Become an AI researcher—without a traditional background.
The Astral Fellowship is a selective 8-12 week research fellowship for high-school students, undergraduates and industry professionals who want to learn to publish legitimate AI research and transition into research careers.
Spring Cohort (X26) Deadline: February 12th, 2026
Become an AI researcher—without a traditional background.
The Astral Fellowship is a selective 8-12 week research fellowship for high-school students, undergraduates and industry professionals who want to learn to publish legitimate AI research and transition into research careers.
Spring Cohort (X26) Deadline: February 12th, 2026
Introduction
Introduction
Introduction
A fellowship focused on impactful, credible & replicable research.
The Astral Fellowship provides a focused, mentor and peer guided environment where motivated students and professionals learn how to conduct research for real reputable conferences—not glorified resume bullet points.
Gallery
Gallery
Gallery
Research produced by Astral Fellows
A snapshot of peer-reviewed papers, preprints, workshop publications, main track publications, journal publications, and applied research projects across computer science, AI, and their applications.
PhysNav-DG
Accepted to DG-EBF @ CVPR 2025
Cited by 3 other research papers
Published in IEEE Xplore
PhysNav-DG
Accepted to DG-EBF @ CVPR 2025
Cited by 3 other research papers
Published in IEEE Xplore
PhysNav-DG
Accepted to DG-EBF @ CVPR 2025
Cited by 3 other research papers
Published in IEEE Xplore
CLIP-MG
Accepted to MiGA @ IJCAI 2025
Cited by Researchers from Nanjing University
CLIP-MG
Accepted to MiGA @ IJCAI 2025
Cited by Researchers from Nanjing University
CLIP-MG
Accepted to MiGA @ IJCAI 2025
Cited by Researchers from Nanjing University
Democracy-In-Silico
Cited by Finnish Parliment's Innovation Lab
Recieved Google Grant for Funding
Featured by Google Research
Democracy-In-Silico
Cited by Finnish Parliment's Innovation Lab
Recieved Google Grant for Funding
Featured by Google Research
Democracy-In-Silico
Cited by Finnish Parliment's Innovation Lab
Recieved Google Grant for Funding
Featured by Google Research
Dura-CPS
Accepted to VERDI @ IEEE DSN 2025
Collaborated with researchers from CMU, UPenn, and Cornell
Cited by Autonomous Driving Paper
Dura-CPS
Accepted to VERDI @ IEEE DSN 2025
Collaborated with researchers from CMU, UPenn, and Cornell
Cited by Autonomous Driving Paper
Dura-CPS
Accepted to VERDI @ IEEE DSN 2025
Collaborated with researchers from CMU, UPenn, and Cornell
Cited by Autonomous Driving Paper
GenECA
Accepted to Interspeech 2025
Cited by one other research paper
GenECA
Accepted to Interspeech 2025
Cited by one other research paper
GenECA
Accepted to Interspeech 2025
Cited by one other research paper
WebNav
Cited by Microsoft Research Asia
Cited by Researchers from Zhejiang and Wuhan University
WebNav
Cited by Microsoft Research Asia
Cited by Researchers from Zhejiang and Wuhan University
WebNav
Cited by Microsoft Research Asia
Cited by Researchers from Zhejiang and Wuhan University
Outcomes
Outcomes
Why serious research experience matters.
Strong research experience builds more than a publication: it develops the technical depth, intellectual maturity, and independence expected by top universities, labs, and research-driven teams.
Credible Research Signals
Publishing in selective venues and producing reproducible work creates signals that are legible to universities, labs, and reviewers — beyond generic extracurriculars, benchmark papers, and resume padding venues
Long-Term Research Trajectory
Astral Fellows is designed to help participants build momentum to launch a career in AI research: follow-on work, collaborations, and continued research is expected, and designed for. You will be forever part of the Astral Fellows Alumni network
Long-Term Research Trajectory
Astral Fellows is designed to help participants build momentum to launch a career in AI research: follow-on work, collaborations, and continued research is expected, and designed for. You will be forever part of the Astral Fellows Alumni network
Mentorship & Professional Standards
Fellows receive feedback modeled after real academic review processes, learning how strong research is evaluated and improved in professional settings from past T5 conference reviewers and highly accomplished academics.
