Call for Applications: Digital Security Fellowship

SHARE Foundation invites applications for the Digital Security Fellowship, a regional research-oriented and capacity-building programme open to participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.

The Fellowship is designed for individuals who already have experience in digital security, as well as for those who aim to expand and deepen their knowledge and skills in this field. We welcome applications from researchers, experts, human rights defenders, activists, journalists, lawyers, tech experts, and other professionals working at the intersection of technology, rights, and society.

About the Fellowship

The Digital Security Fellowship approaches digital security as a field shaped by technological infrastructures, legal frameworks, political power, and social structures. It focuses on how digital systems are built, governed, used, and contested in contemporary contexts, addressing everyday practices and high-risk situations. The Fellowship explores core challenges related to the protection of digital systems, data, and communications, as well as organisational issues, incident response, and long-term resilience in an evolving threat environment, while also examining the broader legal, social, political, and human rights implications of digital security.

The programme combines training modules, collaborative learning, research development, and mentorship, aimed at providing a strong theoretical and practical foundation for exploring key challenges of digital security from multiple perspectives.

The programme addresses technological, legal, political, and social dimensions of digital security, and supports diverse approaches, including:

• Research, investigative, and analytical work
• Advocacy and policy-oriented approaches
• Technical and operational perspectives
• Reporting and media coverage
• Legal and regulatory analysis

The working language of the Fellowship is English.

Programme Structure

The Fellowship consists of several interconnected phases:

1. Online Course

The Fellowship begins with a multi-week online course covering a range of topics related to digital security. The course is designed as an interactive learning process, including:

• online trainings
• workshops
• thematic discussions
• exchange of experiences and practices

2. Development of Research-based Project Proposals

During the course, each participant will develop a proposal for an in-depth research-based project focused on a specific problem in the field of digital security.

3. Working Meeting in North Macedonia

All research proposals will be presented and discussed at a joint regional working meeting in North Macedonia, providing space for peer feedback, discussion, and refinement of ideas.

4. Mentorship Programme

Based on the quality and relevance of the proposals, selected participants will be invited to continue their work through an advanced, funded mentorship programme implemented in cooperation with SHARE Foundation. Mentorship will support further development, research, and finalisation of selected projects.

5. Final Conference in Montenegro

Fellows participating in the mentorship programme will present their final work at the final conference in Montenegro.

Who Can Apply

The call is open to applicants from six Western Balkan countries who are interested in digital security, including but not limited to:

• journalists and media professionals
• civil society actors, activists, and human rights defenders
• legal professionals, lawyers, and policy experts
• researchers and scholars
• tech professionals and digital rights practitioners

Both experienced professionals and those seeking to strengthen their professional capacity in digital security are strongly encouraged to apply.

Important Dates

• Application deadline: 1 March 2026, 23:59 CET
• Online course: April – June
• Working Meeting (North Macedonia): June
• Mentorship programme: June – August 
• Final conference (Montenegro): September 

How to Apply

Use this form to apply for the program:
https://crm.shareconference.net/form/digital-security-fellowship-2026

Please feel free to reach out at [email protected] if you have any questions.

The project has been supported by the National Endowment for Democracy and the Open Society Foundations – Western Balkans.