Tech Ethics & Policy Summer Fellowships

Sponsored by the Ethics, Society, & Technology Initiatives and the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI)

This page is for undergraduates only. Please visit the Tech Ethics and Policy Summer Fellowships for Graduate Students, if you are looking for graduate student summer opportunities. Coterms are eligible to apply to both opportunities.

For questions, please contact estinitiatives [at] stanford.edu (estinitiatives[at]stanford[dot]edu).

Tech Ethics and Policy Fellowship for Undergrads

Through the Tech Ethics & Policy Fellows Program, Stanford undergraduate students have the opportunity to engage in the technology field as it intersects with public policy and social impact. The program runs from April to October and includes a course on ethics, technology, and public policy, as well as a paid summer opportunity at a technology company, civil society organization, federal agency, or Congressional office. Fellows will also be matched with mentors from the technology, ethics, and public policy fields. 

Round 1 Undergraduate applications open November 4, 2025

• Round 1 Applications are due December 1, 2025 

Learn more about the program at our Info Sessions!  

• Session 1: 11/05, 12:00-1:00 PM (Crown 320F) FREE PIZZA RSVP Today 

• Session 2: 11/19, 3:00-4:00 PM (Gates 403) FREE BOBA  RSVP Today.

Throughout the program, students will learn directly from faculty and an array of affiliated mentors with long experience in the tech industry, civil society, and government. 

Please review the current position descriptions to see our 2026 Tech Ethics and Policy Fellowship partner organizations. Applicants will have an opportunity to indicate which organization they would like to interview with during the application process. While we will try to accommodate your interests, we cannot guarantee a placement with a specific partner organization.   

Fellows will interview for summer internship placements during Winter Quarter. Each Fellow who matches with an unpaid internship placement receives a base stipend of $8,000 to cover most of the essential costs associated with an unpaid service experience. Up to $2,000 in financial aid and supplemental funding are available to students who qualify. Fellows who match with paid internship placements may also be eligible for supplemental funding. 

These fellowships are made possible in part by Frank McCourt in association with Stanford’s partnership with the Project Liberty Institute.

Eligibility

Undergraduates from all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply, and applicants may vary in academic interests, technical experience, and policy knowledge. 

Requirements

Selected fellows are expected to begin service following the completion of spring quarter classes and no later than June 29, 2026. All fellows are required to work with their host organizations at least 35 hours/week for nine consecutive weeks. Fellows are expected to work on-site at their host organizations when possible, but hybrid or fully virtual experiences are also available. Fellows must have a designated full-time professional staff member on-site as their supervisor/mentor.

Other commitments include the following:

This fellowship is intended for individuals whose application and interview demonstrate

• an integration of the fellowship experience with applicant’s academic, personal and/or career goals
• prior demonstrated interest or involvement in the areas of ethics, technology, public policy and/or social impact, including related coursework
• strong potential for the fellowship experience to enlarge a candidate’s understanding of an identified issue or challenge in the field of ethics, technology, and public policy

Applications:

Round 1 Applications:

• Due on Monday, December 1 at 11:59pm PT.  Interviews for finalists will take place the weeks of January 5 and January 16.

Round 2 Applications: 

• Due on Wednesday, February 3 at 11:59pm PT. Interviews for finalists will take place the weeks of February 8  and February 15 for Round 2 applicants.

Complete applications are screened, finalists interviewed, and fellows selected by the host organizations staff with the intention to award fellowships in mid-January for Round 1 applicants and the end of February for Round 2 applicants. In the event that the fellowship spots are filled after Round 1, applications will no longer be accepted. If this is the case, we will update the SOLO, HAI, and EST Initiatives websites to reflect this change. It is strongly encouraged that students apply early.

Applicants should respond promptly (within 48 hours) via email to a fellowship offer, or the offer will be rescinded. Once an applicant accepts a fellowship offer, the student should promptly notify all other Stanford and non-Stanford programs to which they have applied that they have accepted another offer and to withdraw their candidacy.

For those who seek assistance, advising is available at the Ethics Center to help students develop their applications.

For questions, please contact estinitiatives [at] stanford.edu (estinitiatives[at]stanford[dot]edu).

Tech Ethics and Policy Fellowships for Graduate Students

Please visit the Tech Ethics and Policy Summer Fellowships for Graduate Students, if you are looking for graduate student summer opportunities. See the comparative chart below for differences between the two programs. Coterms are eligible to apply to both opportunities. 

Comparative Chart