Participants receive personalized support to identify and pursue a wide range of policy opportunities, including internships, fellowships, full-time roles, and graduate school.
The program’s flexible, modular structure—with optional access to mentorship, training, application coaching, funding, and more—is designed to support you regardless of your level of experience.
Applications are closed; sign up to get notified about future applications
As a participant, you engage with the program at your own pace. It’s highly modular—you can select from a range of resources to achieve your specific goals—and the time commitment is minimal (max 5 hours per week during the brief optional training period).
If you’re primarily seeking a 1-2 year full-time policy placement, apply for our Horizon Fellowship instead.
Apply for up to $50,000 in flexible financial support at any point during the program to advance your public policy career (for unpaid internships or short-term placements, upskilling opportunities like conferences, etc.). Our funding request form details what we can and cannot fund.
Get expert coaching to craft standout application materials (e.g. resumes, cover letters, and writing samples) plus professional guidance on security clearances, immigration, and more.
Expand your professional network through direct introductions to policy leaders and organizations across Horizon's extensive network.
Participate in virtual guided modules covering the topics most essential for taking your next steps into public policy.
We welcome applicants from wide-ranging backgrounds and experience levels who are exploring or pursuing careers in technology policy.
If you're excited about the program but unsure whether you qualify, we encourage you to apply.
We’re most excited about applicants who display the following qualities:
International applicants without US work authorization should review our FAQ below for eligibility details.
Students and recent graduates seeking early-career policy opportunities, including internships, fellowships, graduate degrees, and entry-level jobs.
Some example applications we’d be excited to receive:
Experienced professionals pivoting into technology policy work who need support navigating the transition—whether finding full-time roles, part-time opportunities, or upskilling pathways.
Some example applications we’d be excited to receive:
We’re most excited about applicants who display the following qualities:
International applicants without US work authorization should review our FAQ below for eligibility details.
Students and recent graduates seeking early-career policy opportunities, including internships, fellowships, graduate degrees, and entry-level jobs.
Some example applications we’d be excited to receive:
Experienced professionals pivoting into technology policy work who need support navigating the transition—whether finding full-time roles, part-time opportunities, or upskilling pathways.
Some example applications we’d be excited to receive:
We use a simple three-part application process:
Horizon uses merit-based selection and blind-graded application materials to build a well-rounded and talented cohort.
Applications are closed; sign up to get notified about future applications
(9 months)
Access all flexible, modular support services outlined above (training, mentorship, advising, introductions, funding requests, etc.). Extension requests to continue accessing services beyond 9 months will be evaluated case-by-case.
(2-3 months)
Optional training modules take approximately 3-4 hours to complete. Module typically follows a 'flipped classroom' format with pre-reading, a potential mini-assignment (≤ 1 hour), and a group discussion/Q&A session with experienced speakers.
(6 months)
You'll have the option to be paired with a mentor from Horizon's network for a few meetings (in-person or virtual) to receive career guidance and explore DC policy careers and your areas of interest.
(Ongoing access)
Program alumni typically retain access to select support services, including an active Slack community, non-public advising resources, and tailored opportunity notifications.
No, we don't have minimum requirements for work experience or education. The Career Accelerator supports candidates from diverse backgrounds and experience levels, as illustrated by our pilot cohort data:
This can take many forms, including relevant work or internship experience, academic coursework or research, significant personal projects, or substantive volunteer activities. The key is showing you’ve already begun engaging thoughtfully with these topics and are seriously considering a career in the field. We welcome participants still exploring their fit for policy work—you don't need to be fully committed to a policy career to apply.
The program focuses on AI policy, but we’re open to considering exceptional candidates in overlapping policy areas, such as biotechnology, national security, and innovation policy.
The Career Accelerator is fully remote and can be completed from anywhere. However, since the program's primary purpose is helping participants pursue US policy opportunities—which typically require work authorization—we generally expect applicants to have existing US work authorization (green card, student visa, work visa, etc.). We cannot sponsor visas.
That said, we do consider exceptional international candidates pursuing policy paths that don't require sponsorship, such as graduate school or remote opportunities. International applicants should clearly explain their visa status and specific plan for participating in US policy work through pathways available to them (e.g. graduate programs or remote research roles).
Yes. Though the programs serve different needs, some applicants may be a good fit for both. If you apply to both, we may be able to streamline your application so that you don’t have to repeat certain stages, such as the interview. If you're accepted to both programs, we'll work with you to determine which opportunity best aligns with your goals and timing.
The Career Accelerator is a career development and support program. We hope that participants will gain the skills, network, knowledge, and motivation needed to launch their careers and contribute to AI policy over time. Our main goal is to help talented individuals take their next successful step into public service, broadly defined.
Like all of Horizon's programs, the Career Accelerator has no specific policy agenda. The program aims to expand the talent pipeline for addressing consequential technology issues, ultimately enhancing the quality of decision-making over the long term.
Career Accelerator participants can apply for up to $50,000 in flexible funding to advance their public policy careers. Our funding request form details what we can and cannot fund. Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to: stipends for unpaid or underpaid policy roles (e.g. internships); upskilling opportunities (e.g. courses or conference travel); and relocation expenses for specific policy-related opportunities. We make funding decisions on a case-by-case basis, considering both the potential impact on your policy career and our available resources.
The training period consists of several weeks of optional virtual modules. These modules typically follow a "flipped classroom" style, with some pre-reading followed by a group discussion with experienced speakers. As a participant, you can join as many or as few modules as you like. If you participate in all available modules, expect up to 5 hours per week during this period. The rest of the 9-month program is less structured, with time commitment depending on your engagement with mentorship and advising (typically less than 2 hours per week on average).
Yes. The Career Accelerator is designed for individuals with clear goals for advancing their policy careers. While many participants are actively seeking new roles, we also welcome strong candidates who aren't currently job searching.
The key requirement is articulating how you'll use the program's support services to advance your AI policy career. If you're not seeking a new position, be specific in your application about which program components you'll leverage and how they'll help achieve your policy goals—whether building expertise, expanding your network, transitioning your current work toward AI issues, or preparing for future opportunities.
We plan to run several Career Accelerator cohorts each year and thus open program applications every few months.
Applications are closed; sign up to get notified about future applications
Get in touch and learn more about Horizon. We are always eager to hear from aspiring public servants and potential partners.