Internet Society Early Career Fellowship, 13 Mar 2021

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From YouTube: Early Career Fellowship: Q&A

Description

Questions and answers from the Early Career Fellowship webinar March 11, 2021.

We held the virtual Early Career Fellowship Event for Potential Candidates, where we walked through the program’s elements, curriculum and eligibility requirements, explained the application process, and answered some questions.

Presentation slides: https://isoc.box.com/s/0hoq9ffa02o5bd6yowzsajwe67pwewp3
More information on Fellowship: https://www.internetsociety.org/fellowships/early-career/

A

We're really excited to dive into your questions. So, let's get to it. I see there's a few questions here, alejandra about the background of an ideal candidate. Can you speak to what a background would look like for someone who will become an early career fellow.

B

Yeah sure, thank you very much. So what we are saying I saw susan explain before we're looking for early career professionals. That means that they need to have at least some years of experience, including work experience, practical internships, apprenticeships, phd experience in the internet related field. So that's what we are looking for. If you don't have a background, an undergrad degree. We need at least four years of experience if you have a degree at least two years of experience.

B

So I think I saw some comments about people uh finalizing master's degrees or doing a phd if you've been doing a master's degree and during that degree you've been working as an intern, for example. Yes, you can, even if you are still studying you had a that experience that we need. So, yes, you can phd, as I said before. Yes, that counts as experience.

B

So what we don't have here is like a maximum, but it's an early career fellowship. So if you are coming- and you say that you have 15 years of experience- you are not an early career. So that's what we are saying not more than seven or seven years of experience, seven maximum, eight, something like that. It will also depend on the background, but we don't want more than ten years of experience. That would be a mid career. Follow that guess what we are launching a mid career fellowship next year. So do not worry.

B

We have opportunities for everyone. So if you feel that you are in the early part of your career uh in the internet field, this is for you. If you are in the mid part of your career, the fellowship being uh that will it will, it will be, it will be launched next year will be for you.

A

Great, thank you there's another question here about the type of project we're looking for. I know we're open, leaving it open to creativity and to see what fellows can come up with, but is a research proposal, an appropriate project, for example,.

B

Yes, if the research proposal touches the internet and any challenge that the internet is facing and propose a solution, yes that works.

B

So if you want to have more information about the different ideas that we have, I just picked three of them, but there are a full list of ideas for you to get inspired as well as kind of like a profile of where these fellows could be working at or aiming to work uh in our webpage in the faq.

B

So take a look at that everything is there, but uh again it's working or having some experience in the internet related field, and the project has to be also linked to strengthening and growing the internet. The project is really open. You can be inspired by the internet society projects, but we also want outside of the box, so be creative.

B

Surprise us give us ideas of what a world project would be. That would be really appreciated and we will love new ideas and creativity is always welcome.

A

Andre, I see your hand here. Do you have something to add as well.

C

Yeah yeah, thank you christina, and um I just want to add to what alejandra is saying. I think if it is a research project, it should be an action, research project and the reason I say that is because, if you look at how the fellowship is designed, um it's much more around implementation, etc, where a lot of the research doesn't really have those elements.

C

So maybe, if you, if you are considering applying with that look at how the program is set up and think about whether you think that's suitable or not, and we really want to look at sort of outcomes and as alejandra is writing in the chat. The impact of a project and the problem with a lot of research is that it takes long to see impact so just make sure that you do something. That's action-based um around research. Thank you.

A

D

Yeah thanks, I just wanted to add what alejandra and already said what we're looking for also are projects that have lasting impact, so they can be creative, they can be exciting and they can push the boundaries, but also they need to show, and they need to demonstrate that you've thought through how this is going to have an impact over the long longer term, both in terms of strengthening and in terms of drug internet. Thanks.

A

Excellent, thank you uh there's a question here about the time zone of the program. I know we're looking for a global cohort, so how will that work with everyone joining from all around the world? Thank you.

B

We know that it's a global program, so we will try our best to have normal hours, but you need to accept that you can maybe join very early or very late, but never in your night, like a sleeping time or sleeping time in the morning. With this being said, I want to say that we are trying to focus the central part of the of the hour so from 11 12 utc to maximum, maybe two three utc, so everyone is awake and we can have a global discussion.

B

So every time we have a session that is scheduled in advance, so with uh the professors or the experts. That would be the target uh time in case of meetings with the mentors the project development mentors.

B

Since we are going to try to peer the fallout with a person who is in the same region or the same area and speaks the same language, then it's really up to the fellow and the mentor to find the best timing for them to meet so that uh in that way you will have flexibility to meet your mentors at at the time that you prefer.

B

I want to also add that, at the schedule uh meetings that we're going to be having as part of the program besides the mentors that is, as I said, decided by you- they will be from monday to friday because these guys are actually working. So we need to respect their weekends. So all the sessions will take place from monday to friday.

A

Great thank you and thanks for adding that bit and about the project development, mentors, um there's a question here about a stipend being offered for the fellowship. Are we offering a stipend at this time.

B

Yes, there will be a stipend to cover connectivity costs, so if you need it, there will be a uh depending on some requirements. If you, if we really think that you need that stipend to have the normal level of connectivity, that you need to access zoom meetings and have this kind of webinars that we're having now and get your homework done, and so we will be offering uh connectivity stipends to those fellows that they need that.

B

That's just typing that it's uh included as part of the program, the rest of the things we are offering, so you don't need to pay. You don't need to spend any money on this. It's everything uh free for you! We're gonna, be actually committing a lot of time. A lot of resources and everything will be free for the the fellows plus your the fellows will maybe receive money for this connectivity issues that they might face.

A

There's also a question here about the age range for applicants. Are we looking at specific age limitations.

B

Not really it's actually, this experience the age. The years of experience that you have this is for early career professionals, so we focus on the number of years of experience in this world internet field that you have so, of course, we expect that people will be in, I don't know up to their 30s or 35, but if you are older than that and you are new in the internet field- and you just been working during three four years in the internet uh in the internet field, you can apply, it's not a. There is not a.

B

B