Funder: Astera Institute
Due Dates (Anticipated): November 2026 (Guaranteed consideration deadline)
Funding Amounts: $125,000–$250,000 annual salary plus benefits; $0–$1.5 million negotiated project budget; 12–18 months
Summary: Supports technologists creating open tools, infrastructure, and insights in intelligence and the life sciences for public benefit.
Key Information: Residents must work from Emeryville, California, and make their work openly accessible.
Description
Astera Institute’s Residency is a fully funded, 12–18-month program centered on creating public goods through experimentation and open development. Led by the Astera Foundation, it supports scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and other technologists pursuing early-stage projects where Astera’s expertise and resources can accelerate progress. Focus areas include neuroscience and artificial intelligence, AI-enabled life sciences, deep tech, and open science.
Projects should produce useful tools, infrastructure, or insights with credible pathways to adoption and broader societal benefit. Outputs can include standards, hardware, software, wetware, and pre-commercial fundamental research. The program emphasizes accessible, non-proprietary work that others can build upon, including sharing unsuccessful approaches as well as successes. Residents join a collaborative community at Astera’s Emeryville hub, with project resources, compute infrastructure, and dedicated workspace.
