ITS Global Policy Fellowship Program — Fellowship

The Institute for Technology & Society (ITS) runs the Global Policy Fellowship Program from Rio de Janeiro. Each year it brings researchers, graduate students and professionals from outside Brazil into the country’s technology policy debate for four weeks.

Fellows choose one of three tracks: Rights and Technology, GovTech, or Democracy and Technology. They develop their own research alongside the ITS team and meet the institute’s partners in Rio de Janeiro, Brasília and São Paulo.

The 2026 edition was the tenth. It ran from 29 June to 24 July 2026 with thirteen fellows, chosen from applications sent in from every continent. That cycle has closed and the next call is expected around the end of 2026.

Benefits & funding

Four weeks based at ITS in Rio de Janeiro, developing your own research in one of the three policy tracks.
Shared office space at the institute for the whole stay.
Meetings with ITS partners in government, business, academia and civil society in Rio de Janeiro, Brasília and São Paulo.
Travel and lodging for the program’s trips outside Rio de Janeiro are arranged by ITS.
No participation fee.
Not covered: international flights to and from Brazil, accommodation for the three weeks in Rio de Janeiro, visa costs and daily living expenses. The program pays no stipend.

Eligibility

For applicants based outside Brazil — the fellowship is designed for foreign researchers, students and professionals.
Open to students, researchers and professionals who are currently enrolled in, or have completed, a Master’s, PhD or MBA.
Suits people working on technology policy, digital regulation or internet governance.
Open to every academic background, including law, computer science, economics, social sciences and design.
Working English is required. Portuguese is not.
No nationality list, age limit or minimum years of experience is published.

Can you apply?

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Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.

Education required
Master Enrolled · Master · PhD Enrolled · PhD

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Application process

1
Read the current call on the ITS website and choose one of the three research tracks.
2
Prepare a research proposal that fits the chosen track and connects to Brazil.
3
Submit the online form linked from the call page.
4
Wait for the result, published on the ITS website on the announced date; ITS contacts every candidate.
5
If selected, arrange the visa, international flights and Rio de Janeiro accommodation before the program starts.

Program timeline

Call for the 2026 edition published
Nov 28, 2025
Applications closed
Jan 30, 2026
Results published on the ITS website
Feb 28, 2026
Program starts in Rio de Janeiro
Jun 29, 2026
Program ends
Jul 24, 2026
Late 2026
Call for the 2027 edition expected