The Institute for the Cooperative Digital Economy (ICDE) at The New School invites applications for its 2026–2027 Fellowship Program, a global, non-residential research fellowship for scholars examining how cooperatives, unions, and solidarity-economy organizations are engaging with digital platforms, artificial intelligence, and data-intensive infrastructures. This fellowship supports empirically grounded, comparative, and interdisciplinary research that explores alternative models of digital economy governance, with a strong emphasis on real-world practices, institutional design, and public relevance. The program brings together researchers committed to understanding and advancing democratic, cooperative, and worker-centered approaches to digital transformation. Fellowship at a Glance Application Deadline: January 20, 2026 (11:59 pm ET) Duration: 2026–2027 academic year Format: Fully remote, non-residential Required In-Person Component: Presentation at the Platform Cooperativism Consortium (PCC) Conference, November 12–15, 2026, Bangkok, Thailand Primary Output: One substantial research publication plus at least one public-facing contribution Support Provided: Mentorship, access to global research networks, and conference travel support Program Overview The ICDE Fellowship Program supports scholars researching how digital infrastructures—such as platforms, AI systems, algorithmic management tools, and data regimes—are shaping cooperative economies, labor relations, and governance structures across diverse social and institutional contexts. ICDE encourages open-ended inquiry that draws from disciplines including social sciences, law, political economy, media studies, science and technology studies, organizational research, and related fields. The fellowship prioritizes case-based and empirically engaged research that examines concrete organizational settings and contributes to policy-relevant and practice-oriented knowledge. A defining feature of the fellowship is its emphasis on public-facing scholarship. Fellows are expected to translate rigorous research into outputs that are accessible and useful to cooperatives, unions, worker organizations, policymakers, and practitioners across the solidarity economy. Institutional Context ICDE is based at The New School in New York City, a university with a long-standing commitment to social justice, interdisciplinary inquiry, and experimental scholarship. The Institute drives the research agenda of the Platform Cooperativism Consortium (PCC), a global network connecting scholars, cooperative leaders, technologists, and policymakers. Since 2019, ICDE has supported 58 fellows across more than 60 countries, contributing to the growth of the field of Solidarity Tech, influencing public policy debates, and strengthening cooperative ecosystems worldwide. Who Should Apply Applications are welcomed from: Ph.D. candidates and postdoctoral researchers Junior and early-career faculty Applicants with equivalent research experience and a demonstrated research record Collaborative or paired applications proposing aligned or joint research agendas are also encouraged. Applicants should demonstrate: A clear research question grounded in real-world cases Engagement with, or plans to engage, cooperatives, unions, or collective initiatives Familiarity with cooperative, labor, or solidarity-economy contexts Capacity to contribute to a collaborative, interdisciplinary research cohort Fellowship Modality and Conference Requirement The fellowship is fully remote throughout the year. However, all fellows must attend and present their work in person at the Platform Cooperativism Consortium Conference, hosted in 2026 at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. The conference serves as the intellectual anchor of the fellowship, bringing together scholars, workers, cooperative leaders, technologists, and policymakers. It foregrounds Global South perspectives, with a focus on cross-regional exchange, platform labor, AI governance, and cooperative digital futures. Research Focus Areas Proposed research may align with, but is not limited to, the following themes: Core Research Orientations Law, regulation, and public policy related to cooperatives, platforms, AI, and labor Political economy of digital capitalism and alternative economic models Empirical and ethnographic research on platform labor and cooperative practice Data governance, surveillance, and digital rights Global South–grounded and decolonial research approaches Movement building, federation, and scaling without centralization Priority Themes Worker-led and cooperative AI systems AI governance within platform cooperatives Inactive, stalled, or failed platform cooperatives State-facilitated and public-interest platform cooperatives Measuring impact, viability, and worker outcomes Imagining a federated “Solidarity Stack” of digital infrastructure Research Expectations Fellows are expected to: Produce a substantial research output of approximately 8,000–10,000 words Participate actively in cohort discussions and ICDE programming Present their research at the PCC Conference in Bangkok Contribute at least one public-facing output, such as a blog post, policy brief, workshop, or resource for cooperatives ICDE strongly values collaboration, shared learning, and outputs that extend beyond academia. Benefits and Support Fellows receive: Mentorship from ICDE faculty, senior researchers, and peers Access to global networks of scholars, cooperatives, unions, and policymakers Opportunities for collaborative research, events, and publications Travel and accommodation support for the PCC Conference (visa costs not included) Application Requirements Applicants must submit: A CV (maximum four pages) A 1–2 page research proposal outlining the 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 VISIT OFFICIAL WEBSITE TO APPLY For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram , WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn and Telegram Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the fellowship organization. For any inquiries, please contact the responsible organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.