References are entirely optional but can improve your application in some cases. References by people who are directly involved in effective altruism and adjacent communities are particularly useful, especially if we are likely to be familiar with their work and thinking. (E.g., long-time members of the effective altruism community who have given you feedback or otherwise engaged with your work.)
If you prefer reaching out to references only at a later stage, please list the names of likely references but indicate clearly that you still need to check with them before we reach out. Note that you will have to check with them quickly once we ask. If we have prior knowledge of a reference or have professional connections to them, we may reach out to them for their opinion of your application without notifying you in advance. We generally will not do this for references that we don't already know.