Information Controls Fellowship Program

 Deadline: February 28, 2025

What is the opportunity? 

The Information Controls Fellowship Program (ICFP) funds research investigating how governments in targeted regions restrict information flow, limit open internet access, and deploy censorship, thereby undermining human rights and democratic principles. Research focused on mitigating these threats is also encouraged.

Fellowship Details:

• Fellowships are available for 3, 6, 9, or 12 months.
• Fellows engage in full-time research with a host organization of their choice.
• Primarily intended for postdoctoral researchers, doctoral candidates, and experienced researchers with proven expertise.
• A monthly stipend of $7,000 USD is provided.
• Travel stipends range from $1,250 to $5,000 USD, depending on fellowship duration.
• Equipment stipends range from $1,250 to $5,000 USD, depending on fellowship duration.

Application Process:

• Applications undergo a two-stage review and are accepted annually (2025 application period: January 13, 2025 – February 28, 2025).
• Funding is awarded through performance-based contracts directly with the applicant.
• Funds are disbursed upon completion of contractual objectives, activities, and deliverables, according to a pre-defined schedule.
• All payments are made in U.S. dollars and adhere to local laws, regulations, and ethical guidelines.
• Successful applicants are assigned an OTF program manager for project monitoring and evaluation.
• Monitoring and evaluation are based on predetermined metrics, deliverables, and goals outlined in the applicant's proposal.

Benefits

• Three, six, nine or twelve month fellowships available
• Fellows work full-time with a supportive host organization of their choosing
• Usually offered to postdoctoral, doctoral students, and experienced researchers with demonstrated ability and expertise
• Monthly stipend of $7,000 USD
• Travel stipend of $1,250 to $5,000 USD, depending on the fellowship length
• Equipment stipend of $1,250 to $5,000 USD, depending on the fellowship length

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;
• who demonstrate skill and ability to assist in efforts to overcome information controls; 
• who demonstrate a desire to grow their knowledge and skills through a collaborative, cross-discipline approach; 
• and who demonstrate a commitment to reach audiences outside of the research community.

Application

We accept applications to the IFCP once per year. The 2025 application window is from January 13, 2025, until February 28, 2025. Applications are accepted via our online application system and due at 23:59 (11:59 PM) GMT on the final day. 

It is a two-stage process:

Stage 1: Submit a concept note via OTF’s online application system.

Stage 2: Highly competitive concept notes will be invited to submit a full proposal together with the proposed host organization via our online application system.

All applications are reviewed by the OTF team. The independent ICFP Advisory Council, comprising experts in the internet freedom space, will conducts a final review of competitive proposals.

Please review our Applicant Guidebook for additional information, especially the Review Process section to understand how we evaluate applications.

Apply and Learn More