Overview
NetHope is inviting applications for its Humanitarian AI Research Fellowship, a remote opportunity for experienced researchers and practitioners. Fellows receive stipend support and contribute to practical research on responsible artificial intelligence in humanitarian work. Applications close on 9 October 2026, with earlier selection possible.
About the Fellowship
The planned commitment is approximately 10 hours weekly from mid-November 2026 through February 2027. NetHope expects a small cohort working across two streams: AI adoption and governance, and AI systems and localisation.
NetHope brings humanitarian and development organisations together with technology expertise. For applicants, the important task is to connect a research idea to an operational question that people working in the sector can use. A proposal should make clear who would benefit from the findings and what practical decision those findings could inform.
Benefits and Stipend
The fellowship includes remote participation, guidance and a stipend whose amount is shared with selected fellows. The announcement does not publish a fixed payment figure. Research outputs belong to NetHope, with fellows credited as authors.
Before accepting, read the agreement carefully and clarify payment timing, expected outputs and availability. Remote work still requires reliable communication and time for focused research. Consider whether the commitment fits your other responsibilities throughout the full period, rather than only during the first few weeks.
Who Should Apply
The call targets mid-career and experienced practitioners with strong analysis and writing skills. Governance applicants may bring policy or development experience; the technical stream suits computer science, machine learning or applied data science backgrounds. This is not advertised as a beginner training programme.
Choose the stream in which you can provide the clearest evidence of relevant work. A strong technical background does not automatically establish knowledge of humanitarian operations, and sector experience does not automatically establish model-evaluation skills. Explain what you know, how you know it and which limits your proposed research would acknowledge.
Developing a Useful Research Idea
Begin with a focused problem. Instead of promising to transform humanitarian AI, describe one decision, process or risk that you can examine within the available time. Identify the information you would need, how you would obtain it and what a useful final output would look like.
Separate evidence from assumptions. If your idea depends on interviews, data access or testing a system, explain those dependencies and consider a fallback approach. A smaller project with a clear method can be more credible than a broad promise with no realistic route to completion.
Think about the audience for your writing. A practitioner may need a concise comparison, a well-supported case study or an explanation of when a tool should not be used. Define how your analysis could help that reader make a better decision, while recognising the limitations of the evidence.
Application Documents
The call requests a CV, a letter of interest and two or three professional references. A writing sample is optional. The letter should address motivation, relevant experience, an AI risk and mitigation idea, and a real example of an AI tool falling short in practice.
Use an example you can describe without disclosing confidential employer or client information. Explain what you expected, what happened, how you noticed the problem and what it taught you. An honest account of a limitation can demonstrate more judgement than an unsupported success story.
Ask prospective referees whether they are willing to support your application before listing their details. Choose people who know relevant aspects of your work and give them enough context to understand the fellowship. Review the final documents for consistency and make sure attachments can be opened easily.
Application Process
- Read the Humanitarian AI Research Fellowship announcement on NetHope’s careers page.
- Select the research stream that matches your experience.
- Prepare the requested documents and responses.
- Follow the official application upload link.
- Submit before the deadline and retain confirmation.
The Apply Now button below opens NetHope’s official careers page, where the fellowship details and application route are listed. Use the current instructions in that announcement if anything differs from a secondary summary.
Deadline
Submit by 9 October 2026. NetHope may review applications and select fellows earlier, so applicants with a complete, relevant submission should avoid waiting until the final day.
Summary Table
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Organisation | NetHope |
| Format | Remote, part-time research |
| Commitment | Approximately 10 hours weekly |
| Period | Mid-November 2026 to February 2027 |
| Payment | Stipend; amount not publicly specified |
| Deadline | 9 October 2026 |
Conclusion
This fellowship is a focused opportunity for experienced applicants who can turn careful research into useful guidance. Build your application around a realistic question, relevant evidence and a clear understanding of the people who would use your work.
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