Applications are now open for the Fully Funded 2026 ICANN Fellowship Program

Ednah Carrick March 25, 2026

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Closing Date: 19 April 2026

Applications are now open for the Fully Funded 2026 ICANN Fellowship Program

About

The goal of the ICANN Fellowship Program is to strengthen the representation of the multistakeholder model by fostering opportunities for individuals from underserved and underrepresented communities to become active participants in the ICANN community.

Fellows are exposed to the workings of the ICANN community, are assigned a mentor, and receive training across different areas of knowledge and skill building before, during, and after an ICANN Public Meeting. Travel assistance to attend the meeting is also provided.

Eligibility

Candidates from all regions and sectors are welcome to apply to the ICANN87 Fellowship Program.

Participants of the Fellowship Program must:

Be at least 21 years of age
Be interested in, or already engaged in, the various components of ‌ICANN‍’s work in policy building, the operation of the Domain Name System and the security and stability of the global Internet
Complete mandatory ‌ICANN‍ Learn course(s); learn more here
NOT be involved in or associated with other ICA‌NN supported travel programs at time of selection
Policy Forum applicants must have successfully completed an ICA‍NN Fellowship
Have previously received no more than two fellowships; second and third time fellows must prove their involvement and engagement in one of the ICANN communities (learn more here)

Returning fellows will be considered for the Tarek Kamel Fellowship Recognition. The award recognizes outstanding contributions of fellows in furthering ICANN’s capacity development efforts in their respective regions. Learn more here.

A selected Fellow, who lives or works in African region with technical background will be considered for Paul Muchene Fellow Award. The Paul Muchene Fellow Award is a tribute to Paul Muchene, an ICANN Fellowship Program participant and ICANN organization staff member who passed away in August 2022. To learn more here.

Requirements

Fellowship recipients are expected to:

Engage in Fellowship Program Mentoring processes
Complete additional required ICANN Learn courses
Attend the ICANN Public Meeting and required activities, including but not limited to ICANN Fellowship sessions during the ICANN Meeting
Network and interact with program alumni and community members
Complete the post-meeting survey

Participants are encouraged to actively contribute to ICANN policy development processes and Fellowship alumni network upon completion of the Fellowship Program.

Application Process

The only way to apply for an ICANN fellowship is through the online application system. The online application form must be written in English. If English is not your first language, you are encouraged to translate your responses into English for the application.

Once you start the online application, you will have until the application round closes to submit the completed form.

The Fellowship Program supports approximately 45 participants per ICANN Public Meeting, inclusive of newcomers, returning alumni, and mentors. The ICANN Policy Forum is open only to Fellowship Program alumni who are actively engaged in ICANN org’s multi-stakeholder community. A successful candidate can receive a fellowship up to three times.

Travel and Other Support Once Selected

Travel will be booked by ICANN org through its designated Travel Management Company. This method ensures the lowest trip cost and allows ICANN Travel Support to ensure the security and well-being of supported travelers.
ICANN org will not purchase any travel tickets for a fellow unless they are in receipt and can show proof of all valid travel documents: passport and required final destination and transit visas.
ICANN org will book and pay for a standard room (king or queen) on the fellow’s behalf based on a single occupancy. Fellows are not allowed to self-book their hotel reservation. Any and all hotel surcharges (e.g., telephone calls, room service, laundry, movies) and other incidental expenses are the responsibility of the fellow. The hotel may request a credit card or cash deposit from the fellow to guarantee these expenses.
For ICANN meetings, a stipend not to exceed USD 500.00 will be provided to offset reasonable individual expenses (such as meals, transport to/from the airport and incidentals). The stipend will be wired to the fellows once they have proven that they have received their visa (if necessary) and their flight booking has been completed by ICANN org’s Travel Management Company. Therefore, if fellows want to guarantee receipt of their stipend prior to the meeting, they must meet both visa and flight requirements 30 days prior to the ICANN Meeting. Anything less than 30 days will mean that fellows may not receive their stipend before the meeting. Those fellows who satisfactorily complete all aspects of the program and submit the post-meeting survey, as further detailed in the Terms and Conditions document found on the ICANN Fellowship website page https://www.icann.org/fellowshipprogram, will receive a certificate of completion for the ICANN Fellowship Program.
ICANN org will reimburse costs incurred by fellows to obtain a visa up to USD 200.00 as allowed in the ICANN Community Travel Support Guidelines.