Deadline: 15 July 2019
The Open Technology Fund is seeking applications for the Digital Integrity Fellowship Program (DIFP) to provide fixed monthly stipends to individuals capable of addressing short-term and long-term threats to freedom of expression online.
DIFP aims to fill missing digital security capacity needs for on-the-ground organizations promoting human rights, focusing on those fighting to increase free expression and internet freedom.
Fellows provide organizations and communities most affected by internet freedom violations (like journalists, human rights defenders, NGOs, activists, bloggers, and others) support for their digital security needs.
Fellows will educate the broader internet freedom field about the threats and vulnerabilities experienced, to ensure that emerging and existing technologies best meet the needs of at-risk communities.
Potential Focus Area
- Enhancing the capacity of locally-based digital security professionals as a partner to increase their knowledge and capacity;
- Implementing, maintaining, and scaling up the day-to-day digital security best-practices from within that enable an organization’s digital assets to defend against common “threats-of-the-day”;
- Responding to digital emergencies and targeted attacks utilizing incident response best-practices to inform further protection measures;
- Explore and create solutions for common digital safety challenges faced by front-line organizations;
- Piloting of community-benefiting products that improve implementation of digital safety improvements; and/or,
- Conducting highly-specialized digital forensics such as identifying and documenting malware and other vulnerabilities used in targeted attacks against human rights defenders.
Award Information
- Each approved fellow will sign a performance-based contract directly with OTF for the SOW, be required to report a monthly status to their organization, OTF, and other fellows.
- Awarded fellows will also be allotted an “organizational support stipend” of 5,000 USD total to cover equipment and subscription costs that will maintain security protections for organizations receiving digital security assistance from the fellow.
Things to Avoid
- A focus on countries and organizations with minimal digital security threats;
- No inclusion of feedback loops or information-sharing with the internet freedom technology community;
- One-off trainings or training of trainers as an effort’s primary focus;
- Significant risks or other safety implications that might endanger a fellow or the organization’s staff;
- Projects better suited for the Information Controls Fellowship Program.
Eligibility Criteria
- 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 perform the relevant digital security tasks;
- Individuals who demonstrate a desire to grow their knowledge through mentorship and cross-discipline collaboration; and
- Individuals who demonstrate a commitment to advance internet freedom globally;
- All payments will be made in U.S. dollars (USD) and will comply with local laws, regulations and ethics rules.
- Each applicant is responsible for the tax consequences of any support they receive, as determined by the laws of their country.
- It is each fellow’s sole responsibility to comply with any policies any pre-existing employer may have that would affect their eligibility to participate in the fellowship.
How to Apply
Interested applicants can apply online via given website.
For more information, please visit https://www.opentech.fund/funds/digital-integrity-fellowship/