We’re now looking for mentors for the Winter cohort of Impact Research Groups!

If you’re interested, please fill out this short form (<5min) before October 8.

What is Impact Research Groups?

Impact Research Groups is an 8-week student research programme run by Arcadia Impact. With the support of a mentor, teams of 2–4 high-potential students work on a research project - such as a short paper, essay, or report - intending to contribute meaningfully to one of our core focus areas:

• Technical AI safety
• AI governance
• Biosecurity
• Global health
• Animal welfare

Programme Timeline

• Kick-Off Weekend (October 25-26): Participants attend an intensive weekend at the Arcadia Impact office, where they are introduced to the tools and frameworks necessary to conduct impactful research.
  • On Saturday, mentors pitch project ideas; students rank their preferences.
  • On Sunday, students are assigned to teams and meet with their mentor to begin scoping the project.
• Weeks 2–8 (October 27 - December 14): Teams work on their project, meeting weekly with their mentor for ~1 hour to receive feedback and plan next steps. Students also have the option to join bi-weekly IRG co-working sessions at the office (meals provided).
• Final Submission (December 14): At the end of Week 8, teams submit a ~2000-word written project. In the following weeks, they independently prepare a 10-minute presentation for the Awards Ceremony, where they will summarise their research and key findings.

Key Details

• Team Structure: Each team has 2–4 students and one mentor. One student serves as “team lead,” helping to coordinate logistics and ensure deadlines are met.
• Time Commitment: Students commit to at least 5 hours per week, including research, writing, and meetings.
• Recognition: The winning team receives a £2,000 prize, and top projects will be published on our website. Individual students may also be recognised for exceptional contributions.

What does a mentor do?

Before Kick-Off Weekend

Step 1: You'll come up with 1-3 project ideas, which we'll review to ensure they’re a good fit for the programme and the incoming participants. Step 2: You’ll work with us to scope your project(s) and prepare a concise A4 summary to share with participants. You can see past examples here.