Supervised Program for
Alignment Research
Applications are due on Jan 25 for Cal students, and Jan 30th for external students!
Sign up on our interest form to receive updates about the application process.
For non-UC Berkeley students: Check our “Program Overview.”
Your application form and deadline differ.
The Supervised Program for Alignment Research (SPAR) provides students the opportunity to do guided technical research directly relevant to the field of AI safety.
About SPAR
What students get out of SPAR
Build AI safety research experience.
Receive mentorship from an AI safety researcher.
Test your personal fit for AI safety research.
Earn independent study credit for your work.
In some cases, a publication at the end in a workshop or conference.
Why BASIS is running this program
We at BASIS believe that AI safety is incredibly important, and that it is therefore also incredibly important for talented people to explore this field. We are running this research program to provide an opportunity for students interested in AI safety to gain research experience, build credentials, and directly participate in the field firsthand.
About the Supervised Program for Alignment Research
The Supervised Program for Alignment Research (SPAR) is a student research program that provides students the opportunity to do guided research directly related to the AI safety field. SPAR participants are put in groups of 2-4 students and then work together on a research project part-time for a semester, supervised by an AI safety researcher.
Program Overview
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Participants are required to take our Introduction to AI Safety Decal, if they have not yet before. Check out our decal here: https://berkeleyaisafety.com/decal
SPAR exists for students who care deeply about ensuring that future AI systems are safe and beneficial, and who are interested in pursuing AI Safety as a subject of research. Our mentors and BAISSI would like all SPAR participants to engage with and understand key background on the field.
We will waive the DeCal requirement for SPAR applicants with significant, verifiable involvement in AI Safety prior to Jan 1, 2023. This might include, but is not limited to, applicants who:
Participated in-person during BAISSI’s Fall 2022 reading group.
Published a technical blog or forum post related to AI Safety/Alignment before 1/1/23.
Otherwise extensively engaged with AI Safety-related materials.
In practice, we expect few applicants to qualify for the waiver. If you are unsure, feel free to ask us via email or Discord.
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Look through individual projects for their specific prerequisites. Some researchers encourage applicants to apply, even without all of the prerequisites.
Note that some projects may require background knowledge related to AI Safety/Alignment. Depending on the project, no prior research experience may be necessary, as long as you meet the specific technical requirements.
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Time Commitment
Students should expect to each spend 8 - 20+ hours/week on their project, depending on the project chosen. (Check out the Projects for more info.)
Weekly Decal
Again, you will by default be expected to attend our weekly decal, unless we waive this requirement for you.
Weekly Check-Ins
Throughout the duration of the program, you are expected to check-in:
With your teammates once a week
It'll be up to your team to coordinate meeting times or create coworking systems.
With your supervisor once a week/every two weeks
The format of check-ins with your supervisor will be to their discretion.
We will also have program-wide events and check-ins (during weeks ~8-10 of the semester). These will be announced later.
SPAR Research Symposium
This event will take place during dead week, where groups will be required to present their research.
Norms
We expect transparent expectation-setting and communication between participants and mentors. Failing to do so may mean that we will not consider you for future opportunities.
This message isn’t meant to scare you. BAISSI and the mentors are providing this opportunity for you, and we want you to be respectful of mentors’ time. If you are ready to take on this commitment, we’re still excited for you to apply!
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Participants are eligible for independent study credits through EE/CS 199. We will provide enrollment information after admission into SPAR.
Failure to meet the above requirements may result in a “No Pass” grade.
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Non-UC Berkeley students are welcome to apply through a different form: https://airtable.com/shrrNf1vKkkKt1SMn
These applications are due on January 30, at 11:59 PM PST (UTC-8), NOT January 25.Instead of our Decal requirement, you’re expected to have the safety knowledge equivalent to the AGI Safety Fundamentals curriculum. If you do not meet this requirement, we will follow up with you about what to do for this requirement.
View Projects Here
Application Process
Apply by January 25!
Application Timeline
Infosession #1 (VIRTUAL): Link
January 23 (Mon) at 5 - 6:30 PM
Infosession #2 (IN-PERSON): Location TBD
January 24 (Tues) at 8 - 9:30 PM
Written Applications Due
January 25 (Wed) at 11:59 PM
Interviews (if applicable)
Jan 30 - Feb 2
Note that some projects may not require interviews.
Final SPAR decisions released.
Feb 3
Image generated by DALL-E-2.
You will receive email notifications indicating your progression through each round of the application process!
Application Steps
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Round 1: Written Application
This includes your basic information, resume, a question about AI safety, and brief statements of interest for projects.
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Round 2: Interviews
This depends on the project that you’re applying to. Some mentors may choose not to conduct interviews.
FAQ
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We want to emphasize that SPAR is intended for students who are interested in building research skills in AI safety. You should already have technical experience and a solid interest in AI safety.
If you are instead looking to:
Solely learn more about AI safety —
Apply to our Decal! We don’t require as many technical prerequisites or as much time commitment.
Build technical skills —
We think a better route is through some of UC Berkeley’s excellent CS courses, such as EE/CS 126, 127, 182, 188, 189, as well as as CS/other clases not listed here.
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Do you think your experience level is not where it needs to be?
Studies show that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they believe they meet every single qualification. BAISSI is focused on building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community. If you're interested in an opportunity but your past experience doesn't line up perfectly with every qualification in the description, we want you to apply anyway. The right role for you may be right around the corner!
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Participants and supervisors will be required to attend the SPAR Research Symposium during dead week (final date TBD). We hope that this will be rewarding and a lot of fun!
You may also get to present or publish your research in workshops or conferences along with your supervisor depending on their situation and the outcomes of your work.
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By default, SPAR groups will operate just on the scale of one semester. However, there are no hard boundaries on this research.
Sometimes, it takes an extended period of time to produce quality research. A few projects request that students be ready to commit to longer than one semester. Please read over Expectations carefully in the Projects document as you’re applying.
Also, some students and supervisors may want to continue their research after the semester ends, and we encourage this when a project is going well!
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The SPAR application allows you to name other applicants you’d like to work with. Every applicant will be judged on their individual merits, but we will keep your considerations in mind while making project placements.
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Yes! If you would like to the DeCal without applying to SPAR, see: https://airtable.com/shrug3uDj4wfn1QSH.
Otherwise, an application to SPAR doubles as an application to the DeCal.
DeCal graduates will not have to retake the DeCal if they do SPAR in future semesters. Thus, if you might want to do SPAR in future semesters, we recommend you consider taking the DeCal even if you don’t end up doing SPAR!
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We use these words interchangeably:
Student, participant, and mentee
Researcher, supervisor, and mentor
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We are aware of this: 189 students will be permitted to leave DeCal sessions half an hour early each week for the 189 lecture.
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We’re running this program with a very large number of projects (11+). Since it’s our first time running SPAR, we’re unsure of the number of applications we’ll receive from UC Berkeley students alone.
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Please feel free to contact aisafetyberkeley@gmail.com for any inquiries!