Benton Institute Puts Out Call For Opportunity Fund Fellowship

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 6, 2025, 10:33 AM

benton institute puts out call for opportunity fund fellowship

Dr. Revati Prasad is the Benton Institute's Executive Director. Dr. Caroline Stratton is Research Director. They recruit and manage a diverse cohort of fellows—researchers, advocates, and practitioners—and their projects. Caroline leads Benton's research efforts and helps develop resources and strategies any state or community can use to bring broadband to everyone.

Six fellows from our inaugural cohort are conducting research and developing best practice guidance for our field. They profiled community champions who successfully addressed broadband needs, highlighted the broadband adoption journeys of low-income women of color, and evaluated the work of digital navigators within healthcare settings. We also supported projects that focused on online safety, privacy, and well-being within the context of digital equity efforts, documented the effort to build a community network in affordable housing developments in the Bronx... Learn more about the inaugural fellowships here. From our 2023 application cycle, we established two research groups that bring together related projects in order to share approaches and insights and foster collaboration among digital equity researchers. The Policies, Plans, and Promises Research Group analyzes the deployment and digital equity plans that states are developing under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to examine how states are approaching connectivity to Tribal...

These comparative analyses will surface best practices and provide examples for how state governments can do better. With historic levels of federal funds flowing into states to build broadband infrastructure and implement digital equity plans, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is looking to cultivate a new generation of broadband... To that end, Benton is putting out a call for prospective fellows through its Opportunity Fund Fellowship program, seeking resumes and project proposals focused on identifying obstacles to broadband access. The deadline to submit proposals is August 31. According to Benton Institute's Vice President of Programs Revati Prasad, the questions the program is most interested in exploring are: “What obstacles prevent people from subscribing to broadband?

How does the cost of broadband service impact adoption? Does a concern for privacy and safety dissuade people from using the Internet? How might climate change adversely impact building broadband infrastructure? What national or state policies could delay or disrupt broadband deployment and/or digital equity efforts?” Apply for our Opportunity Fund Fellowship! https://lnkd.in/eAYKg2i6 We are interested in supporting a range of projects that can better inform our current or emerging broadband policy debates, either through critical research about the future of the internet in our communities...

We welcome applications from people working on broadband access, adoption, equity, and use and especially welcome applications that focus on historically marginalized communities. Fellowships will range from $5,000-20,000 with a tenure ranging from 6 mos. to 2 years. Applications due Oct 15! Email questions to fellowships@benton.org #broadband #opportunityfund #fellowship #scholars #broadbandpolicy #research As part of its ongoing effort to support a new generation of broadband scholars, practitioners, and advocates, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society has put out the call for fellowship applicants looking to...

In a recent newsletter, the Institute says they “are interested in supporting a range of projects that can better inform our current or emerging broadband policy debates, either through critical research about the future... More specifically, they are seeking “proposed projects (that) can yield either practice or research-focused publications or multimedia content.” The Institute goes on to explain how those topics are “by no means an exhaustive list” and that applicants “should feel free to propose other ideas of critical importance to our field;" noting also... The fellowships, which are being supported through the Marjorie & Charles Benton Opportunity Fund, will range from $5,000 to $20,000 – with a tenure ranging from 6 months to 2 years. Benton Institute of Broadband & Society reports… The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society believes we need to build resilient, high-speed broadband infrastructure that reaches everywhere in the United States; to connect everyone to affordable internet service and equip people with...

We accomplish our goals by making sure people have the timely information, rigorous evidence, and practical guidance they need to implement a ‘broadband for all’ agenda. Through the Marjorie & Charles Benton Opportunity Fund, we aim to support a new generation of broadband scholars, practitioners, and advocates working on broadband access, adoption, application, and equity. Our Opportunity Fund fellows—within academia, nonprofits and government agencies—conduct research and document best practices on critical questions about the future of the internet in our communities. For the 2024-25 fellowship cycle—when an historic level of federal funds will flow to states to build infrastructure and implement digital equity plans—we are focused on identifying what the obstacles are that can hamper... We are interested in questions such as: What obstacles prevent people from subscribing to broadband?

How does the cost of broadband service impact adoption? Does a concern for privacy and safety dissuade people from using the internet? How might climate change adversely impact building broadband infrastructure? What national or state policies could delay or disrupt broadband deployment and/or digital equity efforts? About the Fellowship: Through the Marjorie & Charles Benton Opportunity Fund, we aim to support a new generation of broadband scholars, practitioners, and advocates working on broadband access, adoption, application and equity. Our inaugural cohort of fellows are conducting research and documenting best practices—within academia, nonprofits andgovernment agencies—on critical questions about the future of the internet in our communities

For the 2023-24 cycle, we are interested in supporting projects that can better inform our current or emerging policy debates in broadband access, adoption, and application. In particular, we invite proposals that focus on:● Coalitions and capacity building at the state and local levels to implement and influence broadband programs;● The extent and impact of digital discrimination;● Building sustainable, affordable... We especially welcome applications that focus on historically marginalized communities. Proposed projects can yield either practice or research-focused publications or multimedia content. Fellowships will rangefrom $5,000-$20,000, with a tenure ranging from 6 months to 2 years. To apply, please submit a resume or CV (no more than 3 pages) and a project proposal (no more than 1000 words).

The proposal should include: Submit the documents as PDFs by email to fellowships@benton.org by August 31, 2023. Please feel free to email us (fellowships@benton.org) if you have questions about the fellowship, your eligibility, and the application process. Be confident with reliable, up-to-date funder profiles. GS Membership is only $199 a year! Enter your email to view one of our profiles.

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Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: An Interview with HR&A Partner, Jose Serrano-McClain Principal Greta Byrum completes her Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Opportunity Fund Fellowship Congratulations to Principal Greta Byrum for completing her Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Opportunity Fund Fellowship with a timely report on the risks of digital inclusion and practical measures to increase digital safety. With unprecedented investments from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), it’s vital to ensure that new and vulnerable users are protected from digital risks, especially in the age of AI. The report offers actionable recommendations for state and territory broadband offices to mitigate potential harms and implement safety measures, from risk assessments and data policies to inclusive workforce programs and community-based digital safety solutions. The report aims to ensure that the laudable goals of “Internet for All” are not undercut by expanding access at the expense of safety.

Benton Institute Puts Out Call For Opportunity Fund Fellowship

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