ASML Fellowship Program
Application deadline 1st Nov 24
The Applied Social Media Lab (ASML) at Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society invites mid-to-senior-career responsible tech contributors who have an active role in the social media field—or who have recently left a technology firm—to apply for the ASML Fellowship Program. ASML Fellows will engage in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment to advance technology in the public interest.
The program aims to provide participants the space, time, and connections to develop new approaches to social media technology by advancing projects that prioritize the public interest. During their fellowship, ASML Fellows will drive projects of their own interest and design that connect to one of four existing focus areas, and share their insights with the broader ASML community and beyond. The ASML Fellowship Program offers six-week or four-month timelines for project-based work.
In this fellowship, you will:
- Collaborate with tech experts, civil society advocates, academics, and designers to develop and refine your project.
- Present your project(s) and receive constructive feedback from the ASML community and beyond.
- Engage in regular meetings with the ASML team, gaining access to a network of thought leaders and potential collaborators.
- Participate in synchronous and asynchronous collaborative spaces to share insights and receive support.
We invite prospective participants to apply via this link and include their CV, a two-page project proposal, and responses to a few survey questions. Applicants can select their ideal timeline for participation, with options for a six-week or four-month program (from September to December or February to May). For the six-week program, ASML Fellows will receive a total stipend of $5,000. For the four-month program, ASML Fellows will receive a total stipend of $18,000. While this fellowship is remote, participants will be encouraged to visit the Lab in Cambridge, MA, at least once during their appointment, subject to mutual interest and availability. Travel and accommodation support for this visit may be available upon request.
ASML Fellowship Focus Areas
- Area 1: Spaces for civil discourse and collaboration that offer new ways for people to exchange views and deliberate constructively online and that can be adopted by other platforms.
- Area 2: Transparency tools that make detailed information about social media platforms available and understandable to researchers, journalists, civil society organizations, and the general public.
- Area 3: Personalized safety applications that allow individuals, families, and communities to customize their experiences, and protect themselves from online threats and harms across devices and social platforms.
- Area 4: Interoperable software infrastructure to make building social media platforms that support healthy and varied human experiences easier.
Who should apply?
We welcome applications from a wide range of tech professionals passionate about transforming the social media landscape. Ideal candidates will have demonstrated at least three years of professional experience in the tech or social media field, and have a proposal for a public interest technology project. While experience working at social media companies is preferred, independent contributors with demonstrated impact in the field are encouraged to apply.
Application Timeline
Applicants should indicate their preferred fellowship duration and ideal start date when applying. Applications will be reviewed based on the following calendar:
Applications Documents
- Completed online application form
- Project Proposal (PDF, not exceeding a total of 2 pages)
Important Information
Please note that fellowships with ASML are not considered employment, and upon completion, ASML Fellows will not be entitled to severance pay or layoff benefits.
Applicants that are based in the United States but are not United States citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents (“green card” holders) must ensure that their immigration status allows for the receipt of an ASML stipend.
ASML Fellows are responsible for tax reporting on their stipends. More information about fellowship stipends issued through Harvard University may be found here.
ASML Fellows selected through the open call are not eligible to purchase health insurance through Harvard University.
For additional questions, please contact Guzzo at mguzzo@cyber.harvard.edu.
About the Applied Social Media Lab
The Applied Social Media Lab (ASML) at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society (BKC) at Harvard University was created to develop social media solutions in the public interest. We are a group of technologists working to bring industry professionals into academia to build a long-term community of socially conscious technologists and influence the wider world toward more open social media practices.
Community Principles, Policies, and Resources
The Berkman Klein Center community and how we interact with one another is governed by norms and policies developed and maintained by Harvard University and Harvard Law School. The Harvard Law School Community Principles, found in the Handbook of Academic Policies, read:
The Law School’s commitments to fairness, respect for the rule of law, and free inquiry require an environment of trust and mutual respect, free expression and inquiry, and a commitment to truth, excellence, and lifelong learning. Students, program participants, faculty, staff, and alumni accept these principles when they join the Harvard Law School community and thereby agree to respect the rights, dignity, and differences of others, pursue honesty and integrity in dealing with all members of the community in person and online, and accept personal responsibility in these efforts.Note that the Handbook has other sections applicable to BKC activities, notably the policies on Academic Honesty and Protest and Dissent.
The Berkman Klein Center maintains a page highlighting these policies and other applicable policies and resources for accessing additional University support.
Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
The work and well-being of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society are profoundly strengthened by our differences in background, culture, experience, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, age, ability, and more. We actively seek and welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, including Black, Indigenous, Asian, Hispanic, and Latino/Latina/Latinx people; LGBTQIA+ people; non-binary people; women; people with disabilities; people at intersections of these identities; and people from and working across the spectrum of disciplines.
FAQ
1 – Are international applicants eligible to apply?
We accept applications from anywhere in the world. Be mindful that meetings or synchronous engagements are expected to occur during business hours between Eastern (GMT-4) and Pacific Standard Time (GMT-7). International applicants on a US Visa must ensure they are eligible to receive a stipend. Due to the nature of this program, we cannot sponsor visas for US travel.
2 – How will proposals be evaluated? What are the selection criteria?
Successful candidates will have: (a) at least three years of demonstrated impact in the social media and technology field as a technology contributor; (b) a well-scoped, feasible, and innovative project proposal aligned with the Lab’s mission and focus areas; and (c) demonstrated interest and potential to collaborate with current ASML projects and ideas.
3 – What is expected of fellows during the program?
Fellows are expected to drive a public-interest social media proposal of their own interest and design while engaging synchronously and asynchronously with the Applied Social Media Lab’s team and the broader community. By the end of the program, fellows will be asked to present their project internally or externally, depending on their project stage, scope, and audience.
4 – Are you seeking research projects, the development of new applications, or just projects that focus on the early stages of conceptualizing and brainstorming new digital tools and ideas?
For this program, we are looking for public-interest social media technology proposals to be developed in the context of the Lab. Ideally, these project proposals are scoped to be driven individually from A to B within the proposed time frame. This may look very different for different people and projects.
5 – What kind of support should I expect from the Lab?
The program is designed to ideally spark collaborations from a wide array of contributors, inside and outside the Lab, but collaboration is never a given or a guarantee. While the ability to code one’s own project is not a requirement, the project’s scoping allows us to evaluate how to best allocate resources for your proposal to be successful, if accepted.
6 – I would like to apply with a collaborator or group. Should we submit a joint application, or should each apply separately?
For this fellowship, we are only accepting individual applications. If you are part of a group or have a collaborator, one person should apply as a representative.
7 – Does ASML expect to have any license or rights over the projects developed during the fellowship?
ASML expects projects developed during the Fellowship to be available under open-source licenses to ensure broad distribution and dissemination.
8 – I am a professional but am also a part-time student. Can I still apply?
Yes, you are eligible! However, we urge you to consider the time commitment this program requires to ensure you can fulfill your project goals within the fellowship’s timeframe.
9 – Is it possible to participate without accepting the stipend?
Yes! While the stipend is available to all fellows, you are not required to accept it. However, you must still be eligible to receive a stipend to participate in the program.
10 – Are you offering any feedback on submissions, proposals, or applications?
Due to the large number of applications that we receive, we will not offer individual feedback.
