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Applying to Scale AI Human Frontier Collective · researched 12 Nov 2026

How to apply to Scale AI Human Frontier Collective

Apply to the fellowship for your field and country through hfc.scale.com, which opens Scale AI's Greenhouse posting; Scale reviews your background, emails selected applicants an assessment and a screening interview, says it tends to finish within 2 weeks, and invites those who pass, who are then matched to paid projects one at a time.

, AITraining.jobs lists 10 open Scale AI Human Frontier Collective roles; 3 of them state an hourly rate.

Start your Scale AI Human Frontier Collective application (opens the job details)

Applying to Scale AI Human Frontier Collective, step by step

Researched Nov 2026

Apply to the fellowship for your field and country through hfc.scale.com, which opens Scale AI's Greenhouse posting; Scale reviews your background, emails selected applicants an assessment and a screening interview, says it tends to finish within 2 weeks, and invites those who pass, who are then matched to paid projects one at a time.

Who can join

  • Medical Fellow: an MD or DO with board certification. Residents, practising clinicians and people with extensive clinical experience are welcome, in internal medicine, emergency medicine, radiology, surgery, psychiatry and related fields; no AI experience is needed.
  • Legal Fellow: a JD or LLM, or a current 2L or 3L place at what the posting calls a prestigious program. Bar admission in any jurisdiction is strongly preferred, and the posting names attorneys, clerks, counsel, legal researchers and law professors.
  • Finance Fellow: a PhD, master's or BBA in finance, economics or a related field and 5+ years in FP&A, investment banking, portfolio management, financial consulting or equivalent research; a CFA or CPA is strongly preferred. On 12 Nov 2026 the board carried only the UK posting.
  • STEM Fellow: PhDs, postdoctoral researchers and professors with expertise in fields such as computer science, machine learning, physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics or the humanities.
  • Machine Learning Fellow: a PhD or postdoctoral research in machine learning or computer science, or senior industry experience in machine learning, with strong Python and PyTorch or TensorFlow (AWS, Docker and LangChain are a plus).
  • SWE Fellow: 5+ years of software engineering, or a PhD, postdoc or faculty post in computer science, with deep expertise in Python, Java, Rust, Swift, JavaScript or C++.
  • For a US fellowship, authorization to work in the United States: Scale sponsors no visas for these roles.
  • For a UK or Canada fellowship, authorization to work in the country you live in.
  • Be at least 18, or the age of majority where you live, and hold one account only. Outlier's Terms of Use, which govern HFC's platform, make you an independent contractor and ask for valid payment details in your own name.
  • Be ready to prove where you are. During onboarding you may have to verify your identity and location with a government-issued ID; that place becomes your Primary Country, the only one you may work from.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Pick your track and country

    HFC's site lists tracks for research advisors, medicine, math, computer science and ML, physics, chemistry, law, biology and creative advisors, and its Apply buttons open the matching posting on Scale AI's Greenhouse board. Apply to the posting for the country you live in.

  2. 2

    Apply on the posting

    Scale reviews applications on a rolling basis. Choose carefully: if you are turned down, Scale waits 90 days before it reconsiders you for the same role.

  3. 3

    Wait for the background review

    HFC says it personally reviews your background and how well you fit the program, then sends the next step by email: an assessment and a screening interview.

  4. 4

    Complete the challenge

    On the medical, legal, finance and UK STEM postings, selected candidates do a brief task designed to reflect HFC work and evaluate their domain expertise. The ML, SWE and US STEM postings list only the interview.

  5. 5

    Interview

    You discuss your research experience, your professional background and your fit with Scale's mission to advance human-centered AI. On the ML and US STEM postings, if Scale invited you directly, your invitation says whether this step applies.

  6. 6

    Accept the invitation

    Successful candidates are invited to join the Human Frontier Collective Fellowship, which also opens its newsletters, discussion channels, virtual sessions and in-person events.

