Mozilla Foundation Fellowship 2027–2028: Up to $125,000 Funding for Technology Innovators Worldwide

The Mozilla Foundation Fellowship 2027–2028 is an international fellowship opportunity for innovative technology builders, researchers, founders, artists, and emerging technology leaders who want to develop solutions that put people at the center of technology. The Mozilla Foundation will award 10 Fellowships for the 2027–2028 cohort, offering successful applicants up to $125,000 in total funding, a 12-month fellowship, and access to a global network of more than 200 Fellows.

The Mozilla Foundation Fellowship 2027–2028 is designed for individuals working on ambitious ideas that can improve the future of technology. Priority areas include artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, neurotechnology, quantum computing, digital security, open-source infrastructure, and alternative business models for the internet.

Applications begin with a Letter of Intent (LOI), and the deadline is December 17, 2026. Applicants should review the official fellowship requirements and focus areas before submitting their proposals.

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Mozilla Foundation Fellowship 2027–2028 Overview

• Fellowship Name: Mozilla Foundation Fellowship 2027–2028
• Host Organization: Mozilla Foundation
• Opportunity Type: International Technology Fellowship
• Location: International opportunity; specific arrangements depend on the fellowship track and host organization
• Eligible Applicants: Technology innovators, builders, founders, researchers, artists, and other qualified individuals whose work aligns with the fellowship priorities
• Number of Fellowships: 10
• Fellowship Duration: 12 months
• Start Date: June 1, 2027
• Funding: Up to $125,000 in total support
• Independent Fellowship Funding: $125,000, comprising a $100,000 stipend and a $25,000 project budget
• Embedded Fellowship Funding: $100,000, comprising a $75,000 stipend and a $25,000 project budget
• Letter of Intent Deadline: December 17, 2026, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time
• Full Application Deadline: March 12, 2027, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time, for invited applicants
• Official Application: https://mzl.la/fellowshipsLOI

What Is the Mozilla Foundation Fellowship?

The Mozilla Foundation Fellowship is a technology-focused fellowship program that supports people developing innovative solutions for a better digital future. The program seeks individuals who are willing to challenge conventional approaches, build practical alternatives, and ensure technology serves people and communities.

Rather than focusing exclusively on theoretical research, the Mozilla Fellowship emphasizes building tools, creating working systems, developing new organizations, and establishing approaches that can have a lasting impact.

The Mozilla Foundation is particularly interested in projects that challenge existing power structures in technology and make digital systems more accessible, accountable, secure, and beneficial to society.

The 2027–2028 Mozilla Foundation Fellowship will support 10 selected Fellows working on ambitious projects across designated focus areas. Successful applicants will receive financial support, opportunities to collaborate with relevant organizations, and access to a global community of experienced technology innovators.

The fellowship is suitable for people whose ideas may be too early-stage, unconventional, or ambitious to receive funding through traditional channels.

Mozilla Foundation Fellowship 2027–2028 Benefits

The Mozilla Foundation Fellowship offers substantial financial and professional support to successful applicants. Benefits depend on the fellowship track selected.

1. Funding of Up to $125,000

Independent Fellows receive $125,000 in total support, divided into:

• $100,000 stipend.
• $25,000 project budget.

This funding is intended to support the Fellow and the development of their proposed project during the fellowship period.

2. $100,000 Support for Embedded Fellows

Embedded Fellows receive $100,000 in total support, comprising:

• $75,000 stipend.
• $25,000 project budget.

This track allows Fellows to work with an established civil society organization and benefit from its expertise, community, and mentorship.

3. Twelve-Month Fellowship Experience

The Mozilla Foundation Fellowship runs for 12 months, beginning June 1, 2027. This provides selected Fellows with a dedicated period to develop their ideas, build practical solutions, and advance their work.

4. Access to a Global Network

Selected Fellows become part of a global network of more than 200 Mozilla Foundation Fellows. This community offers opportunities to connect with people working on technology, public interest innovation, digital rights, and related fields.

5. Mentorship and Collaboration

Embedded Fellows collaborate with host organizations, while Independent Fellows have greater freedom to determine their own approaches and project direction.

Both tracks are intended to help participants develop into technology leaders capable of creating meaningful change.

6. Opportunities to Develop Innovative Projects

The Mozilla Foundation Fellowship supports practical experimentation, working systems, tools, and new approaches to technology. Fellows can use the opportunity to advance projects that may contribute to more open, accountable, and community-centered technology.

