Apply Now: FASPE Design and Technology Fellowship Program

Deadline: 03-Jan-2027

The FASPE Design and Technology Fellowship Program invites graduate students and early-career professionals in architecture, engineering, computer science, design, artificial intelligence, and related fields to explore professional ethics and ethical leadership. The two-week immersive program takes fellows to Germany and Poland to examine how designers and technologists became involved in enabling and implementing Nazi policies and to connect those historical lessons with the ethical responsibilities of professionals today. What Is the FASPE Design and Technology Fellowship? The Design and Technology Fellowship is an intensive professional ethics program that brings together an interdisciplinary group of graduate students and early-career professionals. The program uses the history of Nazi Germany as a case study for examining difficult questions about professional responsibility, decision-making, leadership, and the social consequences of technology and design. The fellowship encourages participants to consider how professionals can recognize and respond to ethical challenges in their own fields. Where Does the Fellowship Take Place? The fellowship includes a two-week immersive experience in Germany and Poland. Fellows visit significant historical sites connected with Nazi history and participate in academic seminars and interdisciplinary discussions. The combination of classroom learning and visits to historical sites allows participants to examine professional ethics through both historical evidence and contemporary reflection. What Does the Program Explore? A central focus of the fellowship is the historical complicity of technologists and designers in Nazi policies. The program examines how professional expertise in areas such as design, architecture, engineering, and technology was used within a broader political and institutional system. These historical examples are used to encourage fellows to consider questions such as: - What ethical responsibilities do professionals have? - How can technical expertise contribute to harmful systems? - What happens when professional duties conflict with moral responsibilities? - How should professionals respond to unethical leadership? - How can professionals recognize the consequences of their work? - What does ethical leadership mean in practice? The objective is not simply to study history but to use history as a framework for understanding contemporary professional responsibility. Who Can Apply? The fellowship is intended for graduate students and early-career professionals in relevant technical, design, and related disciplines. Generally, applicants should have no more than 10 years of professional experience.

Eligible fields include:

- Architecture - Design - Computer science - Artificial intelligence - Engineering - Related technology and design disciplines The program is particularly suited to applicants interested in connecting their professional expertise with questions of ethics, leadership, responsibility, and society. Graduate Student Eligibility Graduate students may be eligible if they are currently enrolled in a relevant graduate program. Applicants can come from disciplines such as architecture, engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence, design, or related fields. The program welcomes participants who want to examine the ethical dimensions of their future professional careers. Early-Career Professional Eligibility Early-career professionals may also apply. Eligible candidates can include individuals who: - Have completed an undergraduate degree and are working in a related field. - Have completed a graduate degree and are working in a related field. - Have generally accumulated no more than 10 years of professional experience. The fellowship is designed to engage professionals who are still developing their careers and professional identities. What Happens During the Fellowship? Fellows participate in a range of intensive educational and experiential activities.

The program includes:

- Daily seminars. - Faculty-led discussions. - Visits to important sites of Nazi history. - Interdisciplinary conversations. - Professional ethics analysis. - Discussions about ethical leadership. - Reflection on contemporary professional responsibilities. Specialized faculty lead the seminars and help participants connect historical case studies with ethical questions facing professionals today. Interdisciplinary Learning The Design and Technology Fellows do not participate in isolation. They engage in interdisciplinary discussions alongside Business and Law Fellows. This structure allows participants to explore how different professional roles interact within society. For example, an engineer, designer, lawyer, computer scientist, or business professional may approach an ethical problem from a different perspective. Interdisciplinary discussion can therefore help fellows understand how professional decisions can influence one another and produce broader social consequences. Why Study Professional Ethics Through History? Historical case studies can reveal how ordinary professional activities can become connected to larger systems of power and harm. The fellowship examines the roles played by technologists and designers during the Nazi period to encourage participants to think critically about their own professional responsibilities. The historical experience provides a foundation for discussing: - Professional accountability. - Ethical decision-making. - Institutional responsibility. - Leadership. - Technology and society. - Design and social consequences. - Individual responsibility within organizations. Ethical Leadership and Professional Responsibility The fellowship places strong emphasis on ethical leadership. Participants are encouraged to consider not only whether a particular professional action is technically possible or institutionally authorized, but also whether it is ethically responsible. This persp