Horizon Career Accelerator Funding Request

This is an optional component of the Horizon Career Accelerator application—please only fill out this form if you’re also applying for or have already been accepted to the Career Accelerator. Program acceptance is a prerequisite for funding consideration, but the two decisions are evaluated separately. You may be accepted into the Career Accelerator without applying for funding or even if your funding request is unsuccessful.

If you're accepted into the Career Accelerator, you can still submit a funding request then or anytime during the program, so you can also wait to submit your request until later.

——————————

We hope to provide flexible career development stipends for candidates at any career stage interested in AI policy careers. We’re willing to consider funding amounts between $1,000 and $50,000 total for eligible expenses that would meaningfully advance your public policy career. Funding decisions are made at Horizon's discretion based on the policy career benefit we expect the funding to provide.

You do not need to have a specific offer or opportunity already secured to apply for funding. But please note that if approved for funding to work in a particular role, actual funding disbursement is conditional on you securing a role that aligns with your proposal.

We’re open to funding expenses related to activities like:

1. working in unpaid or underpaid policy roles (e.g. internships, short-term placements, research/project collaborations) in government or nonprofits

2. upskilling opportunities to advance your public policy career (e.g. policy-relevant educational conferences and courses, informational interviews with policy professionals, or independent study on policy topics)

3. relocation to DC in connection with a specific, policy-related work opportunity or course of study

4. other funding needs that would meaningfully advance your public policy career (that are not excluded below)

We’re currently unable to fund expenses in the following categories:

1. Expenses below $1,000 and above $50,000. (If you’re primarily seeking funding for a longer-term, full-time, fully-funded placement in the federal government or think tanks, apply for our Horizon Fellowship instead.)

2. Work equipment (e.g. laptops, monitors)

3. Academic scholarships to cover college or graduate school tuition

4. Expenses related to the following types of work opportunities:

   1. Non-policy work opportunities

   2. Opportunities with 501(c)(4)s or other lobbying/campaign work

   3. Opportunities with for-profit organizations

   4. Work that includes partisan political intervention or campaign efforts

5. Expenses related to any other purpose that would not be permissible for a 501(c)(3) charitable entity to support

If you’re uncertain whether your funding need qualifies or require further guidance on submitting your request, please reach out to us at accelerator@horizonpublicservice.org.

Timing: We will review and decide on funding requests at least every few months. If you need a funding decision sooner, please submit your funding request and contact us at accelerator@horizonpublicservice.org or via the program Slack if you've already been accepted into the program to explain the urgency of your request. We may be able to expedite urgent funding decisions on a case-by-case basis, depending on our capacity.

Taxes: Any funding received may be considered taxable income. Recipients are responsible for determining and paying applicable taxes.

If you exit without submitting, the application will not save your answers.