Call for Applications: Application Guidelines, Process And Terms & Conditions
Envisioned as an opportunity for interested law students from select Participating Law Schools to engage on contemporary questions of technology, law and policy, the Meta India Tech Scholars (MITS) program has been designed to provide current law students with a unique platform for research and mentorship. The MITS program is a recent Meta initiative, in which it is supported by Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. (“SAM”), India’s foremost full service law firm, as its Knowledge Partner.
About Meta India Tech Scholars
- Scholars will work under the guidance of an Indian think-tank or research organisation prominent in the field of technology law and policy (“Mentoring Institution”) to deliver a research paper at the conclusion of the approx. 9-month MITS program, while simultaneously aiming to produce other intermediate assignments, such as blog posts, podcasts, etc. and participating in periodic check-ins.
- Scholars will be paid a scholarship by Meta in the manner determined by Meta.
Application Guidelines
- The application is open to fourth and fifth-year law students from 8 prominent law universities in India (each a “Participating Law School”).
- Applicants may submit one proposal per solicitation. Multiple proposals from the same Participating Law School are acceptable.
- Academic experience in technology law and policy will be an added advantage.
Application Process: Round 1
- In Round 1, applicants will be shortlisted on the basis of their respective Research Proposals.
- The Research Proposal should be in English and of 700-1000 words (word limit excludes references).
- The Research Proposal will be evaluated by the Selection Committee (composed of representatives from Meta and SAM, without possible additional members), based on factors including:
a. Identification of policy issues relevant to the topic
b. Quality of research
c. Coherent structure and language
- Research Proposals are expected to be original and unpublished works of the applicant and should include the scholar’s research questions, research plan and expected impact/outcomes of the research.
- Themes for the MITS 2022-2023 program are:
a. Data governance
b. Connectivity
c. Emerging technologies
d. Free speech & intermediary liability
e. Encryption and security
- The deadline for submission of applications is 11:59 PM (IST) on 27 July 2022.
*Note that times reflect in Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) on the application link, and on conversion to IST, the deadline is as above. - The link to the application form can be found here: https://meta-research.smapply.io/prog/2022_meta_india_tech_scholars
Application Process: Round 2
- Applicants shortlisted from Round 1 will be invited to interview with the Selection Committee and / or additional interviewers via registered mail with the requisite details. Applicants who have not received an invitation by then should assume that they will not be proceeding to Round 2.
- The Selection Committee will prepare a Round 2 shortlist at the conclusion of the interviews with applicants shortlisted from Round 1.
- The MITS Advisory Committee (comprising senior policy and legal experts in India) will make the final selection of the 12 Scholars.
- Scholars selected internally will be required to undergo Meta’s internal compliance checks, which may require the submission of additional information. Participation in the MITS program will be subject to compliance clearance by Meta.
- Once cleared for compliance, Scholars will be notified of their selection required to agree to more specific terms and conditions pertaining to their participation in the MITS. Such terms are in addition to the General Terms and Conditions applicable to this Call for Applications.
General Terms & Conditions
- The decisions of Meta, the Selection Committee, and the Advisory Committee, will be final in all matters relating to this Call for Applications for the MITS, including the evaluation of Research Proposals, shortlisting of applicants, and selection of Scholars. Meta’s decisions will likewise be final in all matters relating to the interpretation of these General Terms & Conditions. By submitting an application, applicants affirm that they have read and agree to these Terms and Conditions.
- Meta, the Selection Committee and the Advisory Committee are authorized to evaluate applications submitted under this Call for Applications and to consult with outside experts, as needed, in evaluating applications. Meta’s, the Selection Committee’s and the Advisory Committee’s decisions will be final in all such matters, and applicants agree not to challenge any such decisions.
- Meta will not be required to treat any part of the applicant’s Research Proposal as confidential or protected by copyright, and may use, edit, modify, copy, reproduce and distribute all or a portion of the applicant’s Research Proposal in any manner for the sole purposes of evaluating the contents of their Research Proposal and publishing the MITS.
- Applicants agree and acknowledge that any personal data that they submit with their Research Proposal and / or in connection with the application process, including (name, mailing address, phone number, and email address) may be collected, processed, stored and otherwise used by Meta, the Selection Committee and / or the Advisory Committee for the purposes of evaluating the contents of the application, selecting Scholars for the Program, and for other administrative purposes. Applicants also agree that Meta may publish their name and institutional affiliation on the MITS blog if they are selected as Scholars.
- Neither Meta nor the Selection Committee is under any obligation to review or consider an applicant’s Research Proposal or any other part of applicant’s application, and the submission of a Research Proposal will not result in the transfer of ownership of any IP rights.
