The Director’s Fellowships program at the Digital Ethics Center (DEC) offers an exciting opportunity for Yale students to engage in groundbreaking research on digital ethics and AI governance. With two distinct tracks—Junior Director’s Fellow and Senior Director’s Fellow—this program is designed to support students at different academic stages, while fostering a shared mission of advancing digital ethics scholarship.
Program Structure
Each fellow completes a semester-long research project, participates in regular cohort meetings, and receives a monetary award per semester, disbursed monthly. Fellows are expected to be on-site for 6-8 hours weekly. The program is structured around regular meetings during the semester, led by Professor Floridi and other researchers at the DEC. These meetings enable fellows to discuss current topics in digital ethics, exchange feedback on their research projects as a cohort, and acquire research skills practically. The goal is for each fellow to research, write, and revise an original paper of publishable quality by the end of the semester, on a topic relevant to the activities of the Center, with the support of Professor Floridi and usually in collaboration with other researchers. The fellowship may complement the work that students are already doing through their coursework at Yale. For example, a fellow’s paper may evolve from or contribute to their bachelor’s thesis, master’s thesis, or a doctoral dissertation chapter.
The Director’s Fellowship program is interdisciplinary and inclusive of students from all backgrounds. The only requirement is a demonstrated interest in researching the governance, ethical, legal, and social implications (GELSI) of digital innovation and technologies. Applications from all disciplines are encouraged, with special priority given to applications from graduate students and individuals with prior research experience.
Exceptionally, both fellowships may be renewed for a second semester depending on progress made during the semester, with a potential for transitioning into a postgraduate or postdoctoral position.
Junior Director’s Fellows ($3,000 award per semester)
Eligibility
- Must be an undergraduate student at Yale
- Demonstrated interest in digital ethics
- Prior research experience is preferred but not required
- All academic disciplines welcome
Senior Director’s Fellows ($4,000 award per semester)
Eligibility
- Open to Yale graduate and professional school students
- Demonstrated interest in digital ethics
- Priority is given to those with some research experience
- All academic disciplines welcome
- Students must demonstrate the capability for advanced research
Potential Research Topics
Director Fellows may explore a variety of topics related to digital ethics, for example:
- The impact of Open Source on AI regulation
- The future of “fair use” after GenAI: opportunities and risks
- The governance, ethical, legal, social, and economic (GELSI) implications of satellites—A digital sovereignty analysis of satellites
- The EU Code of Practice on Generative AI (GenAI)
- The analysis of emergent and latent effects, unintended consequences, unexpected outcomes, hidden interactions, secondary effects, and unanticipated phenomena of digital innovation
These are just examples. New and original topics of research are a priority.
How to Apply
Applications should include:
- One-page cover letter indicating your interest in the fellowship and the track (Junior or Senior) you are applying for
- A short CV (max 2 pages) containing all relevant information
- A research proposal (max 2 pages) for the project you would like to develop as a fellow.
The research proposal should follow this structure:
- What is the specific question addressed by the research?
- Why is it important? Or, if you prefer, why does it matter to address it?
- What’s the working hypothesis about the specific answer?
- How do you plan to support or justify it?
- What are the objections or criticisms that can be raised and yet overcome?
- What’s the methodology (if relevant)?
- What’s the timeline? (please add a Gannt chart)
- Why are you the right researcher to develop this project?
- Why is the DEC the right place where to develop it?
- How are you going to balance the fellowship with your other academic commitments?
Additionally, please check https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4730258(Link is external) to structure your proposal.
Please send your application to dec@yale.edu, using the subject line “Director’s Fellow Applicant (Junior or Senior).” Please submit your documents as PDF files and name them LastName-FirstName.coverletter.pdf, LastName-FirstName.CV.pdf, LastName-FirstName.proposal.pdf.
The deadline to submit your application is Monday, April 21, at noon. Contact Joanna Carmona for any question: joanna.carmona@yale.edu