Mentorship & Professional Standards
Fellows receive feedback modeled after real academic review processes, learning how strong research is evaluated and improved in professional settings from past T5 conference reviewers and highly accomplished academics.
What They Say
What They Say
Real Stories, Real Impact
Real Stories, Real Impact
Hear from people who've published papers. gotten job offers, received admission to top colleges, and attended the worlds foremost academic venues.
Hear from people who've published papers. gotten job offers, received admission to top colleges, and attended the worlds foremost academic venues.
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
I presented at IJCAI and it was awesome. I never thought a high schooler like me could present my work at one of the top 5 AI venues in the world. It's been an amazing experience.
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
I presented at IJCAI and it was awesome. I never thought a high schooler like me could present my work at one of the top 5 AI venues in the world. It's been an amazing experience.
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
I presented at IJCAI and it was awesome. I never thought a high schooler like me could present my work at one of the top 5 AI venues in the world. It's been an amazing experience.
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
I presented at IJCAI and it was awesome. I never thought a high schooler like me could present my work at one of the top 5 AI venues in the world. It's been an amazing experience.
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
I presented at IJCAI and it was awesome. I never thought a high schooler like me could present my work at one of the top 5 AI venues in the world. It's been an amazing experience.
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
I presented at IJCAI and it was awesome. I never thought a high schooler like me could present my work at one of the top 5 AI venues in the world. It's been an amazing experience.
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
I presented at IJCAI and it was awesome. I never thought a high schooler like me could present my work at one of the top 5 AI venues in the world. It's been an amazing experience.
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
I presented at IJCAI and it was awesome. I never thought a high schooler like me could present my work at one of the top 5 AI venues in the world. It's been an amazing experience.
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
I presented at IJCAI and it was awesome. I never thought a high schooler like me could present my work at one of the top 5 AI venues in the world. It's been an amazing experience.
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
I presented at IJCAI and it was awesome. I never thought a high schooler like me could present my work at one of the top 5 AI venues in the world. It's been an amazing experience.
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
I presented at IJCAI and it was awesome. I never thought a high schooler like me could present my work at one of the top 5 AI venues in the world. It's been an amazing experience.
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
I presented at IJCAI and it was awesome. I never thought a high schooler like me could present my work at one of the top 5 AI venues in the world. It's been an amazing experience.
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
I presented at IJCAI and it was awesome. I never thought a high schooler like me could present my work at one of the top 5 AI venues in the world. It's been an amazing experience.
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
I presented at IJCAI and it was awesome. I never thought a high schooler like me could present my work at one of the top 5 AI venues in the world. It's been an amazing experience.
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
I presented at IJCAI and it was awesome. I never thought a high schooler like me could present my work at one of the top 5 AI venues in the world. It's been an amazing experience.
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
I presented at IJCAI and it was awesome. I never thought a high schooler like me could present my work at one of the top 5 AI venues in the world. It's been an amazing experience.
Attending CVPR 2025 was the most intellctually charged experience I've ever had. I met the who's who of AI research, people like Rene Vidal from UPenn and listened to talks from the industrys very best-- even connecting with research scientists at Apple
Fellowship Pathways
Fellowship Pathways
Fellowship Pathways
Choose the pathway aligned with your research readiness and goals.
Astral Fellows offers structured pathways designed for different stages of research maturity — from first-time researchers learning the publication process to advanced contributors targeting selective, main-track venues.
Research Foundations
Early-Stage & Workshop Track
$999
for Tuition
Designed for high school students and early undergraduates gaining their first experience with academic research and publication.
Research Focus
Learning how academic research works
Developing sound baselines and evaluations
Writing and structuring real papers
Target Venues
CORE B/C Tier Conference Workshops
Early-stage or lower-tier main tracks
IEEE-affiliated venues with lighter reviews
Outcome: A complete research artifact (paper + code) and a grounded understanding of the publication process.
Research Foundations
Early-Stage & Workshop Track
$999
for Tuition
Designed for high school students and early undergraduates gaining their first experience with academic research and publication.
Research Focus
Learning how academic research works
Developing sound baselines and evaluations
Writing and structuring real papers
Target Venues
CORE B/C Tier Conference Workshops
Early-stage or lower-tier main tracks
IEEE-affiliated venues with lighter reviews
Outcome: A complete research artifact (paper + code) and a grounded understanding of the publication process.
