ARIN Fellowship Program Application Information

Application Eligibility

Individuals who are 18 years of age or older and reside in the ARIN region are eligible to apply if they have a demonstrated interest in the American Registry for Internet Numbers, Ltd., (“ARIN”) community and its Policy Development Process for the management of Internet number resources. Special consideration will be given to those who have not previously attended an ARIN Public Policy and Members Meeting before, who demonstrate a financial need, or who present a compelling case for being a part of this program. 

Applicants must understand the importance of ARIN’s mission and be familiar with ARIN services, including the Internet number resources it manages and the process reflected in the Number Resource Policy Manual (NRPM). Applicants should be subscribed to the ARIN Announce and ARIN Public Policy mailing lists and participate in all activities as outlined in the program description.

How Fellows Are Chosen

The Fellowship Selection Committee is led by ARIN’s Community Programs Manager and includes volunteer representatives from ARIN-elected bodies, General Members in Good Standing, and past Fellows. Together, these committee members evaluate applications and select Fellows for the spring and fall meetings.

The committee’s decision is guided by the Application Eligibility section of the Fellowship Program Application page and at the committee’s sole discretion. The committee will also take into consideration a desire to provide opportunities to individuals from a diverse range of organization types and geographic locations. Past ARIN Fellows may apply to be considered to receive one additional ARIN Fellowship. 

The committee may award up to 10 fellowships per ARIN Public Policy and Members Meeting but may elect to award fewer. The committee may also designate two additional applicants to serve as primary and secondary alternate awardees in the event a selected Fellow must decline their ARIN Fellowship. 

The decisions of the committee are final, and the awards will be announced on ARIN’s website. All committee communications and deliberations regarding potential Fellows will be kept confidential. Applicants not selected to receive the Fellowship in the current round are eligible and encouraged to apply in future rounds. 

Fellowship Program Application Questions

Below are the questions asked on the Fellowship Program application.

1. Do you currently reside in the ARIN region? (If you currently reside outside the ARIN region, you are ineligible to apply.)

2. What is your current job title and employer? If you are a full-time student, please identify the school, area of concentration, and expected degree or diploma along with graduation date.

3. Please provide contact information for a current or recent supervisor or, if a full-time student, current educational administrator, who you agree ARIN may contact as a reference.

4. How did you hear about the ARIN Fellowship Program?

5. Have you applied for an ARIN Fellowship before? If so, when?

6. Have you previously attended an ARIN meeting (in person or virtually) within the past five years? If so, which?

7. The ARIN Fellowship Program is not a training program, but it is important to have basic knowledge of key areas to participate fully in ARIN’s activities and policy development discussions, which focus on Internet number resources and routing. Please describe your familiarity with any or all of the points below, and how you have attained it:

   • ARIN’s Number Resource Policy Manual, or Internet number resource policy development in other settings
   • IPv6 deployment
   • IP address management, including ARIN’s IPv4 Waiting List and/or transfer market
   • Routing security, including the role ARIN plays
   • Internet governance

   If you have little familiarity with most of these areas, please state whether you would be willing to devote time to reviewing free, online materials about them to help you participate meaningfully in the ARIN community.

8. Are there ways in which you have regularly interacted with the ARIN community?

9. Please provide a brief summary of your professional and/or academic experience within the Internet industry. What are some specific ways in which you hope participating in this Fellowship Program will affect your professional trajectory?

10. This program has a strong mentorship component with seasoned members of the ARIN community. Explain what sort of mentorship outcomes you would like to see, and what kinds of professional experience or related qualities you seek in a mentor. If possible, please tie your answer back to the professional goals discussed in your previous response. 

11. How do you hope the Fellowship Program will help you participate in the Public Policy & Members Meeting and any continued working relationship with ARIN in the future?

12. Fellows are responsible for taking concrete steps to share or apply what they have learned about ARIN and its work in their organizations or broader communities. What steps do you initially propose? These should be refined with the Fellow’s Mentor and with ARIN following program participation.

13. Please explain your need for financial assistance to attend the Public Policy and Members Meeting in person. Selection preference is given to those who demonstrate financial hardship.

14. Is there anything else the Fellowship Selection Committee should know about you?