OTF Information Controls Fellowship Program (ICFP)

Fellowship aimed at cultivating research, outputs, and creative collaboration on topics related to repressive Internet censorship and surveillance.

The Open Technology Fund (OTF) is a US-based non-profit corporation created in 2012 as a pilot programme within Radio Free Asia. Its mission is to support open technologies and communities that increase free expression, circumvent censorship, and obstruct repressive surveillance as a way to promote human rights and open societies. In 2019, OTF became an independent grantee corporation of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) – an independent agency of the United States government which operates various state-run media outlets.

The OTF Information Controls Fellowship Program (ICFP) is administered by OTF. This programme 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.

ICFP fellows embed with a host organisation 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 organisation, justification needs to be provided in the application. Non-academic host organisations are also welcome, as are those based outside the United States. While fellows are ideally able to work locally within their host organisation, applicants who wish to work remotely will also be considered with the expectation that a strategy for remote communication will be established.