[Air-L] Internet Society Foundation Research Programme

[Joly MacFie]

https://www.isocfoundation.org/grant-programme/research-grant-programme/


The Internet Society Foundation’s Research Programme
supports global research collaborations that advance understanding of the
Internet and its value for all.
Programme Objectives

   - Promote novel methodologies that generate solutions to
   Internet-related challenges
   - Identify and support a diverse and collaborative group of researchers
   and research institutions
   - Facilitate access to intersectional research that can be applied to
   decision-making in government and industry

This programme is intended for research that is applied and open, meaning
the research seeks to answer a real-world question and should be openly
published and made available to the scientific community at no cost. The
Foundation supports research involving human or animal subjects when the
project has been certified by a responsible body to be ethical and in
compliance with local law. It is the responsibility of the Principal
Investigator of the project to obtain these certifications.
Areas of Focus

Statements of interest and subsequent proposals should address topics
related to one of the following thematic areas:

*Greening the Internet*

The Internet both affects and is affected by the environment and climate
change. Having a critical awareness of this impact is key to the Internet’s
resilience and ensures its sustainability for generations to come. This
awareness may include an assessment of energy consumption by the Internet,
or the toxins and waste generated by its use.  It may consider the enabling
effect the Internet has on other sectors to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
It may examine the ways in which climate change and extreme weather
threatens Internet infrastructure and limits connectivity. Research
focusing on Greening the Internet should promote an awareness of these and
other issues concerning the Internet’s environmental footprint and the
sustainability measures needed for it and the planet to thrive.

*The Internet Economy *

New and emerging Internet-based activities have the power to disrupt our
economic landscapes and lead to unpredictable economic futures. Having a
firm grasp of the interactions that create the Internet Economy has the
potential to reshape this uncertainty. Unpacking how the Internet
transforms traditional ideas about competition, production, and consumption
of goods and services could be useful in allowing for equitable and gainful
participation of everyone in a rapidly digitizing global economy. Research
proposals focusing on the Internet Economy should present an analysis of
past or present ecosystems that yields insight into the future of the
Internet and its dependent market(s).

*A Trustworthy Internet*

The Internet is completely trustworthy if and only if it is completely
resilient, reliable, accountable, and secure in a way that consistently
meets users’ expectations for information and services. The Internet is
only worthy of trust when it conforms with what people expect will happen
regardless of whether or not those expectations are reasonable. Further,
trustworthiness is not a matter of only one layer in the network, and it is
possible that some parts of the Internet are trustworthy while other parts
are not. For example, while the application layer may be reliable or
secure, there may be gaps in the logic or infrastructure, or there may be
may be mistrust in the content. Research engaging the idea of A Trustworthy
Internet should attempt to explain how the Internet does or does not meet
user expectations and what should or shouldn’t be done about it.

*Decolonising the Internet*

We acknowledge that the Internet’s development depended on industrial
societies that, by their nature, used resources from lands dispossessed
from Indigenous people and communities throughout the world. We acknowledge
that the Internet can proliferate inequality and injustice, perhaps
especially when its design is not inclusive nor its designers diverse. We
acknowledge that the Internet can invalidate and make obsolete traditional
forms of knowledge production and knowledge sharing and has the power to
erase languages and cultures. But it also doesn’t have to. Instead the
Internet can be a site of restorative, liberