Ā
Ā
The next application deadline for our grants is coming up on March 31st!
Ā
Ā
We provide ~$5M in annual funding to projects in the following areas:
Ā
Security and cryptography
Safe multi-agent scenarios
Automating research and forecasting relevant for AI Safety
Neurotechnology which could be integrated with, or compete against, AGI
Ā
Read more and applyĀ here.
Ā
Ā
These are smaller grants of around $10,000 with short review times, designed to quickly test promising ideas. Areas we fund include, but are not limited to:
Ā
Longevity biotech: exosomes, replacement, healthcare 3.0, extracellular matrix, and research automation
Molecular nanotech: design and simulation, construction and assembly, actuation and control, analysis of near-term profitability, and research automation
Ā
Read more and applyĀ here.
Ā
Ā
Ā
Together with Vitalism and Longevity Biotech Fellowship, we are inviting leading builders in AI, biology and longevity for an intensive 2-day workshop on how AI can contribute to new scientific breakthroughs. We will explore areas like drug development, analyzing complex datasets, finding new biomarkers, creating biosimulations, research automation and more. Join us to discuss how AI can bring new leaps in tackling aging-related diseases, biological decline, and extending human lifespan.
Ā
Ā
Subsidized ticketsĀ are available at an application basis for junior researchers.
Ā
Ā
We are very excited for you to be the first to know about a new online course we are launching next week! Backed byĀ Future of Life Institute, theĀ AI Futures Worldbuilding CourseĀ is designed to help more people engage with AIās trajectory. It provides tools for thinking about AIās role in society ā from institutions and governance, to values and long-term visions ā and taking part in shaping it.
Ā
With guest lectures from Hannah Ritchie, Glen Weyl, Helen Toner, Ada Palmer, Anton Korinek and other great thinkers, this is our invitation to join the conversation about what our future with AI should look like.
Ā
The course launches on theĀ Existential Hope websiteĀ April 1st.
Ā
Ā
We have co-hosted and presented at several conferences this month ā D/Acc Day with Vitalik Butterin, Funding the Commons, Brainmind, and Decentralized AI Day by Prime Intellect. Watch our talks:
Ā
From Security to Science AccelerationĀ by Allison Duettmann
Civilizational Defense & CooperationĀ by Allison Duettmann
Whole Brain EmulationĀ by Niamh Peren
Ā
Ā
Ā
Join us in Berlin for an evening of community updates and discussions on AI, frontier tech, crypto and their evolving politics. Invited speakers will deliver 5-minute updates on their projects and the biggest challenges they are thinking about, followed by group discussions and social time with fellow futurists.
Ā
OurĀ AI grant programĀ allocates ~$5M annually to advance secure AI, neuro AI, multi-agent AI, and automating relevant R&D to reduce existential risks from AI. We are excited to share the latest work we have funded.
Ā
In Vivo Optical Clearing of the Mammalian Brain |Ā Uwe KortshagenĀ &Ā Ed BoydenĀ | University of Minnesota & Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ā
Kortshagen and Boyden will develop biocompatible silicon nanoparticles that will drastically reduce light scattering in living mammalian brain tissue, enabling deeper and higher-resolution optical imaging and neural interfacing.
Ā
Benjamin Wilson, Paul Schneider & Lovkush Agarwal
Ā
Self-Operating Calculations of Risk for Yielding Accurate InsightsĀ |Ā Benjamin WilsonĀ | Metaculus
This project will develop an open-source forecasting bot powered by AI-driven research tools to enhance forecasting accuracy and volume. The bot and tools will support human reasoning while providing a foundation for developers working on forecasting automation.
Ā
The Wisdom of Deliberating AI Crowds |Ā Paul SchneiderĀ | PRIORB
Schneider will evaluate whether AI agents can improve their forecasting by engaging in discussions. Drawing inspiration from methods used with human experts, he aims to develop a diverse group of AI agents and a deliberative framework to improve forecast accuracy and calibration.
