Start with a structured ten-week AI cohort, or pursue a specific competition, paper, product, or technical goal through individualized research mentorship.
A ten-week applied AI program with an included beginner Launchpad. Learn the foundations, join a small Applied Lab, and complete one substantial project.
A three-to-six month engagement for students ready to pursue a larger technical goal, competition target, research paper, or production system.
Both programs end in technical work with a visible student contribution. What changes is the structure, the level of customization, and how long you have.
| DIMENSION | AI Innovators | 1:1 Research Fellowship |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Small cohort with a 3–5 student Applied Lab | One-to-one apprenticeship with a specialist |
| Length | 10 live weeks | 3–6 months |
| Next start | Orientation September 12, 2026 · live program September 20 – November 22, 2026 | Rolling — matched when a specialist is available |
| Weekly commitment | 3 live hours + 1–2 project hours | Weekly 1:1 session + independent build time |
| Starting point | No prior programming course; Launchpad included | Meaningful programming or project experience |
| Curriculum | Shared AI and research foundation, then track work | Scoped to the student’s named target |
| Mentorship | Core instruction plus a weekly lab pod | A dedicated specialist matched to the field |
| Direction | Choose one of two Fall tracks | The student’s own goal defines the scope |
| Outcome | One completed product or research project | A competition entry, paper, production system, or launch |
| Admissions | Application, then a program-fit and track-placement call | Consultation, then a specialist match |
Cohort lab
1:1 mentor
10 weeks
3–6 months
Orientation Sep 12 · live Sep 20–Nov 22
Rolling
3 hrs + build
Weekly 1:1
Launchpad included
Project ready
Shared core
Custom scope
Lab pod
Specialist
Pick track
Named goal
One project
Paper / launch
Fit call
Match call
Most students start with the cohort. Students who already have a target and the background to chase it start with a mentor.
The two programs are designed to stack. Nothing about the cohort is a prerequisite for the Fellowship, but it is the most common path into it.
Learn how modern AI systems work, along with the research design and project-scoping skills needed to make sound technical decisions.
Enter an Applied Lab of three to five students, pick a specialist track, and finish one project you can explain end to end.
Bring a named target to a matched specialist and spend three to six months building the competition entry, paper, system, or product around it.
The differences are structural. The bar for the work, and who the student works with, is the same in both.
Every student works with people who have won, published, or shipped in the field they teach.
The standard is not a polished demo alone. The student can show what they built, how they tested it, and what changed.
Written feedback and code review between sessions, not just live time.
Code, documentation or a paper, a presentation, and a concrete plan for what comes next.
If the answer you need is not here, the fit conversation covers it.
Yes. AI Innovators can provide the foundation and a first substantial project; the Fellowship can then take a specific goal further with a specialist. Students who already have comparable project experience may apply directly to the Fellowship.
If you are unsure, apply to AI Innovators. The application takes about five minutes and the fit conversation covers both programs — if the Fellowship is the better match for the student’s background and goal, we will say so.
No. Motivated beginners complete the included Launchpad before the cohort. Students who already code can move through it quickly. The Fellowship is different: applicants should already have a substantial project or equivalent technical experience.
No. The scope is built around the student’s target and the mentor’s field. That is the core difference between the two programs — AI Innovators teaches a common foundation, the Fellowship starts from your goal.
We say so on the consultation call rather than assigning a generalist. Timing and specialist availability are part of the admissions conversation.
The application takes about five minutes. We use the fit conversation to place the student in the program that matches their background and goal.
Start the application