Research Foundations
Early-Stage & Workshop Track
$999
for Tuition
Designed for high school students and early undergraduates gaining their first experience with academic research and publication.
Research Focus
Learning how academic research works
Developing sound baselines and evaluations
Writing and structuring real papers
Target Venues
CORE B/C Tier Conference Workshops
Early-stage or lower-tier main tracks
IEEE-affiliated venues with lighter reviews
Outcome: A complete research artifact (paper + code) and a grounded understanding of the publication process.
Research Scholar
Popular
Selective Track
$2500
for Tuition
The core Astral Fellows experience, designed for researchers ready to meet the standards of top-tier workshop venues at leading AI conferences.
Research Focus
Application-driven problem selection
Strong baselines, ablations, and evaluation rigoreek
Clear articulation of technical contribution
Target Vanues
Core A/A* Rank Conference Workshops
CVPR, ICLR, ICML, NeurIPS Workshops
Research Competitions
Select MDPI Journals
Outcome: A submission-ready paper aligned with the expectations of elite research communities, plus a strong foundation for future main-track work.
Research Scholar
Popular
Selective Track
$2500
for Tuition
The core Astral Fellows experience, designed for researchers ready to meet the standards of top-tier workshop venues at leading AI conferences.
Research Focus
Application-driven problem selection
Strong baselines, ablations, and evaluation rigoreek
Clear articulation of technical contribution
Target Vanues
Core A/A* Rank Conference Workshops
CVPR, ICLR, ICML, NeurIPS Workshops
Research Competitions
Select MDPI Journals
Outcome: A submission-ready paper aligned with the expectations of elite research communities, plus a strong foundation for future main-track work.
Research Scholar
Popular
Selective Track
$2500
for Tuition
The core Astral Fellows experience, designed for researchers ready to meet the standards of top-tier workshop venues at leading AI conferences.
Research Focus
Application-driven problem selection
Strong baselines, ablations, and evaluation rigoreek
Clear articulation of technical contribution
Target Vanues
Core A/A* Rank Conference Workshops
CVPR, ICLR, ICML, NeurIPS Workshops
Research Competitions
Select MDPI Journals
Outcome: A submission-ready paper aligned with the expectations of elite research communities, plus a strong foundation for future main-track work.
Advanced Research
Main-Track Publication Track
$5000
for Tuition
Designed for researchers prepared to pursue main-track publication at established, selective conferences at the top of their fields.
Research Focus
Substantive technical contributions
Multi-round revision and peer critique
System-level or application-driven work
Target Venues
Core B/A Rank Conference Main Tracks
Select Journals
Outcome: A main-track submission with rigorous evaluation, reproducible code, and a research trajectory extending beyond a single paper.
Advanced Research
Main-Track Publication Track
$5000
for Tuition
Designed for researchers prepared to pursue main-track publication at established, selective conferences at the top of their fields.
Research Focus
Substantive technical contributions
Multi-round revision and peer critique
System-level or application-driven work
Target Venues
Core B/A Rank Conference Main Tracks
Select Journals
Outcome: A main-track submission with rigorous evaluation, reproducible code, and a research trajectory extending beyond a single paper.
Advanced Research
Main-Track Publication Track
$5000
for Tuition
Designed for researchers prepared to pursue main-track publication at established, selective conferences at the top of their fields.
Research Focus
Substantive technical contributions
Multi-round revision and peer critique
System-level or application-driven work
Target Venues
Core B/A Rank Conference Main Tracks
Select Journals
Outcome: A main-track submission with rigorous evaluation, reproducible code, and a research trajectory extending beyond a single paper.
Merit Scholarships
Astral Fellows offers a small number of merit-based scholarships to exceptional applicants whose research potential, trajectory, or perspective would add outsized value to the fellowship. Scholarship consideration requires completion of the standard application followed by an optional secondary review, and awards may be full or partial at our discretion. Scholarships are not guaranteed and are granted selectively—often to none or only one or two applicants per cohort—as an investment in research excellence rather than financial need.
Merit Scholarships
Astral Fellows offers a small number of merit-based scholarships to exceptional applicants whose research potential, trajectory, or perspective would add outsized value to the fellowship. Scholarship consideration requires completion of the standard application followed by an optional secondary review, and awards may be full or partial at our discretion. Scholarships are not guaranteed and are granted selectively—often to none or only one or two applicants per cohort—as an investment in research excellence rather than financial need.
