2026 Tech Ethics & Policy Summer Fellowships - Undergraduates and Coterms (Round 1)

Eligibility:

Undergraduates and coterms from all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply, and applicants may vary in academic interests, public service involvement, and experience. Preference will be given to non-graduating seniors.

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:

Spring Quarter

• Enroll in Spring Fellowship Course: ETHICSOC 85/ ETHICSOC 285 Introduction to Tech Ethics and Policy Career Pathways
  • **We also strongly recommend students enroll in (or have previously taken) one of the following courses:
    • CS 182: Ethics, Public Policy, and Technological Change (COMM 180, ETHICSOC 182, PHIL 82, POLISCI 182, PUBLPOL 182)
    • CS 152: Trust and Safety Engineering
    • COMM 152A: Governing Artificial Intelligence: Law, Policy, and Institutions (COMM 252A, CS 283, GLOBAL245B, INTLPOL 245B, POLISCI 145B, POLISCI 445B)
    • COMM 154: The Politics of Algorithms (COMM 254, CSRE 154T, SOC 154, SOC 254C)
    • CS 121: Equity and Governance for Artificial Intelligence
• Fellows must meet with their assigned TEP mentor at least once during Spring quarter

Summer

• Share a learning plan with their site supervisor and update accordingly.
• Arrange a visit for other Fellows with their site and with their mentor/supervisor, if possible.
• Meet with their TEP mentor at least once.
• Attend summer workshop(s).
• Submit a final project, complete a program evaluation, and correspond with fellowship donor(s) as requested by fellowships program staff.

Fall Quarter

• Participate in the Fall closing reception.
• Participate in outreach activities to share experiences and help publicize the program.

Selection Process

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 for Round 1 applicants

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.