- By submitting their Research Proposals, except where prohibited by law, applicants grant to Meta (and their agents, successors, and assigns) the irrevocable, transferable, sublicensable, absolute right and permission to use, edit, modify, copy, reproduce, and distribute applicants’ Research Proposals (with or without reference to each person associated with the Research Proposal) in perpetuity on the Internet in any language, throughout the world, for the limited purposes of administering and promoting the MITS, and publicizing the selected Scholars.
- Applicants acknowledge that the MITS is entirely separate and independent from the Participating Law Schools, and that applicants’ participation in the MITS, including their creation of research deliverables shall in no way replace nor exempt them from the academic requirements of the Participating Law Schools in which they are enrolled, whether in terms of class attendance, course credits, examinations and other assignments, and grading. Selected Scholars will be solely responsible for fulfilling their respective academic requirements in addition to the requirements and deliverables expected under the MITS. The MITS shall be an online program, designed to function in tandem with Scholars’ academic commitments as students at their respective Participating Law School.
- The scholarship provided to the Scholars under the MITS will not create a financial relationship or obligation of any kind between the Scholar and the Participating Law School in which they are enrolled, and Scholars will continue to remain responsible for any payments due by them to the Participating Law Schools. Meta shall have no liability for the Scholars’ use of the scholarship provided to them under the MITS. Neither the payment of the scholarship nor Meta’s role in the MITS shall be construed to create an employer-employee relationship between Meta and the Scholars or between Meta and the Participating Law Schools.
- Applicants acknowledge that their participation in the MITS, should they be selected as a Scholar, will be subject to additional terms and conditions. Applicants understand and acknowledge that they will need to agree to such additional terms and conditions to participate in the MITS.
FAQs
Q. Who will decide which Mentoring Institution the Scholars will be paired with?
A. Meta and the Selection Committee will make this determination and will ensure that selected Scholars are placed with the Mentoring Institution most suitable for their Research Proposal.
Q. What are the deliverables due under the MITS?
A. During the course of the MITS, Scholars will be expected to work on an academic research paper based on their Research Proposal. Additionally, Scholars may simultaneously work on other intermediate assignments, such as blog posts, podcasts, etc., and are also required to attend any virtual training or knowledge sessions organized as part of the MITS program, including periodic check-in sessions.
Q. How will the research outputs due at the close of the MITS be evaluated?
A. In addition to periodic review and inputs from the Mentoring Institutions, the Scholars’ final research deliverables will be evaluated and vetted by the MITS Advisory Committee.
2022 Meta India Tech Scholars
Call for Applications: Application Guidelines, Process And Terms & Conditions
Envisioned as an opportunity for interested law students from select Participating Law Schools to engage on contemporary questions of technology, law and policy, the Meta India Tech Scholars (MITS) program has been designed to provide current law students with a unique platform for research and mentorship. The MITS program is a recent Meta initiative, in which it is supported by Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. (“SAM”), India’s foremost full service law firm, as its Knowledge Partner.
About Meta India Tech Scholars
- Scholars will work under the guidance of an Indian think-tank or research organisation prominent in the field of technology law and policy (“Mentoring Institution”) to deliver a research paper at the conclusion of the approx. 9-month MITS program, while simultaneously aiming to produce other intermediate assignments, such as blog posts, podcasts, etc. and participating in periodic check-ins.
- Scholars will be paid a scholarship by Meta in the manner determined by Meta.
Application Guidelines
- The application is open to fourth and fifth-year law students from 8 prominent law universities in India (each a “Participating Law School”).
- Applicants may submit one proposal per solicitation. Multiple proposals from the same Participating Law School are acceptable.
- Academic experience in technology law and policy will be an added advantage.
Application Process: Round 1
- In Round 1, applicants will be shortlisted on the basis of their respective Research Proposals.
- The Research Proposal should be in English and of 700-1000 words (word limit excludes references).
- The Research Proposal will be evaluated by the Selection Committee (composed of representatives from Meta and SAM, without possible additional members), based on factors including:
a. Identification of policy issues relevant to the topic
b. Quality of research
c. Coherent structure and language
- Research Proposals are expected to be original and unpublished works of the applicant and should include the scholar’s research questions, research plan and expected impact/outcomes of the research.
- Themes for the MITS 2022-2023 program are:
a. Data governance
b. Connectivity
c. Emerging technologies
d. Free speech & intermediary liability
e. Encryption and security
- The deadline for submission of applications is 11:59 PM (IST) on 27 July 2022.
*Note that times reflect in Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) on the application link, and on conversion to IST, the deadline is as above. - The link to the application form can be found here: https://meta-research.smapply.io/prog/2022_meta_india_tech_scholars
Application Process: Round 2
- Applicants shortlisted from Round 1 will be invited to interview with the Selection Committee and / or additional interviewers via registered mail with the requisite details. Applicants who have not received an invitation by then should assume that they will not be proceeding to Round 2.
