AI & Ethics Signpost Fellow 

Role: We are seeking a Zolberg Fellow to continue the work of a previous Zolberg fellow (ending summer 2025) by supporting this project with research and writing. The successful research fellow will play an important role in documenting AI development processes, crafting insightful research writeups, and consolidating learnings so that they can be effectively disseminated to a global audience. Your work will contribute to the lab’s mission of de-risking AI applications in humanitarian settings and scaling successful innovations to achieve widespread impact.  

This is an opportunity to work on an innovative and burgeoning project at the intersection of technology, social media, and humanitarian protection. We aim to set the new standard for application of chat bots within a humanitarian context.  

Outputs from the work would be able to be showcased as part of the applicant’s portfolio of collaborative work but would remain intellectual property of Signpost program.  At Signpost, we respect the work offered by fellows and mobilize to ensure that their career tracks are well supported following a solid performance.  We’ve been successful in supporting candidates in their career growth and maintain lasting ties with our previous fellows.  This opportunity is a great way to contribute to our social mission, gain insider knowledge about the aid sector and this cutting-edge program, and catalyze the fellow’s career growth.  

Potential deliverables: The key deliverable of the fellow are related to various documents that will help tell the story of our work and our collaboration model with the private sector, largely technology companies.   

• Research and Documentation : 
  • Review ethical frameworks related to AI and work with the broader team to draft a harm reduction framework fit for purpose in humanitarian contexts. 
  • Document the development process of AI prototypes, capturing technical methodologies, experiment results, challenges, solutions, and outcomes.  
  • Maintain comprehensive records and databases to support ongoing and future research initiatives.  
• Writing and Content Creation :  
  • Produce high-quality research writeups, case studies, and white papers that articulate the findings, insights, and impacts of AI projects within the lab.  
  • Collaborate with technical teams to translate complex AI concepts and developments into accessible, compelling content for a diverse audience.  
• Knowledge Dissemination :  
  • Using the signpostai.org website and other platforms, draft and support the publication of research findings, lessons learned, and best practices with the broader humanitarian, tech, and academic communities.  
• Collaboration and Innovation :  
  • Contribute to the lab’s innovation ecosystem by providing research-based insights that inform the development and scaling of AI solutions.  

Potential travel involved: No travel will be involved for this position.

Desired Skills:

• Very strong content editing skills required. 
• Fluency in discourse surrounding AI and its potential societal impact.  
• Ability to edit content drafted by nonnative speakers into North American English. 
• Ability to work effectively with a diverse team in a sensitive environment. 
• Ability to work independently with remote management. 
• Strong interpersonal skills and high emotional intelligence. 
• Ability to handle pressure and ambiguity with grace and humor. 
• Proven organizational skills and healthy respect for deadlines. 
• Strong interest in refugee/humanitarian issues. 

Requirements: Students must be a matriculated graduate or Ph.D. student at The New School. Fellows are hired as Research Associates by The New School.

Work Environment: This fellowship will work with the Airbel Impact Lab based in the IRC’s HQ in New York City. While this fellowship is remote, all Fellows must be physically located in the US.

Fellowship Length: This fellowship carries a maximum of 20 hours/week during the Fall 2025 semester (August 26, 2025 – December 2025). Continuation into Spring 2026 is potentially available.

How to apply: The deadline to apply is March 17, 2025. Please submit one PDF document containing a cover letter, CV/resume, and two work samples (writing and/or design portfolio – 5 pages maximum per sample) to Catherine McGahan, McGahanC@newschool.edu.

Interviews will be conducted in mid-March via Zoom.

Team: Airbel Impact Lab, Research and Innovation at the IRC. The Airbel Impact Lab designs, tests, and scales life-changing cost-effective solutions for people affected by conflict and disaster. By applying the IRC’s deep technical expertise and field experience with a range of skills from the behavioral sciences, human-centered design, research, and multi-disciplinary problem-solving in humanitarian contexts, we work to develop breakthrough solutions that combine creativity and rigor, openness and expertise, and a desire to think afresh with the experience of a large-scale implementing organization. Within Airbel, the Best Use of Resources team provides analysis and decision-making support to improve the cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness of IRC programs.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future.  

Housed within the Emergency and Humanitarian Action Unit (EHAU), the Signpost Project is a rapidly scaling community-led information service that empowers its clients in times of crisis. Signpost delivers critical information to affected populations through staff equipped with digital tools, digital channels, and social media — providing communities with timely and actionable information to make critical decisions on the issues that matter most to them.   

In 2024 Signpost launched Signpost AI, a dynamic and innovative lab within the International Rescue Committee (IRC), focused on leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create universal access to information for people affected by conflict, crisis, or climate. Over the last year, we built the framework to deploy AI agents to support a range of different functions to assist our project goals and as a part of this initiative, Signpost publishes research articles related to both product and ethics to our website as a commitment to transparence and thought leadership in applied use of generative AI in the aid sector.  

To learn more about our work and publications, please visit: www.signpostai.org