ICANN Fellowship Program

About

The goal of the ICANN Fellowship Program is to strengthen the diversity of the multistakeholder model by fostering opportunities for individuals from underserved and underrepresented communities to become active participants in the ICANN community.

Fellows are exposed to the workings of the ICANN community, are assigned a mentor, and receive training across different areas of knowledge and skill building before, during, and after an ICANN Public Meeting. Travel assistance to attend the meeting is also provided.

Fellowship participants come from a variety of backgrounds. Check out program participants and statistics for more information.

Eligibility

Candidates from all regions and sectors are welcome to apply to the ICANN Fellowship Program.

Participants of the Fellowship Program must:

• Be at least 21 years of age
• Be interested in, or already engaged in, the various components of ICANN‘s work in policy building, the operation of the Domain Name System and the security and stability of the global Internet
• Complete mandatory ICANN Learn course(s); learn more here
• NOT be involved in or associated with other ICANN supported travel programs at time of selection
• Policy Forum applicants must have successfully completed an ICANN Fellowship
• Have previously received no more than two fellowships; second and third time fellows must prove their involvement and engagement in one of the ICANN communities (learn more here)

Returning fellows will be considered for the Tarek Kamel Fellowship Recognition. The award recognizes outstanding contributions of fellows in furthering ICANN‘s capacity development efforts in their respective regions. Learn more here.

For more information, please see the program’s Terms & Conditions and Selection Criteria.

Requirements

Fellowship recipients are expected to:

• Engage in Fellowship Program Mentoring processes
• Complete additional required ICANN Learn courses
• Attend the ICANN Public Meeting and required activities, including but not limited to ICANN Fellowship sessions during the ICANN Meeting
• Network and interact with program alumni and community members
• Complete the post-meeting survey

Participants are encouraged to actively contribute to ICANN policy development processes and Fellowship alumni network upon completion of the Fellowship Program.

Apply

Application round for ICANN74 Policy Forum is now open. Only those who have successfully completed an ICANN Fellowship (Fellowship Alumni) are eligible to apply for a Policy Forum fellowship. Please note, that you need an ICANN Account in order to apply for the Fellowship Program.

If ICANN meeting is held virtually, the Fellowship Program will also be held virtually.

For more information please see program’s Frequently Asked Questions, Terms & Conditions, Selection Criteria and Selection Committee.

Application Dates & Deadlines

* Only those who have successfully completed an ICANN Fellowship (Fellowship Alumni) are eligible to apply for a Policy Forum fellowship.

Current Program Status

Application round for ICANN74 Policy Forum is now open. Only those who have successfully completed an ICANN Fellowship Program (Fellowship Alumni) are eligible to apply for a Policy Forum fellowship. Please note, that you need an ICANN Account in order to apply for the Fellowship Program. If ICANN74 is held virtually, the Fellowship Program and participation will also be held virtually*.

*Virtual participation will incorporate all of the key elements of the Fellowship Program.

ICANN73 Fellowship Program Successful Candidates Announced – The following individuals had been selected to participate in ICANN73 Community Forum to be held from 5-10 March 2022.

The Fellowship Program Post-Meeting Report for ICANN71 is available here.

Important Links

For more information, please contact fellowships@icann.org.

For more information please open this link
Apply Here

https://www.icann.org/fellowshipprogram/#apply

Application

The ICANN Fellowship Program has the new Application Portal, which is the only way to submit your Fellowship Application.

Fellowship Application Instructions are available for review to learn how to create an ICANN Account and submit an application.

For Fellowship Program Application rounds opening and closing dates, please visit: https://www.icann.org/fellowshipprogram.

Can I send information separately to ICANN if I cannot provide it in time for the application?

The online application system is the only method that you can use to apply for an ICANN Fellowship. Where applicable, an applicant may submit additional documentation as proof of their engagement in ICANN within the application portal.

Can I submit my application in any language?

The online application form must be written in English only. If English is not your first language, you are encouraged to translate your responses into English for the application. The Selection Committee members come from different countries around the world, and English is their common language.

Supporting documentation (such as attendance records, links to blogs, certificates, etc.) may be in other languages.

Am I eligible to apply for a fellowship for a Policy Forum meeting?

Policy Forum meetings are open to Fellowship Program alumni only; this means that only those who have successfully participated in the Fellowship Program at least once are eligible to apply. If you have previously participated in an ICANN meeting but have not been a fellow, you are not eligible to apply.

Which ICANN Learn Courses are required?

If you are a first-time fellow, you must complete 102 Introduction to ICANN. This course is available in English (102.1), Spanish (102.2), French (102.3), Arabic (102.4), Russian (102.5), Chinese (102.6), and Portuguese (102.7).

