The fellowship will award five selected researchers a stipend of USD 10,000 each to undertake an eight-month research project from April to November 2026. As a remote-first fellowship, it empowers researchers to drive local impact while connecting with the broader Internet technical community. 

The Foundation aims to ensure that the rapid digital transformation of the Asia Pacific is guided by local contexts, expertise, and ownership, rather than by external trends. By investing in indigenous research, the Foundation creates a sustainable research ecosystem wherein technical growth is balanced with inclusive, evidence-based policy environments.

This Fellowship is open to researchers, technical practitioners, and policy professionals to help support original, innovative research and proof of concept to further Internet and digital development in the Asia Pacific.

The APNIC Foundation Fellowship is a grant awarded to individuals to develop evidence that can contribute to meaningful Internet and digital development, further safe and inclusive adoption of technology, and promote sound techno-policy frameworks promoting digital access and inclusion. The Foundation may publish the outputs as a whole or in part and may utilise the research to support its other activities.

Key areas of focus

The Fellowship focuses on three thematic tracks:

• Track A: Internet Infrastructure and Resilience
  This track focuses on the fundamental physical and logical layers of the network that sustain regional connectivity. Research should address the increasing vulnerability of core infrastructure to both technical failures and geopolitical shifts, ensuring the backbone of the Internet in the Asia Pacific remains stable and secure.

   

  • Topics can include but are not limited to Internet stability and routing security, measurement of regional traffic patterns, and subsea cable network physical resilience.

• Track B: Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
  This track examines the digital systems, such as identity, payments, and data exchange, that allow for the delivery of essential public and private services. Research should explore how these building blocks can be made more interoperable and inclusive to prevent digital silos and bridge the connectivity gap for marginalised populations.

   

  • Topics can include but are not limited to interoperability of digital IDs and payment systems, cross-border systems, inclusion and last-mile connectivity for underserved communities.

• Track C: Sustainable AI
  This track addresses the resource-intensive nature of the AI development and proliferation, specifically focusing on the environmental footprint of large-scale compute. Research should address the tension between rapid investments in AI and national sustainability goals, investigating how to optimise the energy and water efficiency of the compute clusters that power the region’s digital future.

   

  • Topics can include but are not limited to optimising the physical and logical layers of AI for sustainability, environmental impact caused by data centres, operational and technology transfer efficiency, using AI to solve environmental challenges.

Who should apply?

Applications from the following professional groups are invited:

• Researchers: Scholars and data scientists capable of designing and executing rigorous research methodologies, including quantitative modelling, longitudinal data analysis, and socio-economic impact assessments. Applicants should demonstrate the ability to extract high-level insights from complex datasets to inform long-term digital policy and technical governance across the fellowship’s thematic tracks.
• Technical Practitioners: Senior engineers, systems architects, and infrastructure specialists with extensive field experience in the real-world deployment and management of digital systems. Applicants should be able to translate operational challenges—such as system interoperability, network resilience, and resource efficiency—into documented technical roadmaps and best-practice frameworks.
• Policy professionals and strategists: Consultants, legal experts, or government advisors who are skilled at drafting policy and strategic roadmaps that align technical evidence with national development goals.

Application Criteria

The APNIC Foundation seeks high-calibre applicants who can bridge the gap between technical evidence and actionable policy. To ensure the success of the thematic tracks, candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Reside in one of the 56 economies in the Asia Pacific that are serviced by the APNIC
  Foundation (the APNIC Foundation Service Region)
• Demonstrate a minimum of 7-10 years of experience in their respective fields
• Hold at least a Master’s-level degree in a field relevant to their proposed research topic
• Have at least one first-author original research piece published in a relevant peer-reviewed
  publication
• Be willing to release their outputs under a Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0) license
  
  Source of research fellowship via APNIC 
  
  submit application here