Astral Fellows does not guarantee publication. Legitimate research outcomes depend on the originality, rigor, and execution of the work. Programs that guarantee publication typically publish in non-rigorous venues or write papers on behalf of participants — neither aligns with our standards.
Merit Scholarships
Astral Fellows offers a small number of merit-based scholarships to exceptional applicants whose research potential, trajectory, or perspective would add outsized value to the fellowship. Scholarship consideration requires completion of the standard application followed by an optional secondary review, and awards may be full or partial at our discretion. Scholarships are not guaranteed and are granted selectively—often to none or only one or two applicants per cohort—as an investment in research excellence rather than financial need.
Merit Scholarships
Astral Fellows offers a small number of merit-based scholarships to exceptional applicants whose research potential, trajectory, or perspective would add outsized value to the fellowship. Scholarship consideration requires completion of the standard application followed by an optional secondary review, and awards may be full or partial at our discretion. Scholarships are not guaranteed and are granted selectively—often to none or only one or two applicants per cohort—as an investment in research excellence rather than financial need.
FAQ
FAQ
FAQ
Got Questions?
Find answers to the most common questions about classes, memberships, and more.
1. What exactly is Astral Fellows?
Astral Fellows is a selective AI research fellowship designed to teach participants how to conduct legitimate, end-to-end research — from problem formulation to submission — under standards comparable to established academic venues. It is not a course, bootcamp, or tutoring program. Fellows are expected to engage with ambiguity, iteration, and critique, just as professional researchers do.
2. Who is Astral Fellows for?
3. Do you guarantee publication?
4. What makes Astral Fellows different from other research programs?
5. What kind of research will I actually do?
6. What is the difference between workshops, conferences, and journals?
7. What determines which pathway I should apply to?
8. What do Fellows leave with at the end of the program?
9. Is this mainly for college admissions?
10. How much time does the fellowship require?
11. Who are the mentors?
12. Do you help after submission?
13. What misconceptions do applicants commonly have?
14. Is this program right for beginners?
15. How selective is Astral Fellows?
16. What about merit scholarships?
17. If I’m unsure, should I still apply?
1. What exactly is Astral Fellows?
Astral Fellows is a selective AI research fellowship designed to teach participants how to conduct legitimate, end-to-end research — from problem formulation to submission — under standards comparable to established academic venues. It is not a course, bootcamp, or tutoring program. Fellows are expected to engage with ambiguity, iteration, and critique, just as professional researchers do.
2. Who is Astral Fellows for?
3. Do you guarantee publication?
4. What makes Astral Fellows different from other research programs?
5. What kind of research will I actually do?
6. What is the difference between workshops, conferences, and journals?
7. What determines which pathway I should apply to?
8. What do Fellows leave with at the end of the program?
9. Is this mainly for college admissions?
10. How much time does the fellowship require?
11. Who are the mentors?
12. Do you help after submission?
13. What misconceptions do applicants commonly have?
14. Is this program right for beginners?
15. How selective is Astral Fellows?
16. What about merit scholarships?
17. If I’m unsure, should I still apply?
1. What exactly is Astral Fellows?
Astral Fellows is a selective AI research fellowship designed to teach participants how to conduct legitimate, end-to-end research — from problem formulation to submission — under standards comparable to established academic venues. It is not a course, bootcamp, or tutoring program. Fellows are expected to engage with ambiguity, iteration, and critique, just as professional researchers do.
2. Who is Astral Fellows for?
3. Do you guarantee publication?
4. What makes Astral Fellows different from other research programs?
5. What kind of research will I actually do?
6. What is the difference between workshops, conferences, and journals?
7. What determines which pathway I should apply to?
8. What do Fellows leave with at the end of the program?
9. Is this mainly for college admissions?
10. How much time does the fellowship require?
11. Who are the mentors?
12. Do you help after submission?
13. What misconceptions do applicants commonly have?
14. Is this program right for beginners?
15. How selective is Astral Fellows?
16. What about merit scholarships?
17. If I’m unsure, should I still apply?
Astral Fellows does not guarantee publication. Legitimate research outcomes depend on the originality, rigor, and execution of the work. Programs that guarantee publication typically publish in non-rigorous venues or write papers on behalf of participants — neither aligns with our standards.