Paradigm Initiative Digital Rights and Inclusion Learning Lab (DRILL) Fellowship Program 2020

Deadline Date: December 20, 2019

Applications are invited for the Paradigm Initiative Digital Rights and Inclusion Learning Lab (DRILL) Fellowship Programme 2020. The fellowship is for a period of three months at a time, but can be renewed for another three months on completion, depending on planned activities and joint review between the Fellow and PIN.

As a mid-career fellowship, potential candidates will be expected to have had a minimum of 5 years’ experience as technology or social innovators, researchers, policy experts, and/or entrepreneurs.

Program Background

There are both enormous challenges and opportunities for realizing the ambitious task of creating an inclusive, healthy, safe and open Internet in the coming decade for all Africans, including marginalized and vulnerable populations such as women and girls, people with lower income levels or living in rural communities, sexual minorities, the elderly and persons with disabilities. Connecting the next billion who mostly live on the African continent requires not only technological and commercial innovations, but also new models of collaboration among all stakeholders.

Paradigm Initiative will host a Digital Rights and Inclusion Learning Lab (DRILL) from February 2020, at its headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria. DRILL has a mission to host innovative learning around digital rights and inclusion in Africa, and serve as a space for both practice and reflection, aimed to involve and connect different stakeholders and create dialogue amongst researchers, social innovators, policymakers and actors, the private sector, as well as civil society.

As a lighthouse for digital rights and inclusion advocacy in Africa, learning activities will take place at the lab in order to evolve new thinking on digital rights and inclusion strategy for Africa. There are a variety of activities that will take place, including but not limited to, focused future-facing research; presentations; ecosystem meetings and discussions focused on digital rights and/or inclusion hosted within the ecosystem; and general communication about the lab’s activities.

DRILL will offer a space for big thinking, evaluation of digital rights and digital inclusion programs, and future-proofing ecosystem activities. DRILL will host innovators, researchers and/or entrepreneurs-in-residence at the PIN HQ so they can host biweekly ecosystem/sector meetings (to share insight/ideas), biweekly presentations (to share outcomes of their research and/work) and work with the Executive Director to record a monthly DRILL podcast on topical issues.

Fellows Responsibilities

Applicants will be required to briefly discuss their intended focus for the fellowship period during the application process. Paradigm Initiative will expect to receive a two-page project plan from shortlisted candidates. For the successful candidate, this would be discussed and agreed on with the PIN leadership team, no later than two weeks after the fellowship start date. The successful fellow will commit a minimum of 16 hours per week to the fellowship, working from the PIN HQ in Lagos.

• The fellow will be expected to host biweekly ecosystem/sector meetings at the PIN HQ (to share insight/ideas), biweekly presentations (to share outcomes of their research and/work) and a monthly DRILL podcast to be recorded with the Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative
• The Fellow will host a side session on a topical and relevant digital rights and/or inclusion theme, in the specific area of their interest, at the annual Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum
• The last month of the fellowship will feature a final meeting, a final presentation and the final podcast from the selected fellow. There will be an exit interview and opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved in the 3- to 6-month period with PIN’s leadership team

Eligibility

• Open to young Nigerians
• Candidates are expected to have had a minimum of 5 years’ experience as technology or social innovators, researchers, policy experts, and/or entrepreneurs.

Application

You will need the following in order to submit your application:

• Your resume (not more than 3 pages)
• Your cover letter detailing your interest in the DRILL fellowship (not more than 500 words)
• A brief indication of tentative focus of your fellowship (not more than 500 words)

For more information, visit DRILL.