Deadline: January 20, 2026.

The Institute for the Cooperative Digital Economy (ICDE) at The New School invites applications for its 2026–2027 Fellowship Program, a global research program for scholars examining how cooperatives, unions, and solidarity-economy organizations are engaging with digital systems, including artificial intelligence and data-intensive infrastructures.

The fellowship emphasizes case-based and empirically engaged research, inviting fellows to explore concrete institutional settings through comparative analysis, conceptual experimentation, and inquiry into alternative organizational arrangements that may inform policy discussions and organizational practice.

A defining feature of the ICDE Fellowship is its focus on public-facing research outputs that are accessible and relevant to a range of audiences, including practitioners, organizations, and academic communities. Fellows are encouraged to develop work that engages with existing organizations, clarifies institutional or governance questions, and contributes to shared learning across cooperative and solidarity-economy ecosystems.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

ICDE welcomes applications from:
1. Ph.D. candidates and post-docs

2. Junior and early-career faculty

3. Applicants with equivalent research experience and a demonstrated record of scholarly or applied research may also be considered.

4. They also welcome collaborative or paired applications in which two applicants propose aligned or joint research agendas.

BENEFITS

Fellows receive:

• Mentorship and feedback from ICDE faculty, senior researchers, and fellows
• Access to ICDE’s global network of scholars, cooperators, unions, and policymakers
• Opportunities to collaborate on research sprints, events, and publications
• Travel and accommodation support to attend the PCC Conference (conference-related costs only)

Fellows are responsible for securing their own visas.

APPLICATION

Applicants must submit:

• A CV (maximum 4 pages)
• A 1–2 page research proposal, including:
  • Research question and motivation
  • Empirical focus or case study
  • Methods and timeline
  • Relevance to ICDE’s research focus areas
• One writing sample demonstrating prior research
• Contact information for two academic or professional references

Collaborative or paired applications should clearly describe the relationship between projects.

Find more information on the OFFICIAL WEBSITE