1:1 Advising

Get personalised one-on-one guidance from our advisors to shape your high-impact thesis and explore pathways toward an impactful career.

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Overview

Ideal for students who want personalised support around the impact of their thesis and career advising.
Get personalized guidance to refine your thesis and support on how to align your thesis with career paths that can make a real difference.

Our advisors will support you in to think strategically about your research, clarify your goals, and identify opportunities to turn your thesis into a stepping stone toward an impactful career. Sessions can range from a single conversation to ongoing monthly guidance depending on your needs.

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Align your thesis with impactful career paths

Receive guidance on how to shape your thesis in ways that support your long-term career goals and open pathways to high-impact opportunities.

Develop a clear Theory of Change

Develop a clearer understanding of how your research can contribute to solving important global challenges.

Thesis support and feedback

Receive feedback on your topic, research design, and writing to strengthen the quality and direction of your thesis.

Connections to experts

Where relevant, we can introduce you to mentors, experts, or organisations working in your area of interest.

Spotlight on our experts

Cassidy Nelson

Dr. Cassidy Nelson

Biosecurity Expert

Cassidy Nelson is Co-Lead of the Biosecurity Research Group at the Future of Humanity Institute. She advises students on health security, biosecurity, and pandemic prevention.

Guiding students through Effective Thesis has been incredibly rewarding. It's inspiring to see young researchers tackle critical issues in biosecurity and pandemic preparedness, areas that are more important now than ever.

Vanessa Kosoy

Vanessa Kosoy

AI Alignment Researcher

Vanessa is a research associate at the Machine Intelligence Research Institute. She advises students in mathematics, computer science, and other quantitative degrees interested in human-aligned artificial intelligence research.

As an Effective Thesis expert, I've had the opportunity to help shape the future of AI safety research. It's exciting to see students apply rigorous mathematical approaches to ensure AI systems remain beneficial to humanity.

Ryan Dwyer

Dr. Ryan Dwyer

Global Happiness Researcher

Ryan is a senior researcher at the Happier Lives Institute, where he investigates the best interventions to improve global happiness. He advises students on conducting impactful research in social psychology and wellbeing.

Being part of the Effective Thesis network has allowed me to guide students towards research that can genuinely improve people's lives. It's gratifying to see how their work contributes to our understanding of global happiness and effective interventions.

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Frequently asked questions

Who qualifies for 1:1 advising?
Students planning or developing a high-impact thesis who want guidance on their reserach, career planning, or both. We are also open to recent graduates that want support in career advising.
How are advisors matched to students?
When you apply, you provide details about yourself and your thesis or career goals. We use this information to connect you with an advisor whose expertise best fits your needs.
Can I request to be connected to a specific expert mentor?
Yes, though we cannot guarantee their availability. We’ll do our best to accommodate your request.
How long does the matching process take?
Generally, 2–3 weeks, depending on advisor availability.
How many advising calls can I have?
Most sessions are one-off calls, but advising can extend to regular check-ins if both you and your advisor agree.
What format are sessions in (video call, email, etc.)?
Advising calls are held virtually. 
What can I discuss with my advisor?
You can discuss thesis-specific, discipline-related questions, career planning, or both. We aim to support you in thinking strategically about how to align your thesis with your impactful career path, as well as support you in the more object-level questions around your thesis.
Is there a cost?
No. All 1:1 advising services are free of charge.

Use your thesis to launch an impactful career

Whether you’re a student, expert, or organistion, join us in supporting the next generation of people using research and their careers to tackle global challenges.

Research areas diagram with six blocks: Empirical evaluation of AI alignment techniques; Cost-effectiveness analysis of interventions and philanthropic grantmaking; Designing pandemic response strategies for low-resource settings; Improving farmed animal welfare through policy advocacy; Testing high-impact behavioral change campaigns for animal welfare; Designing evidence-based strategies for AI governance advocacy; and Evaluating novel biosecurity risk reduction interventions.Five research areas: AI alignment with frontier models, cost-effectiveness of philanthropic interventions, pandemic response for low-resource settings, behavioral change for animal welfare, and biosecurity risk reduction.