Open Call for Fellowship Applications, Academic Year 2023-2024

Scholarship Description:

Open Call for Fellowship Applications, Academic Year 2023-2024 is open for International Students . The scholarship allows Fellowship level program(s) in the field of cyber space taught at Harvard University . The deadline of the scholarship is expired at 09 Jan 2023.

The Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society is a research center at Harvard University that focuses on the study of cyberspace. Founded at Harvard Law School, the center traditionally focused on internet-related legal issues.  

Fellowship applications for the 2023-2024 academic year is being accepted by The Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society through their open call. It is a partially funded fellowship and a great opportunity for scholars who are willing to spend their 2023-2024 in residence in Cambridge, MA as part of the Center's vibrant community of research and practice, and who seek to engage in collaborative, cross-disciplinary, and cross-sectoral exploration of the Internet's most important issues. Refined number of elements are available in this fellowship program. Drawing on experience engaging fellows over the last two decades, they seek to make our fellowship sustainable for participants while preserving the range of opportunities and special environment that fellows have both benefited from and worked to build.

Degree Level:

Open Call for Fellowship Applications, Academic Year 2023-2024 is available to undertake Fellowship level programs at Harvard University.

Available Subjects:

Following subject are available to study under this scholarship program.

• cyber space

Scholarship Benefits:

Stipend: There are two pathways for people to be considered for the fellowship program through the open call: those who apply for funding from the Berkman Klein Center, and those who apply supported by external funding.

• Berkman Klein Center funding: the Center has a limited pool of funding to support fellows. BKC funded fellows appointed through the open call for applications are eligible to receive stipends of $75,000 annually. The first half of the stipend is guaranteed to cover the first half of the year. We will conduct a mid-year review with fellows to share feedback, review engagement, and check in on progress on research and, provided scholars are on track, at this stage we will clear the way for funding for the second half of the year. For 2023-2024, we anticipate offering three fully-funded fellowships.
   
• External funding: these applicants bring their own funding support, through means such as a grant, a scholarship, sabbatical, or the like. The Berkman Klein Center will complement this funding with an additional stipend of $10,000 that can be used for living, travel, and research expenses. For 2023-2024, we anticipate offering at least three externally funded fellowships.

Applicants may opt to be considered under both funding pathways.

Research support: Fellows will have the option to hire a part-time Harvard University student research assistant during the duration of their appointment. Wages for research assistants of up to $2,500 for the year will be paid by the Berkman Klein Center.

Some important formalities: please note that fellowships through this open call are not considered employment, and fellows will not be entitled to severance pay or layoff benefits upon culmination of the fellowship. 

If one is based in the United States but is not a United States citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident (“green card” holder), one’s immigration status must allow for the receipt of a fellowship stipend. 

Fellows are responsible for tax reporting on their stipends.

More information about fellowship stipends issued through Harvard University may be found here.

Eligible Nationalities:

This fellowship is open to international students. 

Eligibility Criteria:

Applications from scholars, practitioners, innovators, engineers, artists, and others are highly appreciated who are committed to understanding and advancing the public interest. Fellows come from across the disciplinary spectrum and different life paths. 

• Some fellows are academics. For the 2023-2024 year, they invite academics who are post-docs or professors. Please note that in the 2023-2024 academic year they are not welcoming students into our fellowship cohort. (they will spend the year focused on supporting Harvard students through other types of programming, and may solicit applications from students from other institutions through other efforts, such as our research sprints.)
• Some fellows are practitioners who have built their careers outside of academia, including technologists, entrepreneurs, lawyers, policymakers, activists, journalists, educators, and others from various sectors and callings. 
• Many fellows wear multiple hats and straddle different pursuits at the intersections of their capacities. Fellows might be starting, rebooting, driving forward in, questioning, or pivoting from their established careers.
• For the 2023-2024 year, they will prioritize and select for fellows who have a demonstrated record of contributing to public and scholarly conversations in their area of study.
• Fellows are committed to spending their fellowship in concert with others, guided by a heap of kindness, a critical eye, and generosity of spirit.

The fellowship selection process is a multi-dimensional mix of art and science, based on considerations that are specific to each applicant and to the composition of the full fellowship class. Please visit our FAQ to learn more about our selection criteria and considerations.

International applicants: Berkman Klein Center works with the Harvard International Office (HIO) to sponsor immigration paperwork for our eligible international fellows. An outline of the visa application process and requirements may be found on the HIO website at: http://hio.harvard.edu/scholar-visa-process. 

Application Procedure:

Applications will be accepted until Monday, January 9, 2023, at 11:59pm Eastern Time.

Applications will be submitted online through the Berkman Klein Application Tracker at: http://brk.mn/2324apply.

Instructions for creating an account and submitting an application through BKC's Application Tracker may be found here.

PDF attachments you will be required to upload include the following. Please consider this information carefully and ensure your attachments meet these requirements:

• A current resume or C.V.

• A personal statement that responds to the following three questions. Responses to each question should be between 250-500 words; the personal statement should not exceed 1500 words total.

  • What is the research you propose to conduct during a fellowship year? Please

    • describe the problems are you trying to solve;

    • outline the methods which might inform your research; and

    • tell us about the public interest and/or the communities you aim to serve through your work.

  • Why is the Berkman Klein Center the right place for you to do this work? Please share thoughts on:

    • how the opportunity to engage colleagues from different backgrounds -- with a range of experiences and training in disciplines unfamiliar to you -- might stimulate your work; and

    • the skills, connections, and insights you are uniquely suited to contribute to the Center’s community and activities.

  • How does your personal background inform and influence your research?
     
• A PDF of 1-3 work samples for a public audience, such as articles, op-eds, events, etc. Ideally, these should connect to the project proposal in some way, or help to demonstrate the feasibility of the project proposal. Please submit these samples as one combined PDF. Do not include more than three samples; we will only review the first three samples.

Applicants should ensure that their names are included on each page of their application materials.

Application questions you will be asked to answer directly within the Application Tracker:

• Title of your fellowship proposal 
• Does your research align with one of the areas of interest outlined in the call for applications? This initial selection will help us to support building connections among fellows and between fellows and ongoing work at BKC, but is of course not meant to constrain future research and exploration.
• Is there a Berkman Klein Faculty Director whose research or teaching interests align with yours? If so, please select the Director from the list.
• If you selected a particular Faculty Director, please briefly describe how your work and interests connect to that Director’s. [optional]
• Current primary affiliation or organization
• In what sector do you primarily work?
• If from within academia, what will your status be during the 2023-2024 year?
• What is your primary discipline?
• If you have one, what is your secondary discipline? [optional]
• Country of national origin
• Current country of residency
• In the 2023-2024 year, we expect that fellows will approach their fellowship and its research as a full-time job. How will you fund your fellowship?
• If you will have external funding, please describe the source and associated commitments. [optional]
• Previous involvement in Berkman Klein Center programs [optional]
• Any additional information you'd like to share with us [optional]
• Demographic data [optional]

If contacted for an interview and requested, applicants should be prepared to share reference letters from two references. Reference letters are not required as part of the initial submission of an application.