Google Policy Fellowship

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Please note: Additional organizations may be added to the program prior to the application deadline. Please check back for additional updates.

American Library Association
Cato Institute
Center for Democracy and Technology
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Internet Education Foundation
Media Access Project
New America Foundation
Public Knowledge

American Library Association

The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit educational organization of over 65,000 librarians, library trustees, and other friends of libraries dedicated to improving library services and promoting the public interest in a free and open information society. http://www.ala.org/

The Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) advances ALA's public policy activities by helping secure information technology policies that support and encourage efforts of libraries to ensure access to electronic information resources as a means of upholding the public's right to a free and open information society. It works to ensure a library voice in information policy debates and to promote full and equitable intellectual participation by the public by:

Fellowship Focus Areas:

OITP is organized into three substantive programs, to which the Google Fellow would make contributions:

The Fellow would also work with OITP's sister office in Washington, the Office for Government Relations. As part of the ALA Washington Office, the Office of Government Relations (OGR) is charged with following and influencing legislation, policy and regulatory issues of importance to the library field and its publics. OGR works to insure that libraries are consistently involved in the legislative and policy decision-making processes by:

  1. informing government of the needs and concerns of the library community;
  2. providing library supporters with up-to-date information on government actions or proposals;
  3. building coalitions with Washington-based representatives of other groups with similar concerns; and
  4. developing grassroots networks to lobby legislators and further library interests.

At the direction of the ALA Committee on Legislation, the Office of Government Relations covers a broad range of issues including, but not limited to: copyright, appropriations, library programs, government information and telecommunications.

Cato Institute

The Cato Institute seeks to broaden the parameters of public policy debate to allow consideration of the traditional American principles of limited government, individual liberty, free markets and peace. Toward that goal, the Institute strives to achieve greater involvement of the intelligent, concerned lay public in questions of policy and the proper role of government. The Cato Institute is a nonprofit, tax-exempt educational foundation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Cato Institute's research on telecommunications and information policy advances the Institute's vision of free minds and free markets within the information policy, information technology, and telecommunications sectors of the American economy.

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Center for Democracy and Technology

The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public policy organization dedicated to promoting the democratic potential of today's open, decentralized global Internet. Our mission is to conceptualize, develop, and implement public policies to preserve and enhance free expression, privacy, open access, and other democratic values in the new and increasingly integrated communications environment.

Fellowship Focus Areas:

Competitive Enterprise Institute

The Competitive Enterprise Institute is a non-profit public policy organization dedicated to advancing the principles of free enterprise and limited government. We believe that individuals are best helped not by government intervention, but by making their own choices in a free marketplace. Since its founding in 1984, CEI has grown into a $3,000,000 institution with a team of over 20 policy experts and other staff.

We are nationally recognized as a leading voice on a broad range of regulatory issues-from free market approaches to environmental policy, to antitrust and technology policy, to risk regulation. But CEI is not a traditional "think tank." We frequently produce groundbreaking research on regulatory issues, but our work does not stop there. It is not enough to simply identify and articulate solutions to public policy problems; it is also necessary to defend and promote those solutions at all phases of the public policy debate.

We reach out to the public and the media to ensure that our ideas are heard, work with policymakers to ensure that they are implemented, and, when necessary, take our arguments to court. This "full service approach" to public policy helps make us an effective and powerful force for economic freedom.

Fellowship Focus Areas:

The Google Policy Fellow will work on technology and telecommunications issues, engaging directly with analysts on all aspects of their public policy work. Fellows will aide in research for formal policy papers as well as writing pieces for popular publication such as columns, op-eds, and letters. Fellows may write under their own by-line and sometimes even author academic papers for CEI. Along with writing and research, Fellows will attend coalition meetings, accompany staff to hearings and depositions, aide in the drafting and submission of commentary to federal agencies, and participate in seminars and roundtable discussions.

Electronic Frontier Foundation

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is a nonprofit group of passionate people - lawyers, technologists, volunteers, and visionaries - working to protect freedom of expression, civil liberties, digital consumer rights and innovation in the online world. Blending the expertise of lawyers, policy analysts, activists, and technologists, EFF achieves significant victories on behalf of consumers and the general public.