- The Selection Committee will prepare a Round 2 shortlist at the conclusion of the interviews with applicants shortlisted from Round 1.
- The MITS Advisory Committee (comprising senior policy and legal experts in India) will make the final selection of the 12 Scholars.
- Scholars selected internally will be required to undergo Meta’s internal compliance checks, which may require the submission of additional information. Participation in the MITS program will be subject to compliance clearance by Meta.
- Once cleared for compliance, Scholars will be notified of their selection required to agree to more specific terms and conditions pertaining to their participation in the MITS. Such terms are in addition to the General Terms and Conditions applicable to this Call for Applications.
General Terms & Conditions
- The decisions of Meta, the Selection Committee, and the Advisory Committee, will be final in all matters relating to this Call for Applications for the MITS, including the evaluation of Research Proposals, shortlisting of applicants, and selection of Scholars. Meta’s decisions will likewise be final in all matters relating to the interpretation of these General Terms & Conditions. By submitting an application, applicants affirm that they have read and agree to these Terms and Conditions.
- Meta, the Selection Committee and the Advisory Committee are authorized to evaluate applications submitted under this Call for Applications and to consult with outside experts, as needed, in evaluating applications. Meta’s, the Selection Committee’s and the Advisory Committee’s decisions will be final in all such matters, and applicants agree not to challenge any such decisions.
- Meta will not be required to treat any part of the applicant’s Research Proposal as confidential or protected by copyright, and may use, edit, modify, copy, reproduce and distribute all or a portion of the applicant’s Research Proposal in any manner for the sole purposes of evaluating the contents of their Research Proposal and publishing the MITS.
- Applicants agree and acknowledge that any personal data that they submit with their Research Proposal and / or in connection with the application process, including (name, mailing address, phone number, and email address) may be collected, processed, stored and otherwise used by Meta, the Selection Committee and / or the Advisory Committee for the purposes of evaluating the contents of the application, selecting Scholars for the Program, and for other administrative purposes. Applicants also agree that Meta may publish their name and institutional affiliation on the MITS blog if they are selected as Scholars.
- Neither Meta nor the Selection Committee is under any obligation to review or consider an applicant’s Research Proposal or any other part of applicant’s application, and the submission of a Research Proposal will not result in the transfer of ownership of any IP rights.
- By submitting their Research Proposals, except where prohibited by law, applicants grant to Meta (and their agents, successors, and assigns) the irrevocable, transferable, sublicensable, absolute right and permission to use, edit, modify, copy, reproduce, and distribute applicants’ Research Proposals (with or without reference to each person associated with the Research Proposal) in perpetuity on the Internet in any language, throughout the world, for the limited purposes of administering and promoting the MITS, and publicizing the selected Scholars.
- Applicants acknowledge that the MITS is entirely separate and independent from the Participating Law Schools, and that applicants’ participation in the MITS, including their creation of research deliverables shall in no way replace nor exempt them from the academic requirements of the Participating Law Schools in which they are enrolled, whether in terms of class attendance, course credits, examinations and other assignments, and grading. Selected Scholars will be solely responsible for fulfilling their respective academic requirements in addition to the requirements and deliverables expected under the MITS. The MITS shall be an online program, designed to function in tandem with Scholars’ academic commitments as students at their respective Participating Law School.
- The scholarship provided to the Scholars under the MITS will not create a financial relationship or obligation of any kind between the Scholar and the Participating Law School in which they are enrolled, and Scholars will continue to remain responsible for any payments due by them to the Participating Law Schools. Meta shall have no liability for the Scholars’ use of the scholarship provided to them under the MITS. Neither the payment of the scholarship nor Meta’s role in the MITS shall be construed to create an employer-employee relationship between Meta and the Scholars or between Meta and the Participating Law Schools.
- Applicants acknowledge that their participation in the MITS, should they be selected as a Scholar, will be subject to additional terms and conditions. Applicants understand and acknowledge that they will need to agree to such additional terms and conditions to participate in the MITS.
FAQs
Q. Who will decide which Mentoring Institution the Scholars will be paired with?
A. Meta and the Selection Committee will make this determination and will ensure that selected Scholars are placed with the Mentoring Institution most suitable for their Research Proposal.
Q. What are the deliverables due under the MITS?
A. During the course of the MITS, Scholars will be expected to work on an academic research paper based on their Research Proposal. Additionally, Scholars may simultaneously work on other intermediate assignments, such as blog posts, podcasts, etc., and are also required to attend any virtual training or knowledge sessions organized as part of the MITS program, including periodic check-in sessions.
Q. How will the research outputs due at the close of the MITS be evaluated?
A. In addition to periodic review and inputs from the Mentoring Institutions, the Scholars’ final research deliverables will be evaluated and vetted by the MITS Advisory Committee.