Ā
AI Safety Scientist |Ā Lovkush AgarwalĀ | AI Safety Camp
This grant will increase the compute budget forĀ AI Safety Camp, which connects people to work on projects in AI Safety. The goal is to automate parts of the AI safety research pipeline, like generating and improving research ideas, or writing code, and to explore how researchers use AI tools today, to solve potential blockers.
Ā
Ā
Richie Kohman & PK Douglas
Ā
Tissue Processing for Whole Mammalian Brain Connectomics |Ā Richie KohmanĀ | Eon Systems
Kohman will develop a āmaster protocolā for processing whole mammalian brains for light-based connectomics. The protocol will enable mapping and reverse engineering of the human brain, providing a foundation for the development of human-aligned neuroAI.
Ā
Computing with Canonical Microcircuits |Ā PK DouglasĀ | University College London, IACS
This project will develop a biologically plausible neuromorphic computing model that bridges Marrās levels, inspired by the subcomponents, topology, and function of the human brain.
Ā
The next application deadline forĀ our grantsĀ isĀ March 31st. Reach out to [email protected] if you are a funder and want to enable more projects.
Ā
Together with Dwarkesh Patel, Gavin Leech hasĀ launched the bookĀ The Scaling Era: An Oral History of AI, 2019ā2025.Ā The book is based on interviews from theĀ Dwarkesh Podcast,Ā with leading AI researchers and company founders like Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis, OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, MIRI co-founder Eliezer Yudkowsky, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Abhinav Singh has run anotherĀ AI security workshopĀ with great feedback from the participants (4.65/5). He also gave a lightning talk and joined a panel at the Funding the Commons conference.
Ā
Ā
In this episode, existential psychologist Clay Routledge explores how meaning and agency shape individual well-being and societal progress. While material conditions have improved, many people, especially younger generations, report growing pessimism and disconnection. Clay argues that a lack of meaning, not just external barriers, often holds us back. By understanding how humans derive purpose and motivation, we can unlock new paths to flourishing.
Ā
Ā
Ā
Watch the latest presentations from our seminar groups. ApplyĀ hereĀ to join the discussions live next time.
Ā
Ā
We give out two major prizes each year ā the Norm Hardy Prize in computer security and the Feynman Prizes in nanotechnology.
Ā
The Norm Hardy PrizeĀ of $10,000 awards work to improve computer security usability.
The Feynman PrizesĀ award exceptional contributions to nanotechnology, and come in three categories: Theory ($5,000), Experiment ($5,000) and Student ($1,000). We also have the Grand Prize of $250,000 for the first team who manages to design, construct, and demonstrate both a functional nano-scale robotic arm and a functional nano-scale computing device with specified features.
Ā
The deadline for applying with your work, or nominating a colleague, is July 31st.
Ā
Ā
New D/acc Grants.Ā SHIFT, Edge City and Nodes have launchedĀ new grantsĀ to advance d/acc projects in biosecurity, cyber defense, information resilience, physical resilience, neurotech, and social technology. The grants come in two tiers:
āMicro grants ($5K-$15K) for prototypes and exploratory experiments and ideas
Development grants ($20K-$40K) for teams with clear execution capacity and milestone-based deliverables
Ā
Ā
Vitalist BayĀ is the biggest longevity event in the world, spanning eight weeks of conferences and workshops. We are happy to offer 10 heavily discounted tickets for the first conferenceĀ Unlimited HealthĀ which takes place April 5-7. TheĀ first 10Ā people using the code FORESIGHT can buy a ticket for $99 instead of $800.
Newspeak House, a hub for communities working to change society with technology, isĀ accepting applications for their fellowship.
Bio x AI HackathonĀ byĀ BIO Protocol.Ā This two-month event brings together researchers and developers to create AI-driven agents that streamline research processes and unlock new discoveries in longevity and synthetic biology.
Open Positions
Edge CityĀ is hiring aĀ Programming Lead
Harmony IntelligenceĀ is hiring aĀ Software Engineer and Chief of Staff
Thanks for reading Foresight Instituteās newsletter! This post is public, so feel free to share it.