Mozilla Foundation Fellowship Focus Areas for 2027–2028

The 2027–2028 fellowship call identifies several priority areas. Applicants should explain how their projects align with one or more of these themes.

1. Neurotechnology, Biotechnology, and Physical AI

This focus area supports projects addressing technologies that interact with the human brain, body, physical environments, and land.

The Mozilla Foundation is interested in approaches that enable affected communities to influence, own, and govern the technologies used in their lives.

Potential applicants may include innovators working on responsible neurotechnology, biotechnology, embodied artificial intelligence, and community-centered technological systems.

2. Hard Infrastructure: Computing, Energy, Quantum Technology, and Extreme Environments

This area focuses on the infrastructure shaping the next generation of technology.

Relevant themes include computing resources, energy systems, quantum machines, and technology operating in environments such as space or the deep sea.

The fellowship seeks projects that improve access, transparency, and community participation in the development and governance of these systems.

3. Raising p(bloom): Building AI That Benefits More People

The Mozilla Foundation is interested in projects that increase the likelihood that artificial intelligence produces positive outcomes for society.

Applicants may propose systems, tools, or approaches that make AI more beneficial, accessible, and accountable while challenging unnecessary barriers to participation.

Projects should demonstrate how their work can help more people benefit from AI rather than concentrating its advantages among a limited number of organizations.

4. Business Models for a Post-Agentic Web

This focus area examines how the internet can support creators, communities, and an open web as artificial intelligence agents and changing online business models reshape digital services.

Potential projects may explore alternative ways to fund online content, compensate creators, support communities, or build sustainable digital platforms.

5. Shared Security and Audit Infrastructure for Small Organizations

Small organizations often lack the resources needed to assess the security and reliability of the technology they use.

The fellowship seeks ideas that make security testing, auditing, and trust-building more affordable and accessible.

Applicants could develop shared tools, practical auditing systems, or infrastructure that helps startups and smaller organizations evaluate the safety of their products and services.

6. Sovereign AI, Public Infrastructure, and Maintenance

This focus area supports technology that communities can own, operate, and maintain rather than depending entirely on external companies or distant cloud providers.

Projects may explore locally controlled AI systems, public-interest infrastructure, and sustainable technological systems that remain useful over time.

7. Creative Advocacy

One Independent Fellowship position is reserved for Creative Advocacy.

This opportunity is intended for artists, cultural innovators, pranksters, and other creative individuals who use provocative ideas or public interventions to challenge assumptions about technology.

Applicants in this category should demonstrate how creative work can spark public discussion, inspire collective action, or encourage people to reconsider who technology serves.

8. Wildcard Projects

Applicants whose projects do not fit neatly into the listed focus areas may apply through the Wildcard category.

The Mozilla Foundation welcomes unconventional ideas that advance better technology futures, even when they fall outside established categories.

Applicants should explain the importance of their idea, why it deserves support, and how it can create meaningful change.

Mozilla Foundation Fellowship Tracks

The Mozilla Foundation Fellowship offers two tracks: Embedded Fellows and Independent Fellows. Applicants should choose the track that best matches their project and working approach.

Track I: Embedded Fellows

The Embedded Fellowship is designed for individuals whose projects will be developed in collaboration with a civil society organization.

The host organization provides a professional environment, relevant expertise, mentorship, and a community in which the Fellow can advance their work.

In return, the host organization benefits from the Fellow’s technical knowledge and innovative approach.

The 2027–2028 call identifies the following host organizations:

• BASAibu — Indonesia.
• Fundación Kamanau — Chile.
• LAS Art Foundation — Germany.
• Quantum Village — United States.
• Slum & Rural Health Initiative — Nigeria.

Applicants should consult the official Request for Proposals (RFP) to understand each host organization’s work and determine which placements align with their proposed projects.

Embedded Fellowship funding: $100,000 total, including a $75,000 stipend and a $25,000 project budget.

Track II: Independent Fellows

The Independent Fellowship is intended for individuals who want to pursue an ambitious project with greater freedom over their approach.

Independent Fellows can develop products, platforms, working systems, and other innovations that contribute to a better technological future.

Projects may demonstrate an alternative technology model, create tools for other developers, or establish new approaches to building and governing digital systems.

This track is particularly relevant to applicants who already have a clear vision and want the flexibility to determine how to turn that vision into a practical outcome.

Independent Fellowship funding: $125,000 total, including a $100,000 stipend and a $25,000 project budget.

