Deadline: October 3, 2018
The Voqal Fellowship 2019 is open for applications. Voqal believes taking risks and experimenting with new ideas is necessary to advance social change. The Fellowship is a talent and technology accelerator for change-makers and thought leaders who want to launch their next “big idea” focused on increasing equity for those who are least well off politically, economically and/or socially.
One of the few early-stage fellowships, the Voqal Fellowship is designed to increase equity and further progressive, social justice-oriented causes. Ideal applicants will have a specific issue or challenge they are looking to address over the course of their fellowship. Projects can be broad in scope, or a simple tool that will help resolve a social inequity or lead to progressive social change.
The Voqal Fellowship is an investment in a new generation of social entrepreneurs. Fellows receive financial resources and mentoring to bring an early-stage idea to life. The Voqal Fellowship is an opportunity for early career innovators to test assumptions, research target audiences and build strong business plans.
Voqal Fellows receive a $30,000 stipend to complete a project in six months.
Benefits
- Voqal Fellows will receive a $30,000 stipend and will be expected to complete a project in six months.
- Qualifying fellows may also be eligible to receive an additional stipend to help offset the cost of personal health insurance.
- Fellows are paired with a mentor, a professional well established in the fellow’s field who is available to share his or her expertise and provide support.
Eligibility
- Candidates must have three-to-five years of work experience and may not be currently enrolled in a graduate program.
- Candidates must be U.S. citizens or be able to work in the U.S. Voqal cannot offer Visa sponsorship to Fellows.
- Candidates cannot be currently enrolled in a full-time educational program. The Fellowship is intended to provide an opportunity to build out an idea or concept that would not be possible to accomplish with a full-time job.
- The Fellowship is designed for early career professionals working on an idea-stage project. Applications for projects that are part of an established organization or are well beyond the initial start-up period will not be considered for this fellowship.
- Candidates must be able to verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States and be based in the United States for the duration of the fellowship.
- The Voqal Fellowship is designed to further progressive, social justice-oriented causes. Ideal applicants will have a specific issue or challenge they want to address over the course of the Fellowship. Projects can be broad in scope, or a simple tool that will help resolve a social inequity or lead to progressive social change.
If you have a passion for social justice, progressive politics or transformative media and technology, this program is for you. Here are a few (but not all) types of projects Fellows could pursue:
- Mobile Apps
- Media Products
- Information Access
- Tools for Wrangling Big Datasets
- Algorithms
- Software for Social Change Agents
- Websites
Requirements
Soon after the Fellowship is awarded, Fellows must submit an action plan, including a project timeline with distinct milestones. Fellows must treat these six months as a sabbatical and refrain from full-time work. All Fellows must submit a final product that sums up their work once the Fellowship ends.
Voqal Fellows must attend an in-person orientation and a wrap-up meeting. The orientation is in February in Denver and the wrap-up meeting is at the annual Netroots Nation conference in August (location varies each year). Voqal will cover travel expenses in addition to the Fellowship stipend.
Application
Need help filling out your applications? Click here for a Voqal Fellowship Application Guide, including a preview of application questions and a step-by-step guide for submission.
For more information, visit Voqal Fellowship.
