Extended Application Deadline - OpenDP Fellows Program

[OpenDP]

Dear OpenDP Community,

It has come to our attention that some interested applicants were not made aware of the Fellows Program until a few days ago.  Therefore, we have extended the application deadline to Monday, May 10, 2021.

OpenDP invites applications for its inaugural cohort of OpenDP Visiting Fellows for Summer 2021.  These part-time positions are meant for engineers or scholars in industry or academia who wish to learn about and engage with the OpenDP software suite, bringing this knowledge back to their own work or organization, while also contributing to OpenDP in the process. During their fellowship, OpenDP Visiting Fellows will generally be supported by their own institution.  For Visiting Fellows from industry, we expect a contribution of additional financial support for the program and OpenDP.

The fellowship term will include participation in a seminar on approaches to and challenges in deploying differential privacy and the basics of the OpenDP software suite.  There will also be many opportunities to collaborate with the OpenDP team through synchronous working sessions and asynchronous communication.

The dates of the program are June 7 to August 14, 2021, but alternate dates can be considered.  Applications should include a proposal of one or two projects that will be the fellow’s focus.  Fellows can work remotely for the entire duration of the program.  We will provide co-working space on site at Harvard as an option once the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted at Harvard.

This is an employer-sponsored program, meaning the participant remains fully employed at the employer for the duration of the program, while devoting at least 20% of their time to the fellowship activities.  The employer sponsors the participant's work in this program and covers the pertinent expenses, such as the program fee and any program-related travel and lodging.  The program fee is applicable to industry participants and is waived for academia participants.

The application deadline is May 10, 2021.

https://opendp.org/fellows-program

This is an employer-sponsored program, meaning the participant remains fully employed at the employer for the duration of the program, while devoting at least 20% of their time to the fellowship activities.  The employer sponsors the participant's work in this program and covers the pertinent expenses, such as the program fee and any program-related travel and lodging.  

The high-level structure of the OpenDP Fellows Program is as follows:

• Onboarding - Once enrolled, the Fellow will meet with our faculty and staff to go over a detailed program plan tailored to the Fellow's goals in this program.  
• Planning - The Fellow will present the project(s) to the core OpenDP team, who will help determine the best path to incorporate the work into current OpenDP workstream and/or collaboration with others in the community.
• Execution - The Fellow will work on the project(s) as part of the OpenDP team.  The Fellow will have the opportunity to participate in the seminar series, join team meetings as related to their project(s), and give one or two mid-way presentations on the progress of their projects.  
• Completion - The Fellow will present the completed project(s) to a wider audience that includes the OpenDP faculty, core team, staff, community members, and colleagues from Fellow's organization.  If the outcome of the project is open-source software, the completed code will undergo the standard vetting process for OpenDPcode contributions.

To apply, please submit the following to in...@opendp.org by May 10 2021:

• Cover letter
• Resume/CV
• A proposal describing the project that the fellow intends to pursue, explaining how it will benefit from and contribute to OpenDP.
• Proposed start and end dates (if different from June 4 - August 14) and percentage of time to be spent on OpenDP activities.
• Names and contact information for three references
• Links to any relevant software, research papers, or datasets

OpenDP is dedicated to building a diverse community that is welcoming for everyone, regardless of disability, gender identity and expression, physical appearance, race, religion, or sexual orientation.  In particular, we encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups.

Please share this call with any individuals or groups that might be interested.

Sincerely,
The OpenDP Executive Committee.