Mozilla Network Tech Policy Fellowship

Summary

Over the past decade, a growing number of tech and policy experts have been actively creating a policy and regulatory environment that has contributed to the health and openness of the Internet. The leaders of this work need support consolidate and document what has been learned -- and also need avenues to collectively build a new policy agenda based on that learning. With this in mind, Mozilla will initiate a fellowship focused on technology policy inside its Mozilla Network (MN). The fellowship program will bring together fellows and other tech policy experts to research, publish, teach, convene stakeholders, and participate in events.

Background

Tech policy plays an increasingly important role in the development of the Internet and the nature of online life. The last decade has seen a number of policy victories for the health of the Internet: (1) progress on net neutrality in the US, Europe and India; (2) increased government attention to digital literacy and coding in countries like the UK and Estonia; (3) the Marco Civil in Brazil. There are also some defeats and challenges on the horizon, especially in areas such as encryption and across new frontiers like the Internet of things.

A growing number of tech policy professionals with experience in policy design, legislation and regulatory implementation, including individuals focused on Internet health related issues who have been at the forefront of securing many of these victories. A significant number of these people have left or are leaving government service. As these individuals leave, we can help them to consolidate and document what they’ve learned, as well as help to create opportunities for them to build upon this learning and participate in developing a future policy agenda for the health of the Internet. We can help create avenues for these people to stay connected, collaborate, learn from each other and continue their work.

Program Opportunity

To achieve the objectives outlined above, Mozilla will create a fellowship program focused on technology policy, to complement its existing fellowship programs. Mozilla Network Fellowships present unique opportunities for professionals who believe in the mission of a healthier Internet. This particular fellowship will give tech policy professionals, including those who have left government, a chance to collaborate, connect and accelerate their work and impact, including documenting their learning, developing future policy proposals and staying connected to each other. These fellows will leverage the infrastructure of the network, and will participate in network-aligned activities including publication and events.

The program will be global by design, ensuring that the analysis, reporting and documentation of lessons learned have global relevance and speak to a worldwide audience. In the first year, we will be seeking a mix of fellows who have left or are leaving after having served in government in the US (up to five), and people who have recently served in governments in other parts of the world (up to five).

Goals and Objectives

Our aim is to grow the field of people developing policy that will keep the internet healthy. More specifically, these fellowships will help:

• Enhance the ability of the network to anticipate, understand, and analyze policy developments.
• Establish an active and vibrant community of tech policy professionals with interest in and commitment to internet health.
• Participate in thought-leadership work and communicate around internet health issues actively.
• Position Mozilla as a partner and support of other organizations working on similar open internet issues.

Of course, this initiative is also designed to help fellows advance more specific project and career goals that each defines for themselves. These projects should focus on the overall theme of internet health.

Fellowship Details

In general, the Mozilla Network helps drive the mission through common operating methods, which are reflected in and across each hub [see strategy]. Those methods include

• Training. We provide free and open curricula and training programs to help leaders develop the skills they need to ensure the next wave of access, inclusion and opportunity online. Example: Web Literacy Training Module
• Convening. We bring members of the Mozilla Network together, to learn from one another, exchange ideas and join forces. Example: MozFest
• Membership. Members join because they share Mozilla’s vision, and stay because of the strong, diverse community and unique professional development opportunities the network provides. Example: Fellowships

The tech policy fellowship program will establish a cohort of up to 10 fellows actively engaged at any point in time, working on a full-time or part-time basis for an approx. one-year duration (renewal possible). The program would provide fellows the intellectual freedom to define their own work focus, with broad parameters; the exact deliverables from the fellowship are defined by the fellows.

Events and convening are a key method for the success of the program, allowing fellows to communicate their research and findings into the network, and collaborate with network members. Fellows will leverage existing programs, for example by working with the MozFest team to bring deep policy expertise into the event, organize policy-focused sessions and generally build the agency of the network to understand and influence developments at the policy level.

Publications are another important avenue to disseminate learnings, and connect within the network. Fellows are expected to be key contributors to the Internet Health report, not only helping set its editorial direction but also contributing with content. Additionally, they may write opinion pieces and thought-leadership articles for mainstream media, helping enhance the understanding of the broader audiences of emerging tech policy challenges.