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[Closed] “Exposing the Invisible” Training Institute for Emerging Investigators

Join us for a four-week online Investigative Training Institute organised by Tactical Tech on 4 - 31 May 2021! You will learn from and collaborate with civil society investigators across the European Union to develop and practice skills and techniques for secure investigations and digital research. *Application Deadline: 28 March 2021 (at midnight CET) / application form below.


Be part of it!

We are looking for participants based in EU member and candidate states with a passion for conducting investigations locally or across borders and who wish to learn more about investigative tools and techniques that can apply to various topics of interest.

We welcome applicants who are at the start of their investigative journey, and who have a curiosity to learn from other experience and emerging investigators as well as to exchange ideas about the challenges and opportunities that come with this type of work.

Please Note - this institute provides a free learning and collaboration opportunity, and we do not provide stipends or grants for attending the online institute sessions.


Apply if you are:

  • an independent journalist,
  • a civil society/'citizen' investigator working collaboratively or independently,
  • an artist exploring ways in which you can use your knowledge to explore and expose issues of interest to your community
  • a technologist exploring ways in which you can use your knowledge to explore and expose issues of interest to your community
  • a member of an NGO or other research organisation using and benefiting from investigations methods
  • any other member of the civil society with a demonstrated passion and curiosity for applying investigative methods and standards to document, verify and expose issues of public interest.
We particularly encourage you to apply if:
  • You are an investigator or emerging investigator working in or with marginalised and disadvantaged communities
  • You have interest in or work on local/regional issues and have fewer opportunities to access cross-national collaboration and skill-sharing events
  • You wish to gain more skills and knowledge from others and connect with a network of experienced investigators and practitioners
  • You are passionate about starting your own investigation and want to learn more about techniques and safety measures you can apply.

What will we do?

Our project - "Exposing the Invisible" - has always centered around people's individual abilities to expose wrongdoing by using investigative techniques with a strong emphasis on safety and collaboration. Over the past eight years - through regular workshops, investigation camps and training institutes - we have helped develop a network of journalists, citizen investigators, artists, researchers, technologists and other active civil society members to exchange ideas, knowledge, skills and co-create new resources such as this online Kit for investigators. By being part of this institute you will connect to this network, benefit from new collaboration opportunities, receive tips and skills on issues related to safety and security for investigations, digital investigation techniques and methods and navigate investigative learning resources.

Throughout the institute sessions, you will also benefit from the skills and knowledge of your fellow participants and previous institutes’ participants.

You can expect to be part of:
  • Workshops and masterclasses on topics such as safety and security for investigations, digital investigation techniques, managing sources, working with databases, investigating companies, starting collaborative investigations, and much more;
  • Skill-sharing among peers whereby teams of participants provide small workshops to each other on specific topics and concrete skills;
  • Collaborative sessions to explore new themes and resources you can use in your work;
  • Networking with peers and mentoring opportunities to start new collaborations across topics and borders.

Dates and planned structure

Institute sessions will take place between 4 May and 31 May 2021

Online workshops and events will take place 3-4 days a week during working days, in the mornings and/or afternoons (maximum 3.5 hours a day), and the final daily schedule will be decided following the application and selection process, based on participants' needs.


Institute language

The sessions will be in English and require a good command of the language.


Application form

Applications closed


Selection process

Shortlisted applicants will be invited for interviews on a rolling basis between 25 March and 15 April 2021.

We aim to bring together an approximate number of 40 participants.


Contact

Please reach out to us with any questions about the application process and/or the project by writing to: eti-at-tacticaltech.org (GPG Key / fingerprint: BD30 C622 D030 FCF1 38EC C26D DD04 627E 1411 0C02).


About the project

The Institute is part of a one-year long project to engage, support and connect civil society investigators in the European Union, developed by Tactical Tech and funded by the European Commission. The project aims to strengthen digital safety and investigative skill-sharing among journalists, researchers, human rights defenders, citizen investigators, technologists and others as well as to mentor emerging investigators through collaborative workshops and joint development of new learning resources.

This project is supported by the European Commission (DG CONNECT)

European Commission

*This call reflects the author’s view and the Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.


About us

Tactical Tech is an international NGO that engages with citizens and civil-society organisations to explore and mitigate the impacts of technology on society.

Exposing the Invisible (ETI) is a project of Tactical Tech that engages with different investigative techniques, tools and related safety aspects along with the individual practices of those working at the new frontiers of investigation. ETI's most recent efforts have been focusing on connecting and supporting civil society investigators across-borders and across-issues, and developing collaborative learning resources for investigators, such as Exposing the Invisible: The Kit.


-Illustrated by Ann Kiernan-

Illustration