The expansion of generative AI infrastructure, the influence of big tech executives in public administrations, and their meddling in regulation have become pressing topics. Therefore, algorithmic and AI accountability reporting is more relevant than ever. In the framework of its ongoing reporting fellowship, AlgorithmWatch is calling on journalists and researchers across Europe to join the new cohort of reporters to unveil automated injustice and investigate the relation between AI and power.

The new round of the fellowship will run from November 2025 to May 2026. During this period, AlgorithmWatch will provide financial support, mentoring sessions, and organizational resources. They expect their fellows to produce at least one journalistic story, audio or video feature, research report, or a similar output by the end of the fellowship. AlgorithmWatch will also support the fellows in the publication process.

Topics

• Possible research topics could be:
  • Influence of big tech corporations on politics and the drafting of legislation, e.g., identifying pressure groups that manage to slow down the development or limit the scope of specific regulations, such as the watering down of the EU AI Act.
  • Structural and systemic oppression of women, racialized people, or other vulnerable groups, exacerbated by the use of AI, e.g., automated software in public administration that systematically targets non-nationals in fraud detection.
  • Powerful industry leaders, such as big tech companies, facilitating the surveillance of groups, e.g., analyzing major contracts between regional or national governments and private firms that allow the mass scanning of citizens' personal data with automated tools, such as computer vision algorithms or remote biometric identification (RBI).
  • Discrimination by automated systems in the fields of: health, education, finance, work, human resources, etc., e.g., public authorities using AI-powered apps to review welfare benefits.
  • Exploitation of data workers and algorithmic management platforms to systematically replace traditional labor models, e.g. hospitals automatically allocating care services to save employment costs; the erosion of creative freelance work caused by AI tools in the fields of translation, illustration, graphic design, marketing, etc.
  • The political impact of European decision-makers and lobbyists who promote longtermism and effective altruism ideologies.

Funding Information

• They will choose maximum 6 applicants that will receive a total of 7.400€ (gross) each to conduct their research.
• The fellowship will start on 10 November 2025 and end on 10 May 2026.

Expectations

• Fellows will be free to choose the media outlet for the publication and also decide whether they wish to sell their stories. They can otherwise be published on AlgorithmWatch’s platforms. The fellowship includes outreach support. Optionally, the fellowship will also provide mentorship sessions with AlgorithmWatch team members and external researchers in the algorithmic accountability field.
• Fellows will also be invited to an in-person gathering in Berlin when the fellowship starts.

Eligible Projects

• They are looking for research projects that:
  • Focus on the influence and power structure of AI.
  • Take place in Europe.
  • Take into account the impact of AI on society.
  • Bring new information to light, or that provide the point of view of people who are rarely given a voice in the debates on AI.

Ineligible Projects

• What they are not looking for:
  • Information on commercialisation and manufacturing of tech products, such as hardware (e.g. “Nvidia releases new version of microchips”).
  • Major tech announcements without researching its impact on society (e.g. “Meta plans to open a data center in X”).
  • Theoretical and/or academic research (e.g. “What is the political economy of AI”).

Eligibility Criteria

• Any person above 18 is welcome to apply. They very strongly encourage persons from minoritized or marginalized groups and communities to apply.
• Applicants do not need to have a background in computer science. Just like you do not need a degree in climate science to report on the climate crisis, the effects of automated systems can be researched by non-technical people. They do expect people who apply to be familiar with the algorithmic field and have experience with writing and working with journalists.
• There are some specific requirements the applicants must fulfill:
  • Residence in a country of the European Union, or in an EFTA country (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), or in a candidate country, or in a former country of the EU.
  • Written English at a B2 level in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
  • A very strong interest in the topic of AI accountability and automated decision-making.
  • A commitment to complete the research within the timeline of the fellowship and to deliver at least one journalistic product, such as an article, an audio or video feature, a report or similar.

For more information, visit AlgorithmWatch.

https://algorithmwatch.org/en/open-call-algorithmwatch-fellowship/