AI Sentience Scholars

At the frontier of AI, consciousness, and society.

The program supports early-career researchers investigating questions at the intersection of AI, consciousness, and ethics. Through global collaboration and rigorous, empirically grounded inquiry, it builds capacity to critically and responsibly navigate the scientific and societal implications of increasingly capable intelligent systems.

Emerging intelligence.
Global responsibility.

The AI Sentience Scholars program is a 6-month, part-time, remote research and training program for early-career researchers interested in empirically grounded, interdisciplinary approaches to questions raised by AI sentience.

Scholars develop mentored research projects while engaging with conceptual foundations, ethical frameworks, and real-world implications of advanced AI systems.

Eligibility

Small, selective cohort (~8–10 scholars)
Early-career researchers (Master’s level to early postdoc)
Background in AI / computer science, cognitive science, neuroscience, philosophy, ethics, or related fields
Skills aligned with the selected curated project
Interest in AI sentience, consciousness, ethics, or governance

Program components

Remote, mentored applied research project
Virtual workshops and seminars for interdisciplinary skill-building
Publication and public showcase
Cohort in-person convening at the CIFAR Neuroscience of Consciousness Winter School 2026 (2–5 December 2026, Nairobi, Kenya).
Eligibility to apply for up to $8,000 USD in research support ($5,000 for stipends; $3,000 for project costs)

Time commitment

The program runs from June to December 2026 and is part-time, requiring approximately 8 hours per week, including:

Independent research work
Regular, virtual mentor meetings (weekly or bi-weekly)
Participation in synchronous, virtual program activities, such as workshops and seminars
Contribution to shared program outputs

Program leadership

The AI Sentience Scholars Program is guided by dedicated leadership committed to scientific direction, intellectual rigor, and strong mentorship alignment. To get in touch, reach us at aischolars@neuromatch.io

Megan Peters, PhD

Scientific Director, AI Sentience Scholars Program
(UCL, UCI, Neuromatch, CIFAR)
London, UK

Joana Guedes, PhD

Program Manager, AI Sentience Scholars Program
(Neuromatch)
Paris, France

Partners & supporters

Funded by Longview Philanthropy and developed in partnership with the Institute of Neuroethics (IoNx) and The Partnership for Research into Sentient Machines (PRISM).

2026 AI Sentience Scholars Cohort

Alexander
Kearney

Empirical Tests for Consciousness in AI, Brains, and “Jelly” Systems
Mentor: Susan Schneider and Mark Bailey
Location: United Kingdom
Career stage: Masters Student

Alireza
Karami

Global metacognition in large language models
Mentor: Steve Fleming
Location: France
Career stage: Postdoc

Arnau
Marin-Llobet

ALIGN: Assessing Learning and Internal Geometry of Neural Vision Models through Human Data
Mentor: Michael J Tarr
Location: United States
Career stage: PhD Student

Dezhi
Luo

A formal toy framework for implementing the iterative natural kinds strategy in consciousness science
Mentor: Megan Peters
Location: United Kingdom
Career stage: PhD Student

Mariana
Amendoeira Duarte

Mind and Moral Status Attribution in Large Language Models
Mentors: Winnie Street and Geoff Keeling
Location: Portugal
Career stage: PhD Student

Noushin
Quazi

Mentor: Aran Nayebi

Peter
Thestrup Waade

Do embodied neural cultures learn predictive world models through active inference?
Mentor: Adeel Razi
Location: Switzerland
Career stage: PostDoc

Rachel
Metzgar

Mirage of Mind: When Human Inference Projects Sentience onto AI
Mentor: Ida Momennejad
Location: United States
Career stage: PhD Student

Wiktoria
Kozyra

Mentor: Axel Cleeremans

Toan
Quoc Nguyen

Mentor: Guillaume Dumas and Jonathan Simon

Project timeline

March 2026Applications open
The call for scholars opens. Applicants can browse available research projects and submit their application.
28 April 2026Application deadline
Applications close at 23:59 Anywhere on Earth – AoE
May-June 2026Application reviews & Scholars selection
Mentors review applications and candidates are notified.
June 2026Onboarding & program kick-off
Program Kick-off meeting, introductory sessions and community onboarding.
July-November 2026Mentored research projects & training
Project alignment. Scholars conduct mentored research and participate in regular workshops and discussions.
November-December 2026In-person convening & advanced workshops
Continued project work, in-person meeting and interdisciplinary sessions.
December 2026Final outputs & evaluation
Completion of research projects, written outputs, and final presentations.

Frequently asked questions

1Who can apply?

The program is open to researchers from Master’s level onward, including Master’s students or graduates, PhD candidates, and early-career postdoctoral researchers. Applicants from academia, industry, or interdisciplinary backgrounds are welcome.

2I only have a Bachelor's degree — can I still apply?

Yes, in some cases. While the program is designed for researchers at the Master's to early postdoc stage, applicants holding a Bachelor's degree are welcome to apply if they can demonstrate meaningful research experience. Current undergraduate students are not eligible.

3Where do I need to be located?

The program is virtual and fully remote besides the in-person convening event. It is open to everyone globally.

Neuromatch is a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is therefore required to comply with US sanctions regulations administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). As a result, we are currently unable to accept applications from individuals based in the following locations: Cuba, Syria, and Crimea. We are currently pending renewal of our OFAC sanctions exemption that would allow us to enroll scholars based in Iran. We strongly encourage Iranian applicants to apply. We will provide timely updates on whether we are able to deliver programming to participants based in Iran for this year’s program.

4Is there a limit on years since PhD completion?

For applicants who have completed a PhD, eligibility is typically limited to within 7 years of PhD award. Career breaks (e.g. parental leave, medical leave, caregiving) are taken into account and may extend this window.

5Do I need to have completed a Neuromatch Academy course to apply?

No. Completion of a Neuromatch Academy course is not required to apply to the AI Sentience Scholars Program. Applicants from diverse training backgrounds are welcome, provided their skills align with the requirements of the selected curated project.

6What language is the program conducted in?

The program is conducted entirely in English. Applicants should be comfortable working and communicating in English.

7What is the expected time commitment?

Participants are expected to commit approximately 8 hours per week for the duration of the program (~ 6 months).

8Should I contact the project mentor before applying to discuss the project?

We kindly ask candidates not to contact project leaders directly before submitting an application. Given the high number of applicants, direct outreach could become overwhelming for mentors. All essential information needed to apply is provided in the project descriptions. If you have an important question that is not addressed there, please contact the program email address, and the program team will review your query. If necessary, we will follow up with the project mentor.

9How flexible are the proposed research projects?

The level of flexibility varies depending on the project and mentor. Some projects are more structured due to specific scientific objectives and methodologies, while others may allow greater adaptation to the scholar’s background and interests. In all cases, projects are expected to be further refined collaboratively between the mentor and the selected scholar at the beginning of the program.

10What are the expected outputs of the program?

Participants are expected to contribute to a research project, a written output, and a final presentation.

Read the full program description

Have more questions? Review our extensive Question and Answer page. You may also email the Neuromatch team at aischolars@neuromatch.io

Applications for the 2026 Cohort are now closed. Stay connected and follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter to access upcoming webinar workshops open to the whole community.