeks, Residents develop a Research Agenda Proposal. It is reviewed by the MATS Residency team with input from the program's advisors where appropriate, and Residents receive feedback within the first six weeks. Beginning in Block 2, every Resident is paired with a peer accountability partner from the active Residency community for check-ins every two weeks.

At the 12-month milestone, Residents demonstrating strong progress enter the Independence Pathway Review: a formal assessment of portfolio quality, research judgment, execution, and overall fit, informed by external reviewers. The review provides substantive feedback to guide the next 12 months of research.

• Duration: 12 to 24 months
• Review Cycle: 12 weeks
• Key feature: Independence Pathway Review at 12 months
• From Block 2: Peer accountability check-ins every two weeks

Apollo Research and Timaeus (now Resolution) both emerged from MATS. The Incubation track is designed to make outcomes like these more repeatable by providing dedicated support for founders building new AI safety organizations. Residents receive structured proof-of-concept support, external review from people with founding and funder experience, and guidance on governance scaffolding from Day 1. We help founders expand their professional network, establish credibility with collaborators and funders, and access the relationships and resources needed to launch a successful organization.

The track uses a rigorous, committee-based evaluation process to maintain a high bar and ensure that the most promising and feasible ideas are championed. It provides structured support from early idea development through validation, organizational design, and fundraising.

At the end of Block 1, each team takes part in a Funding Evaluation Workshop. The panel includes two external reviewers with experience founding AI safety organizations and one reviewer with funding or evaluation expertise. The panel's input is calibrated to what the team has actually built and learned, rather than the strength of the original proposal alone.

All Incubation Residents also submit a Governance and Publication Plan at admission. This covers the proposed legal structure, oversight arrangements, publication policy, and the organization’s approach to AI safety risks such as information hazards and dual-use research.

Applicants may apply as an individual if they do not have a founding team, or a founding team can submit one application collectively. Since the Residency focuses on amplifying AI safety research, at least one person on the application must demonstrate safety-relevant research experience or evidence of research capability. Additional co-founders in operating or non-research roles are welcome as part of the application and are not expected to meet the research threshold themselves.

• Duration: 12 to 24 months
• Review Cycle: 12 weeks
• Key feature: Funding Evaluation Workshop at end of Block 1
• Required at admission: Governance and Publication Plan (outline), Founding Rationale, 90-day plan with explicit stop/pivot conditions