Research Resident, AI × Bio Threats and Mitigations

RAND•Pittsburgh, DC

17h•Hybrid

About The Position

The RAND Center on AI, Security, and Technology's mission is to understand and address emerging threats to global security, in particular biosecurity and AI security. We believe that biotechnology and frontier AI will be among the most powerful and transformative technologies of the coming decades, and that addressing the risks that accompany them is one of today's most pressing challenges. Our work focuses on understanding these threats and developing concrete solutions to counter them, from technical analysis through to engagement with the stakeholders positioned to act. RAND is an independent non-profit, but regularly engages with senior stakeholders within the USG, allied governments, and relevant industry stakeholders. We are looking for a Research Resident to help us understand and counter the ways frontier AI could lower barriers to harmful biological activity. You will assess where AI meaningfully increases misuse risk, develop safeguards and detection approaches, and turn analysis into concrete recommendations that developers, policymakers, and government partners can act on. Depending on your background and interests, your work could span areas such as: Assessing how AI accelerates scientific workflows in ways that could enable misuse, identifying concerning capabilities, and developing indicators for major capability shifts at the AI × Bio intersection Contingency planning for the point at which a frontier model materially increases the likelihood of serious biological misuse, and building the infrastructure to recognize and coordinate a response in advance. Understanding how sophisticated and state-linked actors might pursue AI-enabled biological misuse, and developing frameworks to deter and disrupt them, including work on attribution and signaling. Building methods and architectures for advanced technology providers to detect misuse before harm occurs, including identifying the signals and patterns that would distinguish a serious threat from noise.

Requirements

Excellent analytic skills.
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
Ability to work effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team.
Strong commitment to RAND's core values of quality and objectivity.
Comfortable owning problems end-to-end.
Ability to work across ambiguity on novel questions.
Strongly motivated by mission-driven work.
Track record of rigorous analysis in a fast-paced environment.
Reasoning about how adversaries think, plan, and can be disrupted.
Around 5 years of relevant experience (or excellent candidates with less experience if they have a track record of high-quality analysis and the ability to adapt quickly to new questions and challenges).
Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance (preferred but not required).
Minimum of a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (Associate level).
PhD in a relevant field (Associate Biosecurity Resident or Associate AI Policy Resident).
Master’s degree in a relevant field with at least 3 years of relevant professional experience (Associate Biosecurity Resident or Associate AI Policy Resident).
Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field with at least 5 years of relevant professional experience (Associate Biosecurity Resident or Associate AI Policy Resident).
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Cybersecurity, Information Security, Information Technology, Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Physics, Applied Physics, Engineering Physics, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Engineering and Public Policy, Technology and Policy, National Security Policy, Policy Analysis, Political Science, International Relations, or similar (Technical Resident, Associate I).
1 year AI-focused real-world experience (Technical Resident, Associate I).

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with frontier AI.
Familiarity with the life sciences.

Responsibilities

Assess where AI meaningfully increases misuse risk.
Develop safeguards and detection approaches.
Turn analysis into concrete recommendations that developers, policymakers, and government partners can act on.
Assess how AI accelerates scientific workflows in ways that could enable misuse.
Identify concerning capabilities.
Develop indicators for major capability shifts at the AI × Bio intersection.
Contingency planning for the point at which a frontier model materially increases the likelihood of serious biological misuse.
Build the infrastructure to recognize and coordinate a response in advance.
Understand how sophisticated and state-linked actors might pursue AI-enabled biological misuse.
Develop frameworks to deter and disrupt AI-enabled biological misuse, including work on attribution and signaling.
Build methods and architectures for advanced technology providers to detect misuse before harm occurs.
Identify the signals and patterns that would distinguish a serious threat from noise.