Who Can Apply for the Mozilla Foundation Fellowship 2027–2028?

The Mozilla Foundation is seeking individuals who are ready to build ambitious technology projects and contribute to a future in which technology serves people and communities.

The call is aimed at builders, founders, innovators, and other individuals working on emerging technology and public-interest solutions.

Potential applicants may include:

• Technology entrepreneurs and startup founders.
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning innovators.
• Researchers working on emerging technologies.
• Open-source software developers.
• Digital rights and technology governance advocates.
• Cybersecurity and technology auditing specialists.
• Innovators developing community-controlled technology.
• Artists and creative practitioners working on technology advocacy.
• Individuals developing unconventional projects that fit the Wildcard category.

These examples describe potentially relevant backgrounds rather than a complete set of formal eligibility requirements.

Applicants should carefully read the official RFP and FAQs for the precise eligibility rules, application requirements, and track-specific conditions. The published call does not establish a universal degree requirement for every applicant in the information summarized here.

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Required Qualifications and Experience

The Mozilla Foundation Fellowship emphasizes the ability to develop ambitious ideas into practical solutions.

Competitive applicants should be prepared to explain their project’s purpose, demonstrate why the work matters, and describe how they intend to advance it during the 12-month fellowship.

Relevant strengths may include:

• A clear and original project vision.
• Technical, creative, entrepreneurial, or organizational expertise relevant to the proposal.
• Evidence of building, testing, or advancing ideas.
• An understanding of the communities affected by the technology.
• A credible plan for developing a useful product, tool, system, or intervention.
• A commitment to creating technology that benefits people and communities.

These are practical proposal-development recommendations, not a substitute for the formal eligibility criteria in the RFP.

Applicants should avoid assuming that a conventional academic background alone will guarantee selection. The proposal must communicate the project’s significance, feasibility, and alignment with the Mozilla Foundation’s priorities.

How to Apply for the Mozilla Foundation Fellowship 2027–2028

The application process involves multiple stages. The primary review takes place at the Letter of Intent stage, and only a limited number of shortlisted candidates will be invited to submit a full application.

Step 1: Review the Official Fellowship Information

Read the 2027–2028 fellowship announcement, full Request for Proposals, and frequently asked questions.

Official resources:

• Fellowship announcement: https://www.mozillafoundation.org/en/what-we-do/grantmaking/fellowship/2027-call-for-applications/
• Full RFP: https://assets.mofoprod.net/network/documents/PUBLIC_2027_2028_Fellowship_RFP-2.pdf
• Frequently asked questions: https://www.mozillafoundation.org/en/what-we-do/grantmaking/fellowship/2027-call-for-applications/faqs/

Pay particular attention to eligibility, focus areas, the two fellowship tracks, host organizations, and the information required for the Letter of Intent.

Step 2: Identify Your Project and Focus Area

Choose the focus area that most closely matches your work. If your project does not fit the listed categories, consider the Wildcard route.

Your proposal should explain the problem you want to solve, why it matters, who will benefit, and what you intend to build or achieve.

Step 3: Choose the Appropriate Fellowship Track

Determine whether your project is better suited to an Embedded Fellowship or an Independent Fellowship.

If you want to collaborate with a civil society organization, review the participating host organizations and their project interests.

If you prefer to pursue your idea independently, assess whether the Independent Fellowship is the right fit.

Step 4: Submit Your Letter of Intent

Submit your Letter of Intent through the official application portal.

Letter of Intent deadline: December 17, 2026, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time (UTC-8).

Applicants should not wait until the final day to prepare their submissions. Allow time to review the requirements, refine the project description, and confirm that all required information has been provided.

Official Letter of Intent application: https://mzl.la/fellowshipsLOI

Step 5: Wait for the Full Application Invitation

The Mozilla Foundation plans to invite shortlisted applicants to submit full applications on February 16, 2027.

Submitting a Letter of Intent does not guarantee an invitation to the next stage.

Step 6: Submit the Full Application if Invited

Applicants who receive an invitation must complete the full application by the specified deadline.

Full application deadline: March 12, 2027, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

Follow the instructions provided by the Mozilla Foundation and ensure that the full application addresses the requested information.

Step 7: Await the Final Decision

Final applicants will be notified on April 30, 2027, according to the published schedule.

The fellowship begins on June 1, 2027, and runs for 12 months.

