Mozilla Fellows for Tech + Society Fellowship 2024: Are you an experienced technologist interested in working more deeply at the intersection of technology and social justice issues you care about? Then apply below
Application Deadline: 22nd January 2024
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This fellowship is focused at the intersection of technology and civil society and exists in part because of the power—and resource—imbalance that public interest technologists and civil society organizations in the Global Majority are experiencing.
Critical civil society organizations fight inequality, protect the public, and partner with the public sector to serve citizenship. In the era of ubiquitous technology, it’s paramount that civil society also work to address societal issues, as they converge with the digital world. Increasing collective impact at the intersection of technology and society will help fortify the relevance and sustainability of public interest movements and technologists—and help to advance a more human-centered internet.
This fellowship is designed to bring technological strategists and civil society leaders together into collaboration. By pairing technologists [as fellows] with civil society organizations [as host organizations], the program aims to increase the impact of the organizations’ work and enhance their ability to address societal issues that intersect with technology.
This is rooted in the idea that both technologists and civil society leaders come to the table with essential expertise: the fellows bring a wealth of technical know-how, while the host organizations bring a deep understanding of how technology broadly — and in some cases AI specifically — is impacting the communities they serve.
This fellowship also serves to expand the leadership capacity of fellows by providing opportunities to deeply impact local movements, meaningfully connect to a global community of other public interest leaders, amplify their impact, and find the space and support to explore personal projects.
The fellowship is an opportunity for technologists and civil society organizations, each with their own unique areas of expertise, to work in collaboration with one another and the cohort in a shared purpose.
Type: Fellowship
The ideal candidates for this fellowship will be able to demonstrate the following:
Mission Driven. We are looking for individuals with an interest in social justice issues and a track record of success working in technology in their region, and who are dedicated to continuing to work in that space after their fellowship. In addition to having a long term commitment to working on the issue(s) proposed in their application, fellows should align with Mozilla’s interests and focus , and be able to easily leverage Mozilla’s strengths as an organization, ie open source ethos, large network of contributors.
Collaboration. Collaboration is inherent in the design of this fellowship . The ideal candidate should enter the program with an issue at the intersection of technology and social justice that would benefit from partnership with their selected host organization. We invite all applicants to review the potential 2024-2026 host organizations , and—as part of the application—to suggest which organization(s) are most aligned with their work. We’re looking for fellows who are eager to: 1) share expertise that will enhance their host organization’s strategic approach and impact to serve the broader community; 2) learn from and contribute towards the learning of new skills from their host organization, Mozilla community and peers; and 3) work openly and collaboratively in the public interest.
Impact. We’re looking for individuals focused on solving issues at the intersection of technology and society that will make — or be the catalyst for — significant change, with tangible, measurable results within their host organizations. Fellows should also be able to articulate how the impact of their project will advance the change they’d like to see in the world.
Leverage. Ideal candidates for a Mozilla fellowship will understand how to leverage their proposal to drive change at a wider level. We’re looking for individuals who have technical and community expertise and who are able to think about changing systems, manage a project, and understand levers of change. This involves strong listening skills as well as the ability to translate what’s needed.
Initiative. An ideal candidate for a Mozilla Fellowship is someone who shows a lot of initiative, and will take charge of the experiences and opportunities given to them. Fellows are expected to manage their time and resources, and must be comfortable working with a high level of autonomy.
Communication. We’re looking for individuals with an interest in advocating for change and/or popularizing new ideas and approaches, and be comfortable using their voice — whether through written media or public speaking — to do so. Fellows should also have the ability to explain technology to a broad audience.
Eligible Countries: Fellows will join a cohort of public interest technologists and human rights organizations from Eastern Africa, MENA, Brazil, India, and Mexico.
To be Taken at: Selected countries (see in Webpage Link)
Number of Awards: Not specified
Mozilla Fellows have the opportunity to learn from and contribute to a variety of issues and approaches to ensure the internet remains a force for good. As a Fellow, you will:
Duration of Award: 10 months
The application for a Mozilla Fellowship is a two-part process: 1) registration and 2) full application. The registration form must be submitted in Fluxx by January 22 in order to be able to submit a full application.
Information Sessions: We are hosting information sessions on 20 December 2023, 9 January 2024, and 25 January 2024 for interested applicants. They will take place via Zoom, and are opportunities to learn more about the Tech + Society Fellowship and to ask any questions you may have about the application process. These info sessions will be recorded for reference by anyone who is unable to attend.
Visit Award Webpage for Details
This post was last modified on January 26, 2024 12:34 pm