Main content start

Ethics and Technology Practitioner Fellowship

Applications are now closed for the 2024-25 cohort. Please fill out this interest form to be notified when the applications for 2025-26 cohort open.

Program Description

Building upon the successful launch of the existing Tech Ethics and Policy Summer Fellowship for undergraduate and graduate students at Stanford, this initiative invites 5-7 practitioners in the broader ethics and technology domain to engage in conversations and drive innovation focused on specific impactful areas in the field. These areas might include privacy, algorithmic bias, autonomous systems and decision-making, platforms and social networks, artificial intelligence, and regulation of emerging technologies. The practitioner fellowship is being established with the goal of supporting a broad range of projects led and created by the selected fellows that contribute to the vitality of the ethics and technology community. Operating on a non-residential basis, the program is scheduled to run from January 2025 to December 2025.

Throughout the Ethics and Technology Practitioner Fellowship program, practitioners will learn directly from Stanford faculty, visiting faculty, other fellows in the program, and a series of mentors with extensive experience in the technology industry, civil society, and government.

For questions about the fellowship, contact ethicsandtech_practitioners [at] stanford.edu (ethicsandtech_practitioners[at]stanford[dot]edu).

This program is made possible by Frank McCourt in association with Stanford’s partnership with the Project Liberty Institute.

Fellowship Details

  • Target audience: Mid-level professionals employed in technology companies, government, non-profits, think tanks/research organizations, and similar sectors. The ideal candidate is impact-driven, collaborative, and energetic about the potential to shape the future of our world through thoughtful and ethical innovation. 
  • Project Scope: Project examples include the ideation and execution of publications, communities of practice, change-making organizations, and projects within existing organizations
  • Compensation:
    • A $25,000 stipend to support work on a 12-month project. The stipend will be released in three stages over the 12 months.
    • Paid expenses to attend a week-long introductory event on the Stanford campus. The week-long convening is an opportunity for fellows to build community, utilize the resources on the Stanford campus, and develop their project plan. At the end of the week, Fellows will present their ideas for a project plan as part of a “kick-off” session. This “Fellows Week” is scheduled to take place in February 2025.
    • Paid expenses for a three-day work showcase on the Stanford campus. This is the concluding event of the fellowship.
  • Mentorship:
    • Mentorship from fellowship directors and connection with alumni from previous cohorts.
    • Utilization of Stanford resources for project development and expansion.
  • Programming:
    • Fellows Week: In a "kick-off" session, fellows will present their project plan ideas to faculty, other fellows, and advisors. This "Fellows Week" is slated for February 2025.
    • Work Showcase: End-of-fellowship celebration for fellows to present their work, the impact to date, and plans moving forward. This will take place in the fall of 2025.

Opportunities for Engagement within Stanford

  • Academic Collaboration: Rising Scholars, PhD students, faculty.
  • Centers and institutes on Campus: HAI, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies—Cyber Policy Center (which hosts the Internet Observatory), and the McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society.
  • Events: access to events on Stanford’s campus, including some keynotes, career fairs, events hosted by institutes, and more.

Selection Process & Timeline

  • Informational Session: The Ethics Center will host two information sessions via Zoom for those interested in the Practitioner Fellowship. These sessions are an excellent opportunity to learn more about the fellowship and ask any questions you may have. They are on September 12th and October 3rd at 4:00 PM PST.
  • Application (August 30th - October 15th): All individuals interested in the fellowship will be invited to complete an application that inquires about their professional experience, interest in the intersections of ethics and technology, and a summary of a potential project they would like to complete through the fellowship.
  • Interview (October/November)
  • Fellowship Offer (mid-November)

Fellowship Timeline

Fall 2024
  • Application period.
Winter 2025
  • January: Fellowship begins.
  • February: In-person “Fellows Week,” which includes onboarding, cohort community building, engagement with Stanford resources and networks, and begin brainstorming your project proposal with other fellows and Stanford faculty.
    • Finalize Project Proposal: Submit the project proposal by February 15, 2025, for feedback and commentary. 
  • Programming and/or training: Take Ethics, Technology, and Public Policy for Practitioners. Note: if fellows have already taken the course, they will be asked to participate as cohort leaders.
Spring 2025
  • Mentorship: All fellows will be assigned a mentor in the ethics + tech industry who can provide advice, feedback, and general mentorship throughout the course of the fellowship and beyond.
Summer 2025
  • Project: Time to focus solely on engagement with community partner and to make progress on your proposed project scope.
Fall 2025
  • Work Showcase: Reflect on your rapid learnings, teach a case study on your experience to other fellows and faculty, and learn from your peers’ cases to complete your program experience. This will be an in-person experience to celebrate the work of all fellows.
  • Impact analysis: Conduct an impact analysis of your work with the fellowship.