OTF sends a regular announcement of upcoming funding deadlines relevant to Internet freedom to our OTF-announce mailing list. The announcement includes funding opportunities from both OTF and alternative funding sources. Below you can find the April 2019 edition.
If you’d like to receive this announcement directly in your inbox, you can sign up for our low traffic OTF-announce mailing list here. In addition, you can find our compiled list of alternative funding sources here. The opportunities listed below are only for those with approaching deadlines, while a number of funders accept applications on a rolling basis.
OTF Funding
OTF – Internet Freedom Fund
Next deadline: May 1, 2019
The Internet Freedom Fund is OTF’s primary way to support projects and people working on open and accessible technology-centric projects that promote human rights, Internet freedom, open societies, and help advance inclusive and safe access to global communications networks. Successful applicants are awarded monetary support up to $900,000 and no less than $10,000, with preference given to projects and people who are new to the Internet freedom community, directly serving those living within repressive environments, and are requesting less than $300,000 for a duration of 12 months or less.
Apply: https://www.opentech.fund/requests/internet-freedom-fund
OTF – Core Infrastructure Fund
Next deadline: May 1, 2019
The Core Infrastructure Fund supports the development, improvement, and increased adoption of foundational ‘building block’ technologies that are relied upon by digital security and circumvention projects. This may include efforts focused on sustaining or improving PGP, SSL, SSH, Tor, OTR, pluggable transports, code libraries, or other technologies, infrastructures, and standards that make up the core building blocks of everyday Internet freedom technologies and which are used by people throughout the world to increase their access, privacy, and security online.
Apply: https://www.opentech.fund/requests/core-infrastructure-fund
OTF – Rapid Response Fund
Deadline: Ongoing
The Rapid Response Fund is part of a broader OTF initiative which aims to facilitate the development of a strong digital emergency response community that can work together to resolve threats in a timely and comprehensive manner. OTF offers both direct financial support as well as technical services from trusted service partners to resolve digital emergencies experienced by high-risk Internet users and organizations, such as bloggers, activists, journalists. and human rights defenders.
Apply: https://www.opentech.fund/requests/rapid-response-fund
OTF – Labs
Deadline: Ongoing
For more specific, one-off support needs and services, check out OTF’s Labs: Localization, Community, Engineering, Usability, Red Team, Learning, and Legal.
Learn more about OTF’s Labs here: https://www.opentech.fund/labs
Alternative Funding
Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL) – OSC Catalytic Grant Program
Deadline: April 15, 2019
DIAL is accepting proposals from “free & open source software projects that support work at the nexus of humanitarian action, development and peace.” The OSC Catalytic Grants are designed to “support types of effort that have traditionally been neglected or unfinished by these software projects for various reasons.” There are three priority areas listed: Privacy & Responsible Data, Improving User Experiences, and “Dirty Jobs.” Projects must be collaborative with multiple stakeholders and be licensed under an Open Source Initiative-approved or Free Software Foundation “free” software license. DIAL will award up to 4 grants for $25,000 each.
More information: https://www.osc.dial.community/catalytic-grant-round-3.html
State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) – Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): Promoting Internet Freedom in Ukraine
Deadline: April 23, 2019
The State Department’s DRL bureau is soliciting applications for “programs that promote Internet freedom in Ukraine…DRL requests proposals for a program to empower cross-sector Internet freedom champions to advocate for policies that promote freedom of expression online in Ukraine.” DRL anticipates awarding 1-2 recipients for a duration of 1-3 years, with a funding floor of $500,000 and ceiling of $1,180,500.
More information: https://www.state.gov/j/drl/p/290101.htm
Next Generation Internet Initiative – Privacy Enhancing Technologies
Deadline: April 30, 2019
The Next Generation Internet (NGI) Initiative’s NGI_Trust Open Call is accepting applications for projects working on privacy enhancing technologies in innovative ways, such as through cryptography, IoT privacy and security, AI/ML applications, and decentralized internet infrastructures. There are three types of funding available: Type 1 (viability) offers up to € 100,000 from NGI_Trust with an objective of “explor[ing] and assess[ing] the technical feasibility and/or commercial potential of a breakthrough innovation that aims at enhancing privacy and trust”; Type 2 (execution) offers up to €180,000 from NGI_Trust and matching funds of up to €90,000 with an objective of “fund[ing] R&D or technology development projects underpinned by a strategic plan and feasibility assessment”; and Type 3 (transition to commercialisation) offers up to €200,000 from NGI_Trust and the equivalent in matching funds with an objective of “pursue the commercialisation of a privacy and trust enhancing innovation.” NGI is financed by the European Commission, and applicants should be registered (for organizations) or residents (for individuals) in an EU Member State or a Horizon 2020 Associated country.
