NextGen@ICANN88 Program 2027 in Portugal (Funded)

The NextGen@ICANN88 Program 2027 is funded. It covers your economy return flight, your hotel, and a stipend so you can attend the ICANN88 Community Forum in Lisbon, Portugal, and learn how the internet is governed. There is no application fee, and it is open to undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students.

NextGen@ICANN runs at every ICANN meeting, in every region, through the year, so there is a round for you wherever you study. This Lisbon round is the Europe one, so for ICANN88 you apply if you currently live and study in the Europe region.

What is the NextGen@ICANN Program?

ICANN is the body that helps keep the internet running, the part that manages domain names and the address system behind every website. NextGen@ICANN is its program for young people who want to learn how that world works.

If you are selected, ICANN brings you to one of its public meetings, gives you coaching and a mentor, and asks you to give a short presentation during the event. You sit in the room with people who shape internet policy and leave with a network you did not have before.

What you get

• Economy-class return airfare to Lisbon
• Hotel accommodation during the meeting
• A stipend to help with your costs on the ground
• Coaching, a mentor, and a place inside the ICANN community

Who can apply

• You are enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral program.
• You are between 18 and 30 years old at the time of the meeting.
• You currently live and study in the region of the meeting. ICANN88 is in Europe, so this round is for students based in the Europe region.
• You are interested in internet governance, technology, or digital policy.

ICANN holds meetings in every region through the year, so if you study elsewhere, watch for the round in your region and apply to that one.

Is there an age limit?

Yes. You must be between 18 and 30 at the time of the meeting. Within that range, your age is not a barrier.

Do I need IELTS or TOEFL?

No English test is listed. The meeting runs in English, so you need to follow sessions and give a short talk in English, but you do not send an IELTS or TOEFL score.

What will they ask of you?

• Attend the required NextGen sessions and ICANN activities
• Finish some learning activities before the meeting
• Take part in mentoring and coaching
• Give a 10-minute presentation during the meeting

How to make your application stand out

ICANN picks students who show real interest in internet policy and a clear reason for taking part. Be specific about why internet governance matters to you and what you want to do with what you learn. A focused, honest answer does more than a general one.

How to apply, step by step

1. Create or log in to your ICANN account.
2. Open the NextGen@ICANN application portal.
3. Complete your applicant profile.
4. Fill out the NextGen application and say why internet governance interests you.
5. Check your details and submit before the deadline.

Selection process

ICANN reviews the applications and selects students who show a clear interest and a specific reason for taking part. If you are selected, they contact you with the travel and visa steps.

Deadline

9 October 2026.

The meeting runs 13 to 18 March 2027 in Lisbon. The deadline is a few weeks out, so write your application now while you have time to make it strong.

Have a question?

Drop your question in the comments and we will do our best to help.

Related reading

• Erasmus Mundus MARIHE Scholarship 2027 (Fully Funded)
• Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship 2027/28 (Fully Funded)
• UNIDIR Graduate Professional Programme (Geneva)

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Apply on the Official NextGen@ICANN Website