AIGN Junior AI Governance Research Fellowship
Close the AI Governance Gap.
A mentored research cohort for people who want to move beyond discussing AI governance — and investigate a concrete institutional gap.
AI governance in higher education: accountability, human oversight and reliable evidence when AI influences learning or assessment decisions.
Fully online · English · 3–5 hrs per week · Small cohort · By selection
A real research question. Not a fictional exercise.
Develop your own source-based Research Brief on a real governance gap — with two written review rounds directly from AIGN’s founder and Research Lead.
A real question. Not a fictional exercise.
Many programmes teach fundamentals, certification content or compliance overviews. This cohort starts with a concrete question: What do higher education institutions need in order to make AI-assisted decisions traceable, reviewable and accountable?
With AIGN Research, you develop a focused, source-based contribution to a real governance gap — with expert feedback directly from AIGN’s founder and Research Lead.
A real research question
AI-assisted assessment and decisions in higher education: what accountability, human oversight and evidence are needed?
A distinctive governance lens
Examine the gap through responsibility, controls and evidence, using AIGN OS as the research architecture.
Direct guidance
Two written review rounds with Patrick Upmann on your question, sources and argument — fully online, at your own pace.
A tangible output
Your own Research Brief or Governance Gap Analysis. You remain its author.
Under the EU AI Act, AI systems used to decide on admission, evaluate learning outcomes or monitor students during tests are classified as high-risk (Annex III, point 3).
That makes higher education a setting where AIGN Research’s work on machine authority and defensible autonomy applies directly.
From a broad issue to an evidence-based research output.
Scope
Choose a clearly bounded governance question in higher education and make it researchable.
Evidence
Build a traceable source base from research, regulation, institutional guidance and verifiable practice.
Gap
Analyse where accountability, human oversight, controls or evidence are missing.
Review 2 rounds
Strengthen your method and argument through two mentored written review rounds.
Output
Present your final Research Brief and receive the AIGN Junior Certificate of Contribution upon successful completion.
Capability, a work sample and expert feedback.
Capability
Frame a research question, assess sources, analyse governance gaps and communicate findings clearly to decision-makers.
A work sample
Your own Research Brief or Gap Analysis. You remain the author and may use it as a work sample.
Expert feedback
Written feedback on your draft and final version at two defined review points.
Contribution certificate
AIGN Junior Certificate of Contribution upon successful completion.
The fee covers mentoring and review time — not a credential. The certificate is not an academic degree or accredited certification.
Patrick Upmann
Founder & Research Lead, AIGN Research
More than 25 years of experience in IT governance, risk, compliance, transformation and data, combined with independent AI governance research.
His work on machine authority and defensible autonomy moves governance from principles into roles, operational boundaries and verifiable evidence.
In 2026: invited speaker and round-table co-chair at a NATO SPS-supported Advanced Research Workshop in Yerevan, and keynote speaker at DESSERT’2026.
This fellowship is an independent AIGN programme. NATO SPS and IEEE are not partners or endorsers; these engagements provide professional context, not institutional endorsement.
Who this is for — and who it is not for.
A good fit if you …
- are a student or early-career professional
- are interested in AI, law, education, policy, technology or governance
- can commit 3–5 focused hours per week
- can work in English and act on feedback
Not a fit if you …
- want a certificate without doing original work
- expect publication, a job or academic credit
- need tailored consulting for your employer
Apply
Places are limited so that feedback and discussion stay personal. You work directly with AIGN Research on a topic from its active research agenda.
- Apply now — applications close on 5 December 2026.
- Selection and confirmation of your place.
- Fee due only after acceptance of your place.
message@now.digital
Subject: AIGN Junior Research Fellowship — Application
Include: motivation, background, and the governance question you want to investigate.
Cohort fee
€299 One-time · incl. VAT Cohort 3 start10 January 2027
- 8 weeks · fully online · English
- Applications open now · deadline 5 Dec 2026
- Fee due only after acceptance
- Full refund if fewer than 6 participants
Terms of participation
- Participation does not guarantee publication, employment, academic credit or admission to a future programme.
- Any publication or feature of your work requires editorial review and your consent.
- The cohort runs with a minimum of 6 participants; otherwise all fees are refunded in full.
- Full terms of participation are provided before registration becomes binding.
About AIGN Research
AIGN Research investigates machine authority, defensible autonomy and AI governance in critical and other high-consequence environments.
AIGN OS is a proprietary AIGN architecture, not an international technical standard.
Questions about the Fellowship
What does the €299 cover?
The one-time cohort fee (incl. VAT) covers mentoring and review time: structured guidance over eight weeks and two written review rounds on your draft and final version with the Research Lead. It does not buy a credential.
When do I pay — and what if the cohort does not start?
The fee is due only after your place has been accepted. The cohort runs with a minimum of 6 participants; if that number is not reached, all fees are refunded in full. Full terms of participation are provided before registration becomes binding.
What are the key dates?
Applications are open now and close on 5 December 2026. Cohort 3 starts on 10 January 2027 and runs for eight weeks.
Why only higher education?
The founding cohort works on one topic from AIGN Research’s active research agenda: AI governance in higher education. AI systems used for admission, evaluating learning outcomes or monitoring students during tests are high-risk under the EU AI Act (Annex III, point 3) — a high-consequence setting where the governance gap is concrete.
How much time should I plan, and is it live?
Plan 3–5 focused hours per week. The cohort is fully online and in English; guidance and feedback are written, so you can work at your own pace alongside studies or early-career work.
Is this an internship or employment?
No. It is a mentored research cohort. Participants work on their own research output with guidance from AIGN Research; there is no employment or internship relationship.
Who owns my Research Brief? Will it be published?
You remain the author and may use your Research Brief or Gap Analysis as a work sample. Publication is not guaranteed; any publication or feature of your work requires editorial review and your consent.
Is the certificate an accredited qualification?
No. The AIGN Junior Certificate of Contribution confirms successful completion. It is not an academic degree or accredited certification, and participation does not guarantee academic credit, employment or admission to a future programme.
Is AIGN OS an official standard?
No. AIGN OS is a proprietary AIGN architecture used as the research lens in this cohort, not an international technical standard.
Close the AI Governance Gap — with your own research.
Eight weeks, one real question, two expert review rounds and a Research Brief you author. €299 one-time, incl. VAT — due only after acceptance. Applications close on 5 December 2026.