Attention all scholars and researchers! Are you ready to dive into the future of digital economies and make a real impact? The Institute for the Cooperative Digital Economy (ICDE) is calling for applications for its prestigious Fellowship Program, offering a unique opportunity to explore the cutting-edge intersection of cooperatives, unions, and digital platforms.
The Future of Digital Economy Governance: A Global Fellowship Opportunity
ICDE invites you to join a global community of scholars committed to understanding and shaping the democratic, cooperative, and worker-centric transformation of our digital world. This fully remote, non-residential fellowship program for the 2026-2027 academic year is your chance to delve into empirically grounded, comparative, and interdisciplinary research.
But here's where it gets controversial... While the program emphasizes real-world practices and institutional design, it also challenges you to think beyond traditional boundaries. How can we ensure that digital platforms, AI systems, and data-intensive infrastructures serve the interests of cooperatives, unions, and the broader solidarity economy? This is the heart of the ICDE Fellowship Program.
Fellowship at a Glance:
- Application Deadline: January 20, 2026 (11:59 pm ET)
- Duration: Full academic year 2026-2027
- Format: Remote, with an in-person presentation at the PCC Conference
- Required Component: Present your research at the Platform Cooperativism Consortium (PCC) Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, November 12-15, 2026
- Outputs: One substantial research publication and at least one public-facing contribution
- Support: Mentorship, global research network access, and conference travel support
Program Overview:
The ICDE Fellowship Program focuses on how digital infrastructures influence cooperative economies, labor relations, and governance structures across diverse contexts. We encourage open-ended inquiry drawing from various disciplines, prioritizing case-based and empirically engaged research.
A key feature of the fellowship is its emphasis on public-facing scholarship. Fellows are expected to translate their research into accessible and practical outputs for cooperatives, unions, policymakers, and practitioners in the solidarity economy.
Institutional Context:
ICDE is based at The New School in New York City, a university known for its commitment to social justice and interdisciplinary research. The Institute drives the research agenda of the Platform Cooperativism Consortium (PCC), a global network connecting scholars, cooperative leaders, technologists, and policymakers.
Since its inception in 2019, ICDE has supported 58 fellows from over 60 countries, contributing to the field of Solidarity Tech, influencing public policy, and strengthening cooperative ecosystems worldwide.
Who Should Apply:
- Ph.D. candidates and postdoctoral researchers
- Junior and early-career faculty
- Applicants with equivalent research experience and a strong research record
Collaborative applications proposing joint research agendas are also welcome.
Applicants should demonstrate a clear research question grounded in real-world cases, engagement with cooperatives, unions, or collective initiatives, familiarity with cooperative contexts, and the ability to contribute to a collaborative, interdisciplinary research cohort.
Fellowship Modality and Conference Requirement:
The fellowship is fully remote, but all fellows must attend and present their work in person at the PCC Conference in Bangkok. This conference is the intellectual heart of the fellowship, bringing together scholars, workers, cooperative leaders, and policymakers from around the world.
Research Focus Areas:
Your research can align with the following themes, but we encourage creativity and exploration:
- Core Research Orientations: Law, regulation, and public policy; political economy of digital capitalism; empirical research on platform labor and cooperatives; data governance and digital rights; Global South-focused research; movement building and scaling without centralization.
- Priority Themes: Worker-led AI systems; AI governance in platform cooperatives; inactive/failed platform cooperatives; state-facilitated platform cooperatives; measuring impact and worker outcomes; envisioning a "Solidarity Stack" of digital infrastructure.
Research Expectations:
Fellows are expected to produce a substantial research output of 8,000-10,000 words, actively participate in cohort discussions and ICDE programming, present at the PCC Conference, and contribute at least one public-facing output, such as a blog post or policy brief.
ICDE values collaboration and shared learning, so we encourage fellows to engage with the broader community and produce outputs that extend beyond academia.
Benefits and Support:
Fellows receive mentorship, access to global networks, opportunities for collaborative research and events, and travel support for the PCC Conference.
Application Requirements:
- CV (maximum 4 pages)
- 1-2 page research proposal outlining research question, methods, timeline, and relevance
- One writing sample demonstrating prior research
- Contact details for two academic or professional references
Timeline:
- Application Deadline: January 20, 2026
- Review Period: Late January 2026
- Interviews: Early February 2026
- Acceptance Notifications: Mid-February 2026
Apply now at https://platform.coop/blog/open-call-for-applications-2026-2027/
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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities is not the fellowship organization. Please contact ICDE directly for inquiries. Do not send applications to GSO.