  7. 7

    Get matched to projects

    Scale matches you to projects from its partners, from evaluating AI models to designing experiments, building RL environments and co-authoring papers. Each match notification states the pay, there is no minimum commitment, and you decide whether to take a project.

  8. 8

    Work where the project is hosted

    HFC's FAQ says projects run on HFC's own platform, on Outlier's platform or in a partner lab's environment, and that expectations and time commitment are set before you say yes.

A brief domain challenge (on most tracks) and a screening interview

HFC's FAQ says the step after the review of your application arrives by email and involves an assessment and a screening interview. The medical, legal, finance and UK STEM postings describe the assessment as a brief task designed to reflect HFC work and evaluate your domain expertise; the ML, SWE and US STEM postings list only the interview, about your research experience, professional background and fit with Scale's mission. Research advisors meet Scale's research team, and AI safety residents do an ML research take-home, a 30-minute research discussion and a 15-minute hiring manager chat.

Format

Online, by email invitation: a brief task in your field, then a live interview. Creative Advisors instead share one past project for a free portfolio review, then have a paid conversation with Scale's research and ML team.

How to prepare

  • Apply to the track that matches your credential: each posting names its own bar, such as board certification for medicine, a JD or LLM for law, and 5+ years of practice for finance and software engineering.
  • Expect the challenge to look like the work: the medical posting describes designing complex clinical scenarios and evaluating model decisions for safety and accuracy, the legal posting evaluating model outputs for accuracy and regulatory alignment.
  • Prepare to talk about your own research or casework in detail, since the interview covers your research experience and professional background.
  • AI safety residents: Scale says the take-home is judged more on your reasoning and how you interpret results than on polished or conclusive outcomes.
  • Creative Advisors: have a portfolio link and one past project you are proud of ready; nothing is used without a signed agreement and payment.

Why people get rejected

  • Scale does not publish why applicants are turned down; the bar it states is each posting's 'Who Should Apply' list (for medicine, an MD or DO with board certification) and, for US fellowships, US work authorization with no visa sponsorship.
How long it takes

HFC's FAQ says it tends to complete all applicant loops within 2 weeks of submission: a personal review of your background, then an emailed assessment and screening interview. It publishes no wait between joining and a first project.

When you get paid

HFC's FAQ says pay depends on your field and the scope of work: hourly rates vary from $80 to $120, and far greater pay or bonuses are available contingent on success. Projects are hosted on HFC's platform, Outlier's platform or a partner lab's environment, and HFC publishes no payout schedule or method of its own.

Tips to get accepted

  • Apply through hfc.scale.com or Scale's Greenhouse board. HFC says it does no marketing or email campaigns and grows mostly by word of mouth, with fellows referring peers through its open roles.
  • Read each project's rate and platform before you accept: the match notification states the pay, and the postings say rates vary across platforms by project, scope, skillset and location.
  • If a project runs on Outlier, Outlier's FAQ says it pays weekly on Tuesdays for work from the previous Tuesday to Monday (midnight UTC), by PayPal, AirTM or ACH bank transfer.
  • Set money aside for tax: the terms say Scale withholds no income tax or social contributions, and that you must register as self-employed where your law requires it.
  • In the US, disputes go to individual arbitration unless you opt out within 30 days of accepting the terms, by emailing legalnotices@scale.com from your account's address with your full name and city.
  • Work only from your verified Primary Country: if you work elsewhere or move without updating it, your account may be paused until the new location is verified.
  • HFC's support address is hfcsupport@scale.com; Outlier's support chatbot and Remotasks' address serve those platforms.

