Deadline: March 25, 2018
Open Technology Fund (OTF)’s Information Controls Fellowship Program (ICFP) is now accepting applications for its fifth fellowship cohort. The program cultivates research, outputs, and creative collaboration on topics related to repressive internet censorship and surveillance. ICFP fellows embed with a host organization for the duration of their fellowship.
The ICFP fellowship program supports individuals working to examine restrictions on the free flow of information. In particular tracking internet interference practices and investigating emerging means of overcoming censorship in repressive environments – the countries, regions, or areas worldwide where internet freedom is most threatened.
The ICFP program offers flexibility for candidates with fellowships available for three, six, nine, or twelve months in duration. This allows for the support of a wider range of proposed efforts, from those that are relatively novel and short-term to others larger in scope. A monthly stipend of $4,200 is granted along with a travel stipend.
- Development and refinement of tools and techniques to continuously monitor internet interference on a global scale
- Investigation of information controls, security, and privacy in popular applications such as search engines, social media platforms, and instant messaging clients
- Testing creative methods of censorship circumvention
- Examination of the impact of internet censorship and use of circumvention tools
- Experimental techniques to limit pro-government manipulation of online discussions
- Analysis of targeted threats against civil society organizations, including internet filtering, denial of service attacks, and targeted malware
- Other novel ideas and approaches relating to the study of global and regional information controls
Benefits
- Three, six, nine or twelve month fellowships available
- Usually offered to postdoctoral, doctoral students, and experienced researchers with demonstrated ability and expertise
- Monthly stipend of $4,200 USD
- Travel stipend of $1,250 to $5,000 USD depending on the fellowship length
Eligibility
- Individuals of all ages irrespective of nationality, residency, creed, gender, or other factors, with the exception that OTF is not able to support applicants within countries that the United States has trade restrictions or export sanctions as determined by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
- Individuals who demonstrate skill and ability to assist in efforts to overcome information controls.
- Individuals who demonstrate a desire to grow their knowledge and skills through a collaborative, cross-discipline approach.
- Individuals who demonstrate a commitment to reach audiences outside the research community.
Typically, ICFP fellows have experience in fields such as computer science, engineering, information security research, software development, social sciences, law, and data visualization, among others. Information controls is a cross-disciplinary field, so applications are open to people from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines and can include students and junior to mid-career practitioners.
Application
For a full rundown of the application process, head here.
For more information, visit OTF Information Controls Fellowship.
