Deadline: March 20, 2016
Applications are now open for the 2016 Open Web Fellows Program. The Open Web Fellows program is a collaboration between Ford Foundation and Mozilla – is an international leadership initiative that brings together technology talent and civil society organizations to advance and protect the open Web.
About the Fellowship
Each year, fellows spend 10 months embedded at leading policy & advocacy organizations dedicated to safeguarding the open Internet as a global public resource. Fellows will be placed in Canada, Chile, Kenya, the European Union, and the United States. They will be assisted with visa applications for working and traveling during the fellowship.
As a fellow, you will pursue the following activities over your fellowship year.
- Work on projects defined by your host organization
- Invest in your future as an open Web advocate
- Contribute to a global advocacy community.
Fellows’ Responsibilities
- A commitment to teamwork and working in the open: Fellows are expected to join the working teams of their host organization and contribute to the mission, organizational culture and work products of your host organization. Successful fellows will enjoy both teaching and learning; mentorship is core to this fellowship.
- Documentation: Mozilla and host organizations expect fellows to document their year publicly via blogs, code sharing, and events.
- Calls: Fellows are expected to participate and contribute toweekly and monthly calls.
- Travel and Events: The Fellowship program provides various opportunities for travel to Mozilla events and other conferences around the world. Fellows are requested to participate in these events not only as attendees, but also as presenters and representatives of your respective host organizations. These include:
- Onboarding: 1 week at the beginning of the Fellowship to meet in person with other fellows, host organizations, and Mozilla staff, and to design the Fellowship year and cohort expectations together.
- Fellows Retreat: A halfway point check-in and time for cross collaboration in the cohort.
- Additional: Conferences, hackathons and global networking opportunities may arise due to events in the Internet advocacy space.
- MozFest: 1 week with the rest of the Mozilla Foundation and community to share knowledge, learn, and meet other makers (location: London, UK).
- Capstone: An event at the end of the Fellowship year to showcase each fellow’s work, share experiences with others.
Benefits
To help offset cost of living, the fellowship provides a stipend and supplements.
- Fellowship Grant: The fellowship offers a grant of USD$60,000 paid in 10 monthly installments. Supplements for child care, health insurance, housing, and research/equipment are covered. If you relocate for a fellowship, they will supplement your moving expenses.
- Travel Allowance: All approved fellowship trips – domestic and international – are covered. Additional travel required by the host organizations will be covered by the host organization.
- Research Equipment: Up to $3,500 over the course of the fellowship will be given towards the purchase of laptop computers, digital cameras, recorders, fees for continuing studies or other courses related to the fellowship, software, hosting, research fees, and travel expenses for conferences related to the fellow’s research or study.
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Visa Assistance: Mozilla will work directly with fellows and fellowship partners to try to secure necessary visas if required.
Eligibility
It could be you!
- They are looking for makers – those who see a problem in the world and can solve it through technology or media.
- The right candidate may bring specialities in design, development, storytelling, research and policy analysis, and should be comfortable performing as a technologist, a tinkerer, and a curious contributor to the fellowship program.
- You do not need to have previous experience with Internet advocacy, policy or activism. A lot of campaign design, community organizing, education, and coalition building happen through teamwork and skills like data visualization and participatory learning.
- You can be at any stage in your career, provided you are open to learning.
For more information and to apply, visit Open Web Fellows Program.
