Rapid Grants
Fast, practical funding for BlueDot course participants and facilitators working on projects that are already in motion.
Typical grants
Up to $5k
Decision time
Around 5 working days
Grants made
—
Funding given out
—
What this program is for
After completing the learning phase of our courses, many participants work on independent projects of their choosing. We want these projects to be excellent, and we try to remove barriers wherever we can.
One common barrier is lacking the resources to do the project well. Rapid Grants are aimed at people who, without funding, could not reasonably afford what they need for their chosen project.
Strong fit
You have already started the work, can point to a real blocker, and need a specific project cost covered.
Usually not a fit
Salary, living expenses, general-purpose equipment, or open-ended exploration without a concrete project need.
If you are unsure whether to apply, the default is simple: apply.
What we fund and what we usually do not
Rapid Grants has a quality bar. These are examples of the kinds of costs we often fund and usually do not fund, not a promise that every application of that type will be approved.
Fundable
- Compute for technical AI safety work, including API credits and evaluation runs.
- Research access, such as paywalled papers, datasets, and project-relevant tools.
- Project-specific software, hosting, or participant recruitment for empirical studies.
- Conference travel when there is a concrete deliverable beyond networking.
Usually not funded through this program
- Compensation for your time on the project.
- General-purpose equipment like laptops, phones, or storage devices.
- General productivity subscriptions without a project-specific case.
- Personal or living expenses.
How it works
01
Apply with evidence
Show what you have already built, tested, or validated, plus the exact cost you want covered, in the application form.
02
Get a decision
We usually reply within five working days and tell you what we are willing to fund.
03
Receive funding
If accepted, we may send the money upfront as a grant or reimburse later, depending on the case.
04
Use it for the approved purpose
Use the funding for the project costs we agreed on, and check with us if the plan changes materially.
Projects we have funded
FAQ
Yes. If the project is already underway and the blocker is concrete, applying is usually better than self-screening out too early.
Both. In many cases we are happy to send the money upfront as a grant, and in other cases we reimburse later.
Sometimes, but the bar is high. We usually want a concrete deliverable such as presenting research or leading a session, not general networking or exploration.
Rapid Grants is for relatively small, concrete project costs. If what you need is substantially larger, this is probably the wrong mechanism.
