Education 

ISOC Fellowship to the IETF

How to Apply

The Fellowship Award

The ISOC Fellowship to the IETF program provides the following support to participants:

• A round-trip, economy class airline ticket to attend the meeting
• Hotel accommodation for the duration of the meeting
• IETF meeting registration fees
• The fee for the IETF Social Event, and
• A US$400 stipend to offset incidental expenses (such as meals not provided as part of the IETF meeting, ground transportation, related expenses, etc). The stipend is paid to the Fellow only upon arrival at the meeting
• A certificate of participation after successfully participating in the ISOC Fellowship to the IETF

Participants should be prepared to pay for any other travel expenses not specifically outlined above. These may include, for example, visa application fees, travel needed to obtain a visa, travel medical insurance, and other related expenses. Fellows may wish to use part of the $400 stipend to offset these costs, but please be aware that the stipend is not paid unless the Fellow arrives at the meeting.

Fellows will be responsible for obtaining their own visa to enter into the country where the IETF meeting is taking place. ISOC will provide selected Fellows an ISOC Fellowship to the IETF invitation letter to take with them to the appropriate Consulate or Embassy in support of their visa application. The program does not directly pay for travel costs associated with obtaining the visa or visa application fees.

The Fellowship only supports travel itineraries that get the Fellow to and from the IETF meeting on dates reasonably close to the actual meeting. Fellows should not plan on incorporating extra time for personal or business trips into their travel.

Mentors

Each Fellow is paired with a “mentor,” an experienced IETF participant who is familiar with the technical area in which that the Fellow is interested.

In advance of the meeting, the mentor will help the Fellow prepare by recommending IETF materials that will help the individual get the most out of their attendance, such as relevant IETF Working Group documents and discussion threads, and answering questions over e-mail.

At the meeting, the mentor will help introduce the Fellow to other participants, answer questions about the meeting schedule, and serve as a general “point of contact” for the Fellow.

If the Fellow already knows someone in the IETF that is willing to be their mentor, the Fellow may choose the mentor themselves, otherwise, ISOC will find a mentor for the Fellow.

Fellowship Alumni Network

All ISOC Fellows will be added to a mailing list to extend their IETF experience and relationship building opportunities after the meeting. The mailing list includes all past IETF Fellows.

ISOC will highlight certain Fellows in an annual publication to demonstrate how participating in the ISOC Fellowship to the IETF impacts his/her professional career and local community/region.