Tech+Society Emerging Practitioner Fellowship

Tech+Society Emerging Practitioner Fellowship

The Centre for Digitalisation, AI and Society (CDAIS) at Ashoka University invites applications for the inaugural cohort of the Tech+Society Fellowship. This fellowship will run for six months and is open to early and mid-career professionals from technology, policy, law, consulting and any professional field that significantly engages with the use of technology in Indian society. Fellows will lead teams that will seek to leverage their knowledge as practitioners into rigorous academic research.

CDAIS’ foremost mandate is to study large-scale digitalization in India, especially those in public services or other public-facing contexts. The Centre works across technical, legal, policy, and social science perspectives to develop shared standards and approaches for studying and improving these systems. Practitioners who work directly with technology and its role in society encounter many of the challenges created by the lack of common standards, and their perspectives are essential for identifying these issues and shaping solutions.

To this end, we present this Tech+Society Fellowship. It is designed for practitioners who want to develop their ideas into substantial research projects, while having the freedom to continue an existing professional affiliation.

The following page walks you through what you will do, what we offer and the particulars of the application process (and what makes for a strong project). We are accepting applications on a rolling basis and have no definite deadline, but we commit to not filling these positions until December 1st. In general, please consider applying sooner rather than later – we do not expect that you will need to spend more than 30 minutes on the application itself.

What you will do

As a Fellow, you will:

• Design and co-lead a research project within CDAIS’s areas of focus, including digitalisation in governance, the societal implications of AI, accountability and fairness in digital systems, and related themes.
• Work closely with CDAIS researchers and one or two student research assistants who will provide dedicated support.
• Engage regularly with faculty mentors and an advisory group who will help refine and guide your project.
• Produce an academic article suitable for peer-review publication as the primary output.
• Where appropriate, prepare additional outputs for public or policy audiences, such as briefs, blog posts, or public talks.
• Share your findings with the CDAIS community and occassionally contribute to its wider programming.

What we offer

• Stipend
  • ₹65,000 for Fellows choosing this as a primary commitment (indicatively, ~20-25 hours worth of effort a week — though we do not intend to monitor or hold you to this count). 
  • ₹40,000 for Fellows choosing this as a secondary commitment (indicatively, ~12-15 hours worth of effort a week).
  • Fellows may continue in existing jobs, freelance roles, or other part-time positions during the fellowship.
• Flexibility
  • There are no physical presence requirements. Fellows are welcome to visit Ashoka University at their convenience but participation is otherwise remote.
  • Research activities can be scheduled flexibly to accommodate other commitments. We will work together with you to find a cadence that works.
• Mentorship and Resources
  • Guidance from CDAIS faculty and a larger advisory group (potentially drawn from across the Ashoka ecosystem).
  • Support from CDAIS researchers and funding for student research assistants, if required.
  • Access to Ashoka University’s academic resources.
• Professional Development
  • Publication support and opportunities to present research in academic and policy forums.
  • Visibility through CDAIS events and dissemination channels.
  • Potential for continued employment with CDAIS beyond the fellowship period.

What makes for a strong project idea

Important: The proposal you submit is a starting point. Final projects will be developed and refined in consultation with CDAIS research associates, mentors, and the advisory group. The selection process is designed to assess the kind of interest you bring, your thoughtfulness, and your capacity to reflect on your own experience, rather than to evaluate a finished proposal.

Characteristics of a strong idea

• It focuses on a concrete question or challenge related to digitalisation or AI in public-service or other large-scale applications.
• It seeks to improve the quality of discourse around particular systems by developing common vocabularies, approaches and other standards.
• It takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on more than one field such as technology, law, social sciences, or public policy.
• It builds on your own professional experience, drawing insights from work you have already undertaken.
• It shows willingness to reflect, adapt, and refine the idea in conversation with mentors and peers.

What to avoid

• Proposals that are not grounded on your own professional experience 
• Proposals where no effort has been made to formulate an academic research question
• Work that sits entirely within a single discipline and does not consider wider implications.
• Generic or recycled topics without a clear contribution from your perspective.

Who should apply

We invite applications from:

• Early and mid-career professionals in technology policy, law, research, advocacy, non-profits, consulting, and beyond.
• Practitioners motivated to develop work that also speaks to practical and societal concerns, but with a rigorous academic standard.
• Applicants from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds in technology and society research.

Useful experience

• Familiarity with technology policy, AI governance, or digitalisation in public-facing systems.
• Strong writing and analytical skills, as demonstrated through the medium most typical of your particular field (i.e. this need not necessarily be a research paper and could be a blog, memo, deck and so on).
• Capacity to work independently while collaborating with an interdisciplinary team.
• Interest in producing both academic and policy-relevant outputs.

Application Process

Applicants should email the following files to digisoc@ashoka.edu.in and cc mukundan.a@ashoka.edu.in. Please populate a single folder with your materials and adhere to the subject line FirstName LastName CDAIS Tech+Society Fellowship Materials:

1. Annotated CV (maximum two pages) – .pdf
   • Include a standard CV format.
   • Add short notes on two or three past experiences explaining how they prepare you for this fellowship. You can either make this a distinct cover letter, or simply add sticky notes on your CV — whatever is an easier way of narrativizing your overall journey or drawing our attention to specific experiences.
2. Project proposal (maximum two pages, Times New Roman size 12 A4) – .docx
   • Outline your idea, why it matters, and how it connects to your professional experience.
   • Indicate the type of outputs you expect to produce.
   • Treat this as a preliminary proposal, open to refinement during the fellowship.
3. Very optional supporting materials: as noted above, you are welcome to supplement your application with material that demonstrates your writing/analytical skills in whatever sole-authored output is most typical in your field (not just a paper, but a blog, memo, deck etc.)

Shortlisted candidates may be invited to an interview.

Key dates

• Applications open: 27th October 2025
• Evaluation window: we will review applications on a rolling basis, and encourage early submissions. We will commit to not filling the limited positions we have available at least until 1st December 2025. You are free to submit the materials after this date at your own peril.
• Fellowship duration: six months, with flexible start dates in Q4 2025–26.

Contact us

For any questions, please write to digisoc@ashoka.edu.in and cc mukundan.a@ashoka.edu.in.