FAQs

What is the time commitment of a Mozilla fellowship?

Fellowships are based on a mutually agreed timeline and can run between 12 and 24 months.

There is space in the application for a Senior Fellowship to suggest a timeline that makes sense for you and the project you’re proposing.

Are Fellows required to step away from other obligations?

Part-time and full-time fellowship proposals are invited, especially where a part-time arrangement gives you an opportunity to serve without stepping away from current ongoing professional or personal commitments.

Full-time engagement is 40 hours/week. A Part-time engagement (50% time or 20 hours/week) is also an option.

Are there Participation Guidelines?

Our Fellowships and Awards programs respect Mozilla's community participation guidelines. To help us create a safe and positive community experience for all, we require all those who participate to agree and adhere to these Participation Guidelines.

How many fellows will there be?

We determine the size of a cohort based on a combination of applicant characteristics, our capacity to support fellows, and Mozilla’s needs.

How does the fellowship accommodate applicants and fellows with disabilities?

To ensure that individuals with disabilities can fully participate in the Mozilla Senior Fellowship program, we provide reasonable accommodations during the application process and during the course of the fellowship. Please contact us with any questions regarding a special need at [email protected].

Does Mozilla have a preference between full-time and part-time Fellows?

No. Our desire is that all Fellows have the flexibility and accommodations to complete their Independent Project with a schedule that they determine as best. However, all fellows, regardless of time commitment, will be expected to join the cohort in September 2024.

Do I need to be based or relocate to be near a Mozilla office?

No, this is a fully remote fellowship. However, if senior fellows are based in or visiting cities where Mozilla has an office, arrangements can be made for them to work from an office as and when they require or wish.

Am I required to make the Independent Project’s final output a specific form?

No, the output of the Senior Fellowship is for the Fellow to determine. It can be a paper, journal entry, book, conference, or anything else that best suits the project and fellow’s needs. Learn more about the projects by past senior fellows.

Are there any supports Mozilla provides to fellows in addition to funding?

We strive to provide fellows with the resources needed to unlock their full potential and to make their work more sustainable in the long term. While the specific types of support are tailored to the unique needs of the fellows and cohorts, providing opportunities for peer learning and community, mentorship, and communications support are key elements of our accompaniment approach across all of our fellowships and awards programs. Learn more about the details of this fellowship.

How do I submit my application?

In order to submit a full application, you are first required to submit a registration on Fluxx.

Please visit https://mozilla.fluxx.io/apply/SeniorFellowship2024 to submit your application.

Registration deadline: 17 April 2024, by 3pm GMT

Full application deadline: 6 May 2024, by 3 pm GMT

This plain text application guide, which includes all application questions, is also available as a resource.

What are the eligibility requirements?

For this fellowship, we are looking for experienced practitioners, technologists, researchers, policy experts and activists who work at the intersection of technology and society, are passionate about change, and have demonstrated contributions in advancing work around the focus area for their proposed project.

Mozilla Senior Fellows are considered domain experts in the area in which they are applying.

Do I need to have a university or post-graduate degree?

There is no educational or experience prerequisite required for a Mozilla Fellowship, and applications will not be declined on the basis of educational completion.

Does my independent project have to focus on only the key geographies listed?

Although we are especially interested in projects that will focus on our key geographies, we are keen to receive proposals that focus on newer regions, such as Asia Pacific, Latin America, and SouthWest Asia and North Africa (SWANA), representing the lived realities and/or experiences of marginal or disadvantaged indigenous and displaced communities.

Does an applicant have to be based in the region their project will focus on?

It is preferable that fellows are based in their region of focus. It is important for them to understand and experience the context of the communities that they study in their independent project. However if an applicant is not located in the geography, they would have to demonstrate an understanding of the context and how they will adequately work in the region.

Do I need to submit a budget for my independent project as part of my application?

No budget is required as part of the application. However, if selected to join the cohort, each fellow will have the opportunity to work on a budget to support their independent project with the support of the Program Officer.

Does the fellowship require special work authorization/ residency?

In general, Mozilla Fellows are required to have work authorization in the location where they will be carrying out their fellowship. Mozilla Foundation is unable to offer visa sponsorship.

Can I submit my application in a language other than English?

We require that all applications are submitted in English.

However, recognizing that English is not a primary language for many people, we encourage you to use translation support to complete the application, including free translation tools/apps. We also offer a space in the application for you to let us know if a translation tool was used to complete the application. We ask this to support reviewers to read the application based on how it was prepared in order to remove language bias from the application review.

Applications are reviewed for conceptual strength, not quality of language.

Do Senior Fellows receive a stipend?

Yes. Mozilla Senior Fellows will receive a stipend of $100,000 USD/year (full-time equivalent). Compensation is adjusted for part-time fellowships.

In addition to the fellowship stipend, each fellow will also have access to

• personal supplements, which are intended to support an individual’s wellbeing; and
• supplemental project/travel funding to help advance their independent, aligned work.

Fellowship compensation falls outside of Mozilla’s staff compensation program and is considered a contribution for the benefit of an individual to aid in the pursuit of that individual’s own study or research, and may be higher or lower than a local market. 

What are the tax considerations of participating in this fellowship?

Proposed fellowship amounts are gross amounts and may be reduced by applicable taxes. Fellows are responsible to pay all applicable taxes, whether in their home jurisdictions, the jurisdiction where the fellowship occurs, or any other jurisdiction. In some cases, Mozilla may be required to withhold taxes at the time of payment, and reduce the amount of fellows’ payments accordingly. It is the fellows’ responsibility to communicate in advance with Mozilla about where they will be located throughout the fellowship.

How frequently does Mozilla publish calls for applications?

The Mozilla Foundation accepts fellowship applications through periodic recruitment for specific fellowships.