# Mentorship in AGI Safety (MAGIS) call for mentors 

*Tldr: If you are working on AI Safety and are willing to help someone to start their career in AI Safety by sharing your experience at 1:1 meetings consider applying as a mentor*

In the last year, we’ve seen a surge of interest in AI safety. Many young professionals and aspiring researchers are attempting or seriously considering a career shift into this and related fields. We’ve seen a corresponding rise in months-long technical bootcamps and research programs, but mentorship has failed to keep pace with this rise. This is a staggering gap, and we intend to fill it - starting now. 

Enter the [Mentorship in AGI Safety (MAGIS)](https://www.scisteps.org/calls/magis-2024) program, a joint initiative between [AI Safety Quest](https://aisafety.quest/) and [Sci.STEPS](https://www.scisteps.org/). 

The pilot program will recruit mentors from the community and pair them with mentees according to self-reported background and professional goals, including technical experience, career advice, and soft skills. Mentors will meet with mentees 6 times over 3 months to provide guidance tailored to their specific needs - whether technical expertise, non-technical skills, or career development advice. The program will also provide shared networking and collaboration resources on Discord, and 2+ joint webinar activities for all mentees. According to feedback from the participants of the first season of Sci.STEPS, a mentor program like this one is an immense help to early career researchers. 

MAGIS opens with a call for mentors. If you are currently doing research in AI Safety or working in any related area (outreach, technical governance, machine learning, etc.), consider [applying](https://forms.gle/ZZH4wFYZt9gNjYv58)! By default, we ask that you commit to at least 6 one-hour mentorship meetings over the 3-month program, though you and your mentee(s) might work out a different schedule. At present, this is a volunteer effort; the only reward we can offer is the chance to help someone make an impact at a pivotal moment in their career. 

Program Outline
===============

The overall plan for the pilot program in  2024: 

1.  **Call for mentors**. We invite mentors to apply using [this form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfI_mo2lJrAsqKxSVyuT5GCbPJZV07rAtMli3MMB33iOwLOmw/viewform?usp=sf_link). If enough mentors sign up, we will close applications on June 5. 
2.  **Invite mentees**. After we find and select mentors, we will open applications for prospective mentees. We expect them to run June 15 - 31. 
3.  **Match pairs **based on the mentor’s background and mentee's request. This will be done in July. 
4.  **Start the program**.  We activate and share community spaces,  announce pairs, and conduct a kick-off event in late July. We will connect mentor-mentee pairs and offer guidance on effective meetings. 
5.  **Maintain contact** with pairs throughout the program. Organize webinars and conduct periodic check-ins.
6.  **Wrap up **and survey participants for feedback in late October. 

About the Organizers
====================

[Sci.STEPS](https://www.scisteps.org/) is a mentorship program for undergraduates, graduates, and young scientists building their careers in academia and beyond. We successfully conducted two seasons in 2023 and 2024 with a total of 100+ participants, 20+ online events, guest experts and coaching sessions. 

[AI Safety Quest](https://aisafety.quest/) is a volunteer organization that hosts career navigation calls, open discussions in AI Safety, and training cohorts that follow the [AI Safety Fundamentals](https://aisafetyfundamentals.com/alignment-course-details/) curriculum published by BlueDot Impact. We have successfully operated for over a year. 

[**Apply to be a mentor here**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfI_mo2lJrAsqKxSVyuT5GCbPJZV07rAtMli3MMB33iOwLOmw/viewform?usp=sf_link)
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