RIPE Fellowship

The RIPE Fellowship is a learning journey designed to support new voices from across our service region to find their place in the RIPE community and become active participants.

The Fellowship links the personal interest and ambitions of each Fellow with any of the following interests the RIPE community holds on the following topics or tracks:

1. Domain Name System, (DNS)
2. Internet Governance
3. IP Address Management
4. IPv6
5. Measurements & Tools
6. Routing
7. Security

This process is guided by a RIPE Fellow Coach.

What Do Fellows Get?

Applying to the RIPE Fellowship offers the following benefits.

Before the RIPE Meeting:

• Free ticket, travel, and accommodation to attend the RIPE Meeting
• Coaching from an experienced RIPE community member
• Training in public speaking and community participation
• Introduction to your RIPE Fellowship peer group

During the Meeting:

• A picture from a professional photographer of you and your coach and a group picture
• Lunch with your coach and peers on the first day

After the Meeting:

• Feedback session
• Guidance on your next steps for continued engagement with the RIPE community

Who Can Apply?

To be eligible:

1. You are at least 18 years old and live in the RIPE NCC service region.
2. You study or work in a field directly related to the technical coordination and operation of the Internet — for example, network engineering and operations, Internet measurements and analysis, routing and addressing, Internet governance and policy, or community coordination (such as NOGs and IXPs). While recommended, you do not necessarily need to have a technical background depending on the specifics of your learning path.

The RIPE Fellowship is not intended for those working solely in general IT, software development, or broader digital sectors.

3. You have completed the RIPE 101 online course and passed the quiz.

Returning RIPE Fellows or people who have completed regional fellowships (SEE, CAPIF, MENOG) are welcome if they meet the additional specific criteria.

Limitations on Participation

We aim to enable participation in the RIPE Fellowship from across our service region. However, it is not always possible for us to provide Fellowships to applicants in areas facing high travel risks such as airspace closures or to applicants in areas in which embassies might not be operational. In case your country of residence does not have a Schengen visa processing centre, you may need to travel to another country to apply for and receive a Schengen visa. These additional expenses may not be fully covered by the Fellowship funding.

Further, the RIPE NCC cannot process financial reimbursements for applicants residing in certain countries. We will discuss the best approach to supporting your participation if you are shortlisted for the Fellowship. It is possible that such participants may need to fund their own visa applications and part of their travel.

How to Apply

Step 1: If you do not have one, create a RIPE NCC Access account.

Step 2: Complete the RIPE 101 course and pass the quiz.

Step 3: Receive your invitation to apply for the Fellowship.

Congratulations! If you’ve made it to this step, it means you’ve passed the quiz. You’ll soon receive an email with a link to the fellowship application form, along with information on how to prepare your application.

Before you begin your application, please make sure that you:

• Have an updated CV or a Linkedin profile.
• Know which RIPE meeting would you like to apply for. This is especially important if you require a visa, as the process can take time.
• Know which main Learning Track you want to associate your application with.

If you didn’t pass this time, don’t worry, you can try again next year.

We encourage you not to use AI when making your application, as the applications that really stand out will be the ones where you are truly yourself.

Step 4: Submit your application form before the deadline.

Please make that you submit your application before 23 November 2026, 23:59 UTC+1. To apply, you will need to create an account and fill in the form on Hypha, the RIPE NCC application system.

Step 5: The Selection Committee reviews applications and notifies selected candidates in early 2027.

Remember that in the application form you should select your preferred track from the following seven offered:

1. DNS: how the Domain Name System (DNS) works and how it is relevant to network operations, recommendations and Best Current Practices for DNS operators, DNS software implementation with a focus on security and scalability aspects.
2. Internet Governance: how Internet governance works globally and regionally, the role of the multistakeholder model, and how core policy issues connect to the Internet’s technical foundations.
3. IP Address Management: the accurate registration of Internet number resources and related information in the RIPE Database.
4. IPv6: promoting IPv6 adoption, outreach and education, strategies to improve deployment and overcome operational challenges.
5. Measurements & Tools: using Internet measurement tools (RIS, RIPE Atlas, RIPEstat) to conduct data analysis and monitor Internet performance as well as engagement strategies to support the growth and maintenance of measurement networks.
6. Routing: looking at Interconnection issues affecting network operators, concerns relating to inter- and intra-AS routing, new technologies and novel applications of existing ones.
7. Security: the use of Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) to secure Internet routing, IPv6 security, tackling abuse of Internet infrastructure and resources, improving the resilience and stability of the internet infrastructure, and the use of cryptography.

Selection Committee

A Selection Committee composed of the RIPE Fellowship Coordinator and RIPE community participants will review all applications and notify candidates whether they have been selected at least three months before the RIPE Meeting. Applications are scored on:

• Alignment of personal interest with RIPE’s work
• Regional and gender diversity

The Selection Committee will also make sure that the selected group has a good geographical spread, diversity of stakeholder groups and interests, and gender balance. Unsuccessful applicants will also be notified. In case of declined offers, waitlisted candidates who met all criteria but ranked just below the cut-off may be invited to join.

Returning Fellows

Returning RIPE Fellows can reapply if:

• They show ongoing engagement with the RIPE community.
• At least one year has passed since completing their last RIPE Fellowship.
• They can propose a new learning path or an updated version of the one they designed.

The Fellowship Journey: A Three-Stage Approach

Stage 1: Before the RIPE Meeting (three months)

This stage typically lasts around three months and finishes the week before the RIPE Meeting. During this stage you will:

1. Choose a main topic learning path.
2. Learn how to engage meaningfully with the RIPE community and feel confident and comfortable taking part in the RIPE Meeting.
3. Connect with the other Fellows and become part of a supportive peer group.

To attend the RIPE Meeting in person, Fellows must design their learning path (with activities agreed upon with their RIPE Fellow Coach). To make this possible, RIPE Fellows will receive the following support:

• Three 1:1 online sessions (45 minutes each) with their assigned RIPE Fellow Coach (mandatory).
• Group sessions including a training on public speaking and confidence (mandatory).
• Ongoing support from the RIPE Fellowship Coordinator.

Stage 2: At the RIPE Meeting (one week)

This stage takes place during the RIPE Meeting itself. As a RIPE Fellows you will be expected to:

1. Attend the entire RIPE Meeting
2. Participate in dedicated RIPE Fellowship activities
3. Meet with your RIPE Fellow Coach and peers
4. Engage in key working group sessions relevant to your learning path and goals.

During this week you will also have ongoing support from the RIPE Fellowship Coordinator.

*In some cases, a Fellow may be unable to attend the RIPE Meeting in person due to visa issues or other circumstances. When this happens, we will provide full access to the rest of the Fellowship programme.

Stage 3: After the RIPE Meeting (one month)

The final stage begins at the close of the RIPE Meeting and lasts approximately one month. Its goals are to gather feedback through a final survey and collect impressions on what would be the next actions in your learning path from that moment onwards.

Finally, you will have a mandatory 1:1 session with a RIPE NCC mentor. During this session, you will:

1. Discuss your plans for continued engagement with the RIPE community.
2. Receive guidance on your next steps.
3. Identify people and opportunities within the RIPE community that can support your continued participation.

Still have questions?

Watch this video to learn more, or check out this slide deck. You can also always reach us at fellowship@ripe.net