Michigan AI Explorers Program 2027 - PhD Prep Mentorship

An international research and mentorship programme run by the Michigan Artificial Intelligence Lab at the University of Michigan, aimed at pre-doctoral students who want to become competitive applicants for top PhD programmes in AI. It runs six to nine months and pairs each participant with a mentor for sustained research, alongside structured preparation for graduate school applications. The organisers are Rada Mihalcea, who directs the Michigan AI Lab, with Zhijing Jin of the University of Toronto and Angana Borah, a PhD candidate at the Lab.

The programme page states no stipend, salary or funding of any kind, and it also carries a partnership and fundraising invitation, which suggests the programme is seeking support rather than distributing it. Treat it as mentorship and research training rather than an award. If money matters to your decision, email [email protected] and ask directly before applying, because the published information simply does not address it.

Candidates with a strong interest in AI who are ready to contribute to meaningful research, and who will be 18 or older by the start date. Preference goes to students in the final year of a Bachelor or MS degree. Since the whole design is about building a competitive PhD application, the fit is people with a doctorate still ahead of them rather than behind.

Late 2026, according to the programme page, which states that the 2026 applications are closed and will reopen in late 2026 for the following year. No exact date is published. Watch the official page from the autumn rather than trusting third-party listings, several of which still describe the closed 2026 round as though it were open.

Six to nine months of sustained mentored research, run alongside targeted preparation for graduate school applications. The rhythm is weekly meetings with your assigned mentor, monthly cohort meetings where you present research progress to peers, and monthly or bimonthly ACL mentorship sessions on research skills, career pathways and graduate admissions.

Two things, both expected rather than optional. One research paper suitable for submission to a workshop, conference or journal, depending on the field and the scope of the project. And a graduate school application package containing a statement of purpose, a CV and a research statement. The combination is the point: a paper gives you something to show, and the package turns it into an application.

The Lab describes it as an international and global research and mentorship programme, and the published eligibility criteria say nothing about nationality or visa status. What the page does not spell out is whether participation is remote, in Ann Arbor, or a mix, so anyone outside the US should email [email protected] to confirm how the weekly and monthly meetings actually run before applying.

Through a separate form linked from the programme page. Mentors are junior faculty, postdoctoral fellows, senior PhD students and experienced industry researchers, and each takes one or two students. The role covers helping select mentees, meeting weekly, giving timely feedback, and supporting the mentee through the PhD application process. The Lab says it is always looking for new mentors.

No, and it does not claim to. The stated aim is helping talented pre-doctoral students develop the skills, experience and scholarly profile required to gain admission to top-tier PhD programmes, which is preparation rather than a pathway. What you get is a paper, an application package and a mentor who knows how doctoral admissions read, then you compete on the same terms as everyone else.