Mozilla Foundation Fellowship 2027–2028 Important Dates

Application stage	Date
Letter of Intent deadline	December 17, 2026
Invitations for full applications	February 16, 2027
Full application deadline	March 12, 2027
Final applicants notified	April 30, 2027
Fellowship begins	June 1, 2027
Fellowship duration	12 months

All deadlines are based on the schedule published by the Mozilla Foundation. The Letter of Intent and full application deadlines are specified in Pacific Time, so international applicants should convert the times to their local time zone and verify any updates on the official website.

How to Prepare a Competitive Mozilla Fellowship Application

The Mozilla Foundation Fellowship is intended for ambitious ideas that can challenge conventional thinking and create practical alternatives.

Applicants can strengthen their proposals by following these recommendations.

Present a Specific Problem

Explain the problem your project addresses and why existing solutions are inadequate. Avoid relying on broad claims about artificial intelligence or technology without identifying a clear challenge.

Demonstrate What You Intend to Build

Describe the proposed product, tool, platform, infrastructure, creative intervention, or other practical outcome.

Where relevant, explain how the project will be developed, tested, or evaluated during the 12-month fellowship.

Explain Who Benefits

Identify the communities, users, organizations, or other groups that stand to benefit from your work.

Show how your project will give people greater access, control, security, or influence over the technologies that affect them.

Connect Your Proposal to the Fellowship Priorities

Explain how your project aligns with one of the listed focus areas or why it deserves consideration as a Wildcard proposal.

Avoid choosing a focus area solely because it sounds popular. Your connection should be credible and specific.

Establish a Realistic Project Plan

Set out the key activities and outcomes you aim to achieve over the fellowship period.

A convincing plan should show that the project is ambitious while remaining achievable with the available time, funding, and resources.

Explain Why Mozilla Is the Right Partner

Describe how the fellowship’s funding, network, host organization where applicable, and public-interest technology mission could help your project progress.

The strongest proposals will make a clear connection between the applicant’s goals and the purpose of the fellowship.

Is the Mozilla Foundation Fellowship Fully Funded?

The Mozilla Foundation Fellowship provides substantial financial support, but it is more precise to describe it as a funded fellowship offering up to $125,000 in total support.

Independent Fellows receive $100,000 as a stipend and $25,000 for their project. Embedded Fellows receive a $75,000 stipend and a $25,000 project budget.

The published funding figures represent the total support allocated through each track. The project budget should not be confused with personal stipend income.

Applicants should consult the official RFP for details about funding conditions, eligible project expenses, payment arrangements, and any other financial requirements.

The published announcement does not establish a universal package of travel, accommodation, visa, or relocation benefits for every Fellow. Applicants should not assume that these expenses are automatically covered.

Can International Applicants Apply?

The Mozilla Foundation Fellowship is presented as an opportunity for a global community of technology innovators. Its participating host organizations are based in several countries, including Indonesia, Chile, Germany, the United States, and Nigeria.

However, applicants should review the formal eligibility rules and requirements for their chosen track before applying.

For applicants from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and other regions, the most important preparation steps are to confirm eligibility, select the appropriate track, and demonstrate how the proposed work contributes to a better technology future.

The exact eligibility conditions should be verified in the official RFP rather than assumed from the international scope of the program.

Why Consider the Mozilla Foundation Fellowship 2027–2028?

The Mozilla Foundation Fellowship offers an opportunity for innovators who want to do more than study emerging technology. It supports people who are ready to build practical solutions and challenge existing assumptions about how technology should work.

With 10 Fellowships available, a 12-month program, funding of up to $125,000, and access to a network of more than 200 Fellows, the opportunity may be particularly valuable to people developing ambitious projects in AI, digital infrastructure, open-source systems, security, and community-centered innovation.

The fellowship is competitive, and applicants should focus on the strength of their ideas, their project’s relevance, and the feasibility of their plans.

Final Thoughts

The Mozilla Foundation Fellowship 2027–2028 is a valuable opportunity for technology builders, innovators, founders, researchers, and creative practitioners who want to develop solutions that make technology more beneficial, open, secure, and accountable.

With 10 Fellowships available, up to $125,000 in total support, a 12-month fellowship period, and access to a global network of technology leaders, the program offers resources for ambitious projects that may struggle to find support through conventional funding channels.

If you have an innovative idea in artificial intelligence, open-source technology, digital security, biotechnology, public infrastructure, or another relevant area, review the eligibility requirements and prepare your Letter of Intent carefully.

Important deadline: December 17, 2026.