If you are applying for a second or third fellowship, you must complete 201.1 Digital Trade and Global Internet Governance.

Your course completion certificate is a required element of the application system and must be uploaded within the application.

How do I take an ICANN Learn course?

First, create an account at ICANN Learn at https://learn.icann.org.

On the ICANN Learn dashboard, click the catalog icon. First-time fellows will find their required course under the Newcomers tab; alumni will find their course under the Internet Governance tab.

You do not have to complete the entire course in one sitting; ICANN Learn will save your progress. Once you have completed the required course, you can download your certificate in the left-hand corner of the specific course launch page. Alternatively, you can access your certificate by clicking on the transcript icon on the ICANN Learn dashboard. Certificates can be downloaded in pdf format and uploaded into your application directly.

For more information, please review these instructions [PDF, 11.7 MB].

How many times can I receive Fellowship Program support?

An individual can receive a fellowship up to three times. Second- and third-time fellows must prove their ICANN involvement and engagement in one of the ICANN communities.

Prior to ICANN65, the coaching role was held by Fellowship Program alumni; this role does not count towards the three-time limit.

I’m an active participant in the ICANN community. Do I need to provide proof of engagement?

Yes, applicants are responsible for providing evidence of their ICANN involvement and engagement. You will have the opportunity to describe your engagement on the Fellowship Program online application and supporting documentation should be submitted within the application portal.

What type of supporting documentation should I submit as proof of my ICANN involvement and engagement?

Below are some examples:

• attendance records or relevant documentation demonstrating your participation in ICANN global and/or regional events or webinars
• a screenshot of your name in a membership list for an ICANN Supporting Organization (SO), Advisory Committee (AC), Stakeholder Group (SG), or Constituency
• an email from the group’s chair confirming your membership
• links to substantive discussions and deliberations on mailing lists for working groups
• examples of contributions to reporting on working group activity to the stakeholder group/community
• links to public comment contributions
• links to work on review teams
• blogs about ICANN-related topics and events

Can I submit my application form or supporting documentation after the application round closes?

No. Please take careful note of the application closing date listed at https://www.icann.org/fellowshipprogram/#dates-deadlines.

Selection

Who reviews the applications and how are the fellowships chosen?

The Selection Committee is composed of representatives appointed by their Supporting Organization (SO) or Advisory Committee (AC). The Selection Committee reviews all eligible applications and scores them according to the Applicant Selection Criteria. The Selection Committee will take into account comments from ICANN‘s Global Stakeholder Engagement team on individual applications and on the overall needs of each region and community group in ICANN‘s multistakeholder model.

The Fellowship Program will support up to 45 participants per ICANN Public Meeting, including newcomers, returning alumni, and mentors.

For the ICANN Policy Forum, ICANN only accepts applications from Fellowship Program alumni.

How will I know if I received a fellowship?

All successful candidates are announced on the ICANN website, approximately four months before the meeting. Successful candidates also receive a follow-up email and should accept the fellowship within a week. If a candidate does not accept the fellowship, a pre-established list of alternates will be used to fill the vacated position.

Do I need to re-apply for each fellowship?

Yes, you must re-apply for each fellowship round. There is one exception: if you are unable to obtain a visa for the meeting for which you were accepted, the Selection Committee can choose to defer your acceptance to the next eligible meeting, provided it is in the same fiscal year.

Travel

How will my travel be covered?

All travel including airfare and accommodations will be booked and paid for by ICANN directly. Any additional charges related to travel are the responsibility of the fellow. Please visit the Community Travel Support Guidelines [PDF, 312 KB] for more information.

How will the stipend work?

A stipend not to exceed US $500.00 will be provided to offset reasonable individual expenses (such as meals, transport to/from the airport, and incidentals). The stipend will be provided via wire transfer by ICANN upon successful completion of the ICANN Fellowship Program and submission of the post-meeting survey two weeks after the ICANN Meeting.

There is no stipend for the ICANN Virtual Meetings.

Do I need insurance?

Acquiring and paying for any and all insurance, including but not limited to travel insurance, is the responsibility of the fellow. Carrying proof of insurance is suggested. ICANN will reimburse travel insurance expenses only if it is required to apply for a visa; to be reimbursed, the supported traveler must provide proof that the insurance is required.

I would like to add personal or other business segments to my travel. What do I do?

Please refer to the Community Travel Support Guidelines [PDF, 312 KB] and the Community Travel Support website for more information.

What travel documents are needed?

• A valid passport **
• Travel documents as required by your country of origin
• A visa may be required by the country hosting the ICANN Public Meeting; it is very important that you check with your local consulate agency
• Transit visas may be required to connect in certain cities or countries; please check with your local consulate agency

**All travel documents must be consistent with the name on your valid passport.

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