The Program on Democracy and the Internet (PDI) invites promising new scholars to Stanford University for 1 year as postdoctoral fellows, with potential for extension.

Each fellow will collaborate with one of the PDI faculty on research relevant to their field of study and current line of scholarship. The fellows will spend 20% of their time working on their own research and 80% assisting in the research of one of the PDI directors. In addition, fellows may be asked to coordinate speaker series and seminars.

Benefits

The annual fellowship stipend is $70,000.

Fellows will also gain the standard benefits that postdoctoral fellows at Stanford University receive, including health insurance as well as travel funds.

More about the Fellowship

The fellowship program falls under U.S. Immigration J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa activities.

The start date of the fellowship will be September 2022, unless otherwise agreed. To assume a postdoctoral fellowship, scholars must have a Ph.D. in hand by July 1, 2022.

The Program on Democracy and the Internet (PDI) cannot consider applications from scholars who earned a PhD earlier than September 1, 2019.

PDI encourage applications from candidates representing a broad range of disciplines including the social sciences, humanities, law, computer science and engineering.

About the Program on Democracy and the Internet

The Program on Democracy and the Internet (PDI) envisions digital technologies supporting rather than subverting democracy by maximizing the benefits and minimizing the threats through changes in policy, technology, and social and ethical technological norms.

The Program on Democracy and the Internet is investigating key research themes which include:

• Government censorship, propaganda, and information operations on digital media platforms
• Reform options for platforms to combat hate speech, bots, and disinformation
• Algorithmic bias
• The deteriorating health of digital information ecosystems and its effect on democracy and civil rights
• Changes in the media landscape due to shifts caused by digital innovation
• Impact of the internet on election campaigns and voting

Timeline

• November 8, 2021: Application period opens
• January 31, 2022: Application period closes
• February 2022: Interviews with shortlisted candidates
• March 2022: Offers extended to finalists

Also Check: Open Society Foundations Soros Equality Fellowship

How to apply

To be considered for a postdoctoral fellowship with the Program on Democracy and the Internet, submit an application via the online application portal.

Applicants will be asked to include the following:

• Cover letter detailing the reasons for the applicant’s interest in the fellowship.
• Curriculum vitae.
• Fellowship proposal detailing the research that the applicant would undertake while at Stanford. Also, how it fits within the research agenda of the specific initiative to which the applicant is applying. In this section, please disclose if you have additional funding arrangements.
• In addition, the writing sample consisting of either a dissertation chapter or a recently published paper. There are no specific page length or formatting requirements for this sample.
• Graduate transcript with proof that the applicant has completed all the requirements for the PhD, or a letter from their PhD advisor stating when they will do so.
• Moreover, two (or more) letters of recommendation. You can submit them via the application portal.