I am pleased to see increased discourse and transparency in regards to funding in the EA space, and I appreciate your contributions to the conversation.
I share your reservations about Atlas. I agree particularly in regards to the potential pool of applicants for a $25,000 grant being similar to the current one. I would be keen to explore alternative methods of funding, such as providing unconditional funds with the option for additional and conditional ‘top-ups.’
However, I have some concerns about the methodology behind Atlas’ ‘talent search.’ The evidence for the predictiveness of commonly used measures, such as personality tests, is mixed and subject to manipulation and self-report bias. I would need more information on the evaluation process beyond what is available on the Atlas website to ensure that the selection criteria is rigorous and not based solely on interest and involvement in the EA community, personality, or EA language fluency.
Additionally, we must consider that the developmental differences between young people can rapidly evolve during their teenage years, making it challenging to accurately filter for promising individuals.
I am pleased to see increased discourse and transparency in regards to funding in the EA space, and I appreciate your contributions to the conversation.
I share your reservations about Atlas. I agree particularly in regards to the potential pool of applicants for a $25,000 grant being similar to the current one. I would be keen to explore alternative methods of funding, such as providing unconditional funds with the option for additional and conditional ‘top-ups.’
However, I have some concerns about the methodology behind Atlas’ ‘talent search.’ The evidence for the predictiveness of commonly used measures, such as personality tests, is mixed and subject to manipulation and self-report bias. I would need more information on the evaluation process beyond what is available on the Atlas website to ensure that the selection criteria is rigorous and not based solely on interest and involvement in the EA community, personality, or EA language fluency.
Additionally, we must consider that the developmental differences between young people can rapidly evolve during their teenage years, making it challenging to accurately filter for promising individuals.