NextGen@ICANN Program

About | Eligibility | Apply | FAQs | Dates & Deadlines | Selection Criteria | Selection Committee | Important Links

About

At ICANN we feel it is our responsibility to increase accessibility to ICANN and the Internet governance ecosystem and raise awareness and encourage participation amongst the youth who are not currently engaged. Our NextGen youth program is an important source for identifying potential future community members who will in our hopes eventually begin to participate once they have completed their studies. Our goal is to share some key areas for you to explore to gain an understanding of ICANN's mission and the bottom-up, multistakeholder model that supports it, as well as how you can start to participate in the important work that affects you, your region, and the global Internet space. We are dedicated to helping youth start a step-by-step journey into the ICANN ecosystem.

The ICANN organization is looking for the next generation of individuals who are interested in becoming actively engaged in their regional communities and in shaping the future of global Internet policy. Important work is happening every day at ICANN.

If you are ready to start your journey, attending an ICANN Public Meeting as a NextGen@ICANN participant could be the place to start!

Through the NextGen program, ICANN provides coaching and travel assistance to students from the regions where the ICANN meeting is taking place.

Eligibility

Participants in the NextGen@ICANN program must be:

• Enrolled as an undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral student.
• Between the ages of 18 and 30 at the time of the ICANN meeting. If you do not meet the NextGen eligibility criteria, please explore the ICANN Fellowship program.
• Currently living and studying in the region of the respective ICANN meeting. ICANN's meetings rotate through five geographic regions: Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific. Find out your ICANN region here. See the calendar and regional rotation for future meetings.

  In the event that applications are being accepted from regions other than the one in which the ICANN meeting is taking place, ICANN will make this information publicly available online in advance of the application process for that specific meeting.

• Interested in Internet Governance, the future of the Internet, and other topics covered at ICANN meetings.
• If selected, participant must be able to attend the ICANN meeting and required events. NextGen participants are expected to actively participate at the meeting.
• If selected, participant must be willing to present a 5 -10 minute project at the meeting. The presentation can cover topics including: research you are working on or completed, an activity related to ICANN's work, an ICANN related website you are affiliated with, a thesis project, etc.

NextGen participants come from a variety of backgrounds. Check out previous participants and program statistics for more information.

Apply

Click here to apply to the ICANN79 NextGen@ICANN program

By applying, applicants are agreeing to attend the ICANN meeting with the NextGen@ICANN group as well as all required events. Each individual is provided a grant of support that covers the cost of economy class airfare, hotel and a stipend. NextGen participants are required to secure their own visas for travel at their own expense. If an applicant wants to obtain travel or health insurance this will be at their own expense. NextGen applicants must provide personal information; however, it is voluntary to apply. For more information, see Program Terms and Conditions.

NextGen@ICANN Selection Criteria

Applicants are evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Applicant exhibits interest in ICANN and the Internet ecosystem through examples of current work, activities, public dialogue through their studies, and/or research on the web.
• Applicant expresses how participation in the NextGen@ICANN program would be valuable to them as an individual, and as part of a greater community (e.g., university, country, region).
• Applicant's quality in expressing their view on an Internet topic within their application.
• Applicant demonstrates a desire to become a part of the ICANN community.
• Applicant demonstrates long-standing interest in topics related to ICANN's work.
• Applicant expresses a desire to engage and improve their understanding of ICANN's work in their region.

Important Links

For more information, please contact NextGen@icann.org