Information Controls Fellowship Program (ICFP) 2019, USA

Publish Date: Feb 12, 2019

Deadline: Feb 24, 2019

INFORMATION CONTROLS FELLOWSHIP

The Information Controls Fellowship Program (ICFP) cultivates research, outputs, and creative collaboration on topics related to repressive internet censorship and surveillance. 

Setting the stage

The Information Controls Fellowship Program (ICFP) supports examination into how governments in countries, regions, or areas of OTF’s core focus are restricting the free flow of information, cutting access to the open internet, and implementing censorship mechanisms, thereby threatening the ability of global citizens to exercise basic human rights and democracy; work focused on mitigation of such threats is also supported.

Fellowship Information

  • 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
  • A travel stipend of $1,250 to $5,000 USD depending on the fellowship length

Likely candidates

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. To get a better sense of the ICFP community, you can read about fellows from round one, round two, round three, round four and round five.

Where do fellows work?

ICFP fellows embed with a host organization for the duration of their fellowship.

When applying, applicants can specify any host organization of their choosing. Regardless of whether it is a previous or new host organization, justification needs to be provided in the application. Please note that non-academic host organizations are welcome, as are those based outside the United States. While fellows are ideally able to work locally within their host organization, applicants who wish to work remotely will also be considered with the expectation that a strategy for remote communication will be established. You can find previous host organizations listed in the fellowship descriptions.

Potential areas of focus

  • 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 the 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

Award information

OTF awards are performance-based contracts between RFA and the applicant with payment occurring through a monthly stipend subject to approval each month by the OTF Program Manager and supporting host organization. OTF reserves the right to award less or more than the funds described under such circumstances as it may deem to be in the best interest of the program priorities.

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. 

For more information click "LINK TO ORIGINAL" below.


This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:

https://www.opentech.fund/funds/icfp/

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Disciplines

Computer Sciences

Information Technology

Innovative Technologies

Study Levels

Doctoral

Postdoctoral

Opportunity Types

Fellowships

Eligible Countries

International

Host Countries

United States