More information: https://www.ngi.eu/opencalls/ngi_trust-open-call/
Next Generation Internet Initiative – Decentralized Technologies
Deadline: April 30, 2019
The Next Generation Internet (NGI) Initiative’s Ledger Open Call is accepting submissions from applications looking to “shift data management, leveraging on decentralised algorithms based on blockchains, distributed ledger technology (DLT) and/or peer-to-peer (P2P) technologies to address Privacy-by-Design, reliability, trustworthiness and openness to build human centric solutions.” Ledget plans to accept 16 proposals for up to €150K in funding for each, with the top eight receiving an additional €50K. Ledger is financed by the European Commission and applicants should be registered (for organizations) or residents (for individuals) in an EU Member State or a Horizon 2020 Associated country.
More information: https://www.ngi.eu/opencalls/ledger/
Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School – Technology and Democracy Fellowship
Deadline: May 24, 2019
The Ash Center’s Technology and Democracy Fellowship “explore[s] technology’s role in improving democratic governance—with a focus on connecting to practice and on helping Harvard Kennedy School students develop crucial technology skills…The Fellowship welcomes mid-career practitioners with an interest in leveraging technology to improve democratic governance.” The non-residential fellowship is unpaid.
More information: https://ash.harvard.edu/technology-and-democracy-fellowship
NLNet Foundation – Next Generation Search and Discovery
Deadline: June 1, 2019
NLNet is seeking proposals requesting between €5,000 and €50,000 for projects looking to improve online search and discovery functionality. Specifically, projects should focus on ways “to put powerful new technology in the hands of future generations as building blocks for a fair and democratic society and an open economy that benefits all.” This effort is part of the EU’s Next Generation Initiative (NGI), which seeks to “re-imagine and re-engineer the internet for the third millennium and beyond to shape a value-centric, human and inclusive society for all.”
More information: https://nlnet.nl/discovery/
NLNet Foundation – Privacy & Trust Enhancing Technologies
Deadline: June 1, 2019
NLNet is seeking proposals requesting between €5,000 and €50,000 for projects for Privacy and Trust projects “aimed at providing people with new instruments that allow them more agency – and assist us with fulfilling the human need of keeping some private and confidential context and information private and confidential.” This effort is part of the EU’s Next Generation Initiative (NGI), which seeks to “re-imagine and re-engineer the internet for the third millennium and beyond to shape a value-centric, human and inclusive society for all.”
More information: https://nlnet.nl/PET/
National Science Foundation (NSF) – Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) FY19 Solicitation
Application opens: October 1, 2018
Deadline: September 30, 2019
NSF’s SaTC program “welcomes proposals that address cybersecurity and privacy,” with preference given to “proposals that advance the field of cybersecurity and privacy within a single discipline or interdisciplinary efforts that span multiple disciplines.” NSF estimates that there will be $68 million available for project funding, with 93 awards in total expected. Funding is available for small (up to $500k, up to three years) and medium (from $500,001 to $1.2 million, up to four years) projects across three designations (CORE, Education, and Transition to Practice). Note that per NSF guidelines, applicants must be U.S.-based. This year, NSF is accepting SaTC submissions on a rolling basis over the course of a year, from October 2018 until September 2019. There are a number of other notable changes made from past NSF SaTC solicitations, which can be found in the posting linked to below.
More information: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2018/nsf18572/nsf18572.htm
Internet Society Foundation – Beyond the Net Small Grant Programme
Deadline: October 30, 2019
The Internet Society’s Beyond the Net Small Grant Programme is available to Internet Society Chapters and Special Interest Groups (SIGs) for “projects such as learning opportunities, skill development, networking events, and membership and marketing campaigns” with a goal of “contribut[ing] to the development of the Chapter and local community” or “strengthen[ing] the impact of the Internet Society’s mission and global initiatives with complementary local activities,” for example. Grants of up to $3,500 per Chapter are available. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and must be completed at least 60 days in advance of the proposed effort.
More information: https://www.isocfoundation.org/grant/beyond-the-net-small-grants/
Partnership on AI (PAI) – PAI Fellowship
Deadline: Rolling
The PAI Research Fellowship was launched as part of PAI Labs, “a Partnership-led AI technology, policy, and ethics research initiative designed to deliver on ambitious projects designed with collaborators in our community and the broader, multidisciplinary AI research field.” Fellows will “conduct groundbreaking multi-disciplinary research” on AI projects “that would be made more impactful by leveraging the Partnership’s voice and perspective” or which “calls upon, assists, or improves the work of the AI research community in a wider sense,” for example. There are three seniority levels available: Postgraduate Research Fellowships, Research Fellowships, and Senior Research Fellowships. Funding may come from PAI’s for-profit corporate partners or is available from PAI for Postgraduate and Research Fellows at $6,600/month or $10,000/month for “established mid-to-late career Research Fellows and Senior Research Fellows.” The fellowship will be based out of PAI’s San Francisco offices and may last from 6 months to 2 years.
More information: https://www.partnershiponai.org/fellowship-program/
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In addition to the open application windows listed above, you can always check our compiled list of alternative sources of support: https://guide.opentech.fund/appendix-iv-alternative-sources-of-support
To receive this and other OTF-related announcements, sign up for our low-traffic OTF-announce mailing list here: https://groups.google.com/a/opentech.fund/forum/#!forum/otf-announce/join