What isn't public

  • HFC publishes no payout schedule, payment method or minimum for work on its own platform or in a partner lab's environment; only Outlier's weekly schedule is public, and HFC's member platform (platform.hfc.scale.com) needs a sign-in we did not make.
  • None of the 13 fellow postings on Scale's board on 12 Nov 2026 states a rate. The $80 to $120 range is in HFC's FAQ only, and it does not say which fields or projects pay at either end, or what the success-based bonuses are.
  • Scale publishes no acceptance rate, no count of fellows and no figure for how many projects or paid hours a typical fellow gets; the fellow postings set no minimum and promise none.
  • The challenge's length, format and scoring are not published, and the pages differ: HFC's FAQ says applicants get an assessment and a screening interview, while the ML, SWE and US STEM postings list only an interview.
  • Postings differ on length: 9 of the 13 fellow postings give an estimated six months with possible extension, while the Machine Learning (US, UK, Canada) and US STEM postings say there is no fixed end date.
  • The legal pages linked from hfc.scale.com are older Outlier versions (its Terms of Use and Community Guidelines dated 15 May 2023), while Outlier's current Terms of Use, effective 11 May 2026, name platform.hfc.scale.com; which version you accept is shown only at sign-up.
  • HFC's Collective page lists a Finance Fellow for the US and the UK, but only the UK posting was on Scale's Greenhouse board on 12 Nov 2026.
  • We found no independent reviews by HFC fellows on Trustpilot, Glassdoor or Indeed and no press coverage of the program itself, and could not read Reddit or Glassdoor directly; the testimonials on HFC's site are chosen by Scale.
Sources (17)
  • Human Frontier Collective: home page and FAQ ($80 to $120 an hour, projects on HFC's platform, Outlier's or a partner lab's, applicant loops within 2 weeks; read 12 Nov 2026)
  • Human Frontier Collective: Become a Fellow (tracks by field; read 12 Nov 2026)
  • Human Frontier Collective: Explore the Collective (no marketing or email campaigns; read 12 Nov 2026)
  • Human Frontier Collective: Working Location Policy (7 Feb 2024; read 12 Nov 2026)
  • Scale AI job board on Greenhouse (13 fellow postings across the US, the UK and Canada; read 12 Nov 2026)
  • Scale AI: Medical Fellow, Human Frontier Collective (US; read 12 Nov 2026)
  • Scale AI: Legal Fellow, Human Frontier Collective (US; read 12 Nov 2026)
  • Scale AI: Finance Fellow, Human Frontier Collective (UK; read 12 Nov 2026)
  • Scale AI: STEM Fellow, Human Frontier Collective (US; updated 6 Nov 2026, read 12 Nov 2026)
  • Scale AI: Machine Learning Fellow, Human Frontier Collective (US; read 12 Nov 2026)
  • Scale AI: SWE Fellow, Human Frontier Collective (US; read 12 Nov 2026)
  • Scale AI: SWE Fellow, Human Frontier Collective (UK; read 12 Nov 2026)
  • Scale AI: Research Advisor, Human Frontier Collective (US; $300 an hour; read 12 Nov 2026)
  • Scale AI: Creative Advisor, Human Frontier Collective (US; $300 an hour; read 12 Nov 2026)
  • Scale AI: AI Safety Residency, SLPreP (Human Frontier Collective; $100 an hour; updated 6 Nov 2026)
  • Outlier: Terms of Use (effective 11 May 2026; covers platform.hfc.scale.com; read 12 Nov 2026)
  • Outlier: FAQ (weekly Tuesday payouts by PayPal, AirTM or ACH; read 12 Nov 2026)

Where you can apply to Scale AI Human Frontier Collective from

Scale AI Human Frontier Collective does not take on people located in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria and Ukraine (its own list, read 5 Nov 2026).

Scale AI Human Frontier Collective roles to apply to now

All 10 open roles

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Applying to Scale AI Human Frontier Collective: questions

How do I join Scale AI's Human Frontier Collective?

Apply to the fellowship for your field and country through hfc.scale.com, which opens the posting on Scale AI's Greenhouse board. Scale reviews your background, emails selected applicants an assessment and a screening interview, and invites those who pass to join; it says it tends to complete all applicant loops within 2 weeks.

How much does the Human Frontier Collective pay?

HFC's FAQ says hourly rates vary from $80 to $120 depending on your field and the scope of work, with far greater pay or bonuses available contingent on success. The fellow postings themselves state no rate; each project's pay comes with its match notification.

What do HFC's Research Advisors earn?

$300 an hour across finance, legal and medical, for part-time contract work of about 5 to 20 hours a week. The posting looks for senior people such as bulge-bracket or elite-boutique finance leaders, V100 partners and board-certified physicians with 5+ years after residency, and its interview is with Scale's research team.

What is HFC's Creative Advisor role?

A paid, part-time US role for leading creators who bring their craft to Scale's research and ML teams: commissioned briefs, reviews of model outputs and defining what good work looks like in their field. It pays $300 an hour, with pay, time and scope shared at interview; you apply with your background and a portfolio link.

How do HFC fellows get paid?

Per project, as independent contractors. HFC's FAQ says projects are hosted on HFC's own platform, on Outlier's platform or in a partner lab's environment; HFC publishes no payout schedule or method for its own work.

Is the Human Frontier Collective part of Outlier?

It is a separate Scale AI program for experts, with its own site and support address (hfcsupport@scale.com), but one Terms of Use, with Scale AI, Inc. and Smart Ecosystem Inc. (which does business as Outlier AI), governs outlier.ai, remotasks.com and platform.hfc.scale.com.

Does the Human Frontier Collective have an assessment?

Usually. The medical, legal, finance and UK STEM postings ask selected candidates for a brief task that reflects HFC work and tests their domain expertise, followed by an interview; the ML, SWE and US STEM postings list only the interview.

Do I need a PhD to join HFC?

Not on every track. HFC's FAQ says it is for researchers, industry leaders and senior practitioners with deep expertise in a field, and its site says 92% of fellows hold or are pursuing a PhD, MD, JD or other terminal degree. Each posting names its own requirements.

Can I join HFC from outside the US?

From the UK or Canada, yes. On 12 Nov 2026 Scale's board listed UK fellowships for finance, law, medicine, STEM, machine learning and software engineering, and Canadian ones for machine learning and software engineering, but no fellowship for any other country.

How many hours do HFC fellows work?

You choose. The Machine Learning posting sets no minimum commitment, lets you decide whether to take each project, and says most fellows spend 10 to 25 hours a week on a schedule they set themselves.

Is an HFC fellowship a job or a contract?

A contract. The terms that govern HFC's platform make you an independent contractor with no benefits or perks of employment, and Scale withholds no income tax or social contributions from your pay.

What is HFC's AI Safety Residency?

A Human Frontier Collective program with Scale Labs Preparedness and Policy (SLPreP) for PhD-level researchers: mentor-guided AI safety projects, usually aimed at a conference paper, 20 hours a week for 3 months (extendable to 6 to 12 months for exceptional candidates), remote within the US, at $100 an hour.

How long does it take to hear back from Scale AI Human Frontier Collective?

HFC's FAQ says it tends to complete all applicant loops within 2 weeks of submission: a personal review of your background, then an emailed assessment and screening interview. It publishes no wait between joining and a first project.

Does Scale AI Human Frontier Collective have an assessment?

Yes: A brief domain challenge (on most tracks) and a screening interview. HFC's FAQ says the step after the review of your application arrives by email and involves an assessment and a screening interview. The medical, legal, finance and UK STEM postings describe the assessment as a brief task designed to reflect HFC work and evaluate your domain expertise; the ML, SWE and US STEM postings list only the interview, about your research experience, professional background and fit with Scale's mission. Research advisors meet Scale's research team, and AI safety residents do an ML research take-home, a 30-minute research discussion and a 15-minute hiring manager chat.

Can I apply to Scale AI Human Frontier Collective from any country?

Scale AI Human Frontier Collective does not take on people located in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria and Ukraine. Scale AI Human Frontier Collective's own page (read 5 Nov 2026) names these 6 countries.

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