CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: TECH POLICY FELLOWSHIP, 2024-25

Tech Global Institute announces the enrollment for the 2024-25 Tech Policy Fellowship. This fellowship is dedicated to advancing equity for the Global Majority on the Internet, focusing on the design, governance, and processes of modern technologies and their impact on Global Majority communities. Previous efforts have targeted specific harms, but the institute is primarily interested in investigating the root causes of these harms by examining the assumptions underlying policies, products, and processes that shape the Internet.

The past decade has seen tremendous technological progress; however, much of the policy debate has excluded Global Majority communities. Consequently, these policies are disconnected from lived realities, undermining fundamental rights, exacerbating the opportunity gap, and risking harm to people.

Tech Global Institute is on a mission to change this. The belief is that everyone has a stake in the technologies that impact their lives and that people—not just developers and traditional governors—should have a voice in how technology is designed and deployed.

The institute is looking for a cohort of six fellows for 2024-25 who share this belief and are committed to promoting equity, accountability, and transparency to ensure that underserved communities from the Global Majority have decision-making powers over technology design and governance. The focus is on technologists, community organizers, activists, and policy or legal professionals deeply embedded in their communities, aligned with the institute’s mission, and committed to contributing to a safer, more open, more equitable, and inclusive Internet ecosystem.

Application deadline: June 20, 2024.

What to Expect

Policy Fellows at Tech Global Institute will work with staff, affiliate networks, senior fellows, and community partners on a six-month paid structured policy research project focused on one or more thematic areas. Each fellow will be assigned a mentor to help shape their project and produce various outputs, including white papers, peer-reviewed publications, op-eds, community events or workshops, and other public interest engagements.

Fellows will collaborate closely with community organizations to study, articulate, and propose meaningful local or region-centric frameworks to address existing platform or technology-related policy problems that disproportionately affect historically excluded communities in the Global Majority. Through this partnership, fellows will build local capacity while ensuring their interventions are embedded in the lived experiences of communities. Professional development and public speaking opportunities will also be provided.

Fellows can apply from anywhere in the world, as this is a fully remote program. There is a flat payment applicable to all fellows irrespective of their geographic location. While there are no specific expectations on time spent, fellows typically dedicate 16-20 hours per week to their project. A flexible working environment is maintained.

Thematic Areas

Applicants may submit a project proposal that responds to one or more of the following thematic areas within Global Majority contexts:

• Platform accountability, including privacy, content moderation, algorithmic transparency, policy creation, user experience, and access to complaints/recourse
• Global Internet governance
• National or international regulations and laws defining citizens’ online lives, including intermediary liability
• Digital infrastructures, including public digitization initiatives
• Digital rights and/or surveillance
• Responsible and inclusive AI with a Global Majority focus

The primary interest is in policy questions that delve into the nuances of existing gaps or propose a way forward, acknowledging the contextual, cultural, socioeconomic, and political diversity of affected communities. Applicants without significant tech experience but with a history of impactful work against large corporations or advancing state accountability are encouraged to apply.

Qualifications

Applicants and their proposed projects should demonstrate the following:

• Impact: Clearly articulate a tightly structured policy question, with timelines, expected outputs, and an explanation of its significance and need for systemic change.
• Experience: Demonstrate familiarity with local political and policy contexts, rooted community engagement, and public interest technology. Past contributions in a related field and a strong network of experts and practitioners are essential.
• Background: Applications from various backgrounds, including human rights, trust & safety, international law, public policy, community organizing and activism, social science research, and human-centered design/computing, are welcome.
• Analytical Rigor: Craft a roadmap for addressing the policy question, incorporating quantitative data, qualitative information, and strong recommendations for platforms/regulators/governments.
• Collaboration: Experience working in interdisciplinary environments and effective communication in a geographically distributed team.
• Leadership: Ability to work independently and in groups, facilitative leadership, and virtual work experience with a focus on measurable impact.
• Mission and Values Alignment: Commitment to advancing the rights and opportunities of Global Majority communities, understanding the sociopolitical histories affecting policy processes, and alignment with DEI policies and Code of Conduct.

Application Package and Deadline

Interested applicants should submit the following to careers@techglobalinstitute.com by June 20, 2024:

• Resume, indicating relevant professional experience and education
• Research proposal (max 1,000 words) outlining key questions, thematic focus, methodology, timeline, and expected outputs
• Two references, including contact information (academic or professional)
• One writing sample (original op-ed, research/white paper, conference proceeding, blog post, policy brief, or work-in-progress)

Note: Plagiarism is taken seriously, and AI-generated writing samples are not accepted.

Application Process

Completed applications will be reviewed by internal staff, with shortlisted candidates notified by the second week of July. Interviews will be conducted by staff, senior fellows, alumni, or affiliate partners. The fellowship period will commence on September 1, 2024.

For any questions, please contact careers@techglobalinstitute.com.