EFF fights for freedom in the courts, bringing and defending lawsuits even when that means taking on the US government or large corporations. By mobilizing more than 70,000 concerned citizens through our Action Center, EFF beats back bad legislation. In addition to advising U.S. and international policymakers, EFF educates the press and public. Since it was founded in 1990, EFF has championed the public interest in every critical battle affecting digital rights. EFF is based in San Francisco, and has offices in Washington D.C. and Brussels.

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The Internet Education Foundation

The Internet Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public and policymakers about the potential of a decentralized global Internet to promote democracy, communications, and commerce. Founded in 1997, IEF facilitates many educational projects including: GetNetWise.org, Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee and The State of the Net Project.

GetNetWise is an educational site that contains information to help parents and computer users stay safe online. GetNetWise.org has the laregest searchable database of parental empowerment and cyber security tools on the Internet and uses multimedia audio and video to train users how to use these tools to enhance their safety. The Internet Education Foundation also does additional research and writing in the areas of online safety and security.

The Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee is a diverse group of public interest, non profit and industry groups working to educate the Congress and the public about important Internet-related policy issues. The ICAC holds regular briefings for Congressional offices on topical Internet policy questions including broadband, net neutrality, copyright and intellectual property, cyber security, Internet governance and everything in between.

The State of the Net Conference Series brings together thought leaders, public Internet groups, industry and government to discuss the most relevant policy issues facing lawmakers. The annual State of the Net Conference in Washington is DC's largest technology policy conference.

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Media Access Project

Media Access Project is a 35 year-old non-profit telecommunications law firm located in Washington, DC. It represents civil rights, civil liberties, environmental and other citizens groups in policy debates before the Federal Communications Commission and the courts. Its mission is to promote the public's First Amendment rights to speak and to be heard in the electronic mass media.

MAP's work is divided between the "old media" ("equal time" for candidates, media ownership limits, creating low power FM radio stations, etc.) and broadband related issues such as net neutrality, expanding opportunities for unlicensed uses of the spectrum, municipal and community owned networks, and promoting minority ownership and participation.

MAP's small staff of attorneys is complemented by several law student interns each semester. Thus, mentorship and teaching is integral to its operation plan. Over recent years, MAP has made increasing use of economists and engineers in its activities. MAP is based in Washington D.C.

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New America Foundation

Wireless Future Program - New America's Wireless Future Program develops and advocates policy proposals aimed at achieving universal and affordable wireless broadband access, expanding public access to the airwaves and updating our nation's communications infrastructure in the digital era. For more information, visit www.spectrumpolicy.org.

The New America Foundation is a nonprofit, post-partisan public policy institute whose purpose is to bring exceptionally promising new voices and new ideas to the fore of our nation's public discourse. Relying on a venture capital approach, the Foundation invests in outstanding individuals and policy solutions that transcend the conventional political spectrum. Headquartered in our nation's capital, New America also has offices in California and New York.

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Public Knowledge

Public Knowledge is a public-interest advocacy organization dedicated to fortifying and defending a vibrant information commons. This Washington, D.C. based group works with a wide spectrum of stakeholders--libraries, educators, scientists, artists, musicians, journalists, consumers, software programmers, civic groups and enlightened businesses--to promote the core principles of openness, access, and the capacity to create and compete.

Fellowship Focus Areas:

A Public Knowledge fellow will work with members of PK staff and focus on copyright related issues. The fellow will promote policy that ensures that U.S. copyright law and regulation reflect the "cultural bargain" intended by the framers of the Constitution: providing an incentive to creators and innovators while benefiting the public through the free flow of information and ideas. Fellows often have the opportunity to address technology mandates that extend copyright policy and are designed to erode competition, choice, and fairness. Work may include writing and developing policy papers, briefing memos for policy makers, multimedia presentations, blog post, regulatory comments, and hearing testimony. Fellows are expected to attend and brief PK staff on pertinent Congressional hearings, meetings with policy makers, public interest advocates, and industry coalitions. Public Knowledge also encourages fellows to create an independent research project based on their interests and academic and career goals.