ASSEMBLY STUDENT FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM INFORMATION​

The 2020-21 Assembly Student Fellowship is a program for Harvard undergraduate and graduate students interested in exploring the complex challenges of disinformation on online platforms, engaging with faculty working on the cutting edge of the field, and building a diverse community of learning across disciplines. Structured to complement existing coursework, the Fellowship is grounded in a tailored seminar series and offers the opportunity to connect with other students, as well as with esteemed scholars, technologists, and journalists working in the disinformation space from the Berkman Klein Center and beyond.

 

The seminar series, the cornerstone of the Student Fellowship, will span a diverse range of real-world disinformation topics, including election security, race and disinformation, and health misinformation. Working in small groups, student fellows will actively participate in shaping the seminar series: developing questions to help guide each talk, and designing and leading cohort-wide activities to discuss the content from each seminar. Student fellows will build a community of meaningful connections within their cohort, practice multidisciplinary and collaborative learning, and engage with the diverse expertise offered by guest speakers and their peers. Through the seminar series and other activities, Student Fellows will be connected to faculty and staff working on disinformation issues at the cutting edge of their respective fields. 

​

Learn more about the 2019-20 cohort here. 

​

WHO SHOULD APPLY

The Assembly Student Fellowship is open to Harvard graduate and undergraduate students of any level. There is no degree requirement, but students should show a demonstrated interest in ethical, political, social, technical, and legal questions related to disinformation and should be able to articulate how this program will help them pursue those interests. 

 

We are looking for students interested in collaboratively learning about disinformation and fostering meaningful connections within their cohort. We are cultivating a vibrant, multidisciplinary community and are looking for students who are enthusiastic about transcending boundaries between disciplines to learn about challenging problems.

 

LOGISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Due to the pandemic, the Assembly Student Fellowship will be entirely remote. There will be no physical presence at Harvard University. Student Fellows will receive a $1,000 stipend, with the possible exception of extenuating regulatory circumstances that could prohibit some international stipends.

 

The program will run from early October 2020 through May 2021 (excluding term breaks). Student Fellows are expected to 1) attend a regular virtual seminar series, to be held roughly biweekly, 2) work in groups to design and lead cohort-wide discussion sessions and learning activities, and 3) join occasional events and special opportunities hosted by the program or the Berkman Klein Center. 

 

The cohort's kickoff event will be held at 5:00-6:30pm EDT on Tuesday, October 6th. The first seminar will be led by Claire Wardle, PhD and will take place the following evening on Wednesday, October 7th, from 5:00pm-6:30pm EDT.  

 

APPLICATION

The application has four parts: 1) applicant information, 2) application questions, which ask about your interest in the program and disinformation, 3) resume, and 4) a completely optional demographic section. It is due by Monday, September 7, 2020  at 11:59pm EDT.

​

We look forward to reading your application.