Membership at Meridian

Cambridge has always attracted people working on hard problems. Meridian continues that tradition as the city's hub for AI safety, biosecurity, and related fields—bringing together researchers, engineers, and policy professionals tackling catastrophic risks.

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Community Membership

For Students and Project Builders

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Full Membership

For Professionals

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Visiting Membership

About Membership

Meridian is a working community for people in AI safety, biosecurity, and adjacent fields. Our members include researchers, engineers, policy professionals, and organisation-builders — people with real expertise or demonstrated commitment to developing it.

We also welcome strong candidates in global health and development, animal welfare, or other high-impact areas, but our core focus is technical and policy work on catastrophic risks, and our community reflects that.

We're looking for people who:

  • Have demonstrated the ability or potential to do rigorous work

  • Think carefully about what problems matter and how we can best tackle them

  • Have a track record of building things — papers, code, organisations, policy changes, or projects that didn't exist before they started

  • Are driven by a desire to do good, especially for the future flourishing (and continued existence) of humanity

Membership isn't just access to desk space. We're building a community where people can find collaborators and mentors, get feedback on their work, and stay connected to others in the field. We prioritise visitors whose presence will benefit both their work and ours — people who'll show up to conversations, lunches, and shared spaces, not just use a desk. If you're early in your career, we're looking for evidence you're on a trajectory toward serious contribution.

Members get access to our co-working space in Central Cambridge, invitations to workshops and events, and connection to a concentrated community of people working on hard, important problems.

FAQs

  • Meridian is primarily for people working in AI safety, biosecurity, and related fields, though we welcome strong candidates from other high-impact areas.

  • Full Membership is for people using Meridian as a primary working base — researchers, engineers, policy professionals, and organisation-builders who are actively working in AI safety, biosecurity, or related fields. If Meridian is where you come to do your work, this is your tier.

    Community Membership is for students, early-career professionals, and people from adjacent fields who are seriously engaging with our focus areas — whether through coursework, an ongoing project, or a deliberate transition into the field. Community members are welcome for events and occasional coworking, and can be nominated for Full membership by an existing Full member. If you're not sure which to apply for, apply for Community.

    Visiting Membership is for researchers, policy professionals, fellowship alumni, and independent thinkers with active work in AI safety, governance, or adjacent areas that are temporarily visiting the Cambridge area. Visiting memberships are for stays between two days and four weeks, and includes access to coworking and events. For longer engagements, consider our other membership tiers.

    Not sure if you should apply at all? If you're interested in coming to our events but not yet embedded in the field, you don't need to apply for membership — subscribe to https://luma.com/meridian.

  • Meridian members enjoy a range of benefits, including:

    • Access to a community of like-minded individuals passionate about making a positive impact.

    • Invitations to exclusive events, workshops, and discussions.

    • Access to our co-working spaces and facilities.

  • Meridian hosts many public events, such as talks, workshops, and reading groups. These events are posted on our Luma and are open to anyone interested in our work, with no application or membership required. If you would like to be notified of upcoming events, you can subscribe to the Luma with your preferred email.

  • Thanks to a generous grant from Coefficient Giving, membership is currently free.

  • Meridian reevaluates memberships every 6 months. During the reevaluation process, members may be asked to reapply for their current tier or consider transitioning to a different tier that better suits their engagement and contributions to the community.

    Please note that Meridian reserves the right to suspend or revoke membership at any time for any reason.

  • Involvement in a Meridian Project does not automatically grant membership. Membership is a separate process with its own set of benefits and expectations.

    If you are involved in a Meridian project and are interested in becoming a member, we encourage you to apply for Community Membership.

  • We aim to make decisions on applications within three weeks of receiving them.

    In addition to the written application, you may be asked to attend a brief interview.

  • Community members can transition to Full membership at the 6-month review, or earlier if nominated by an existing Full member. Nominations simply let us know that a Full member is vouching for your work and would like us to take a second look — it doesn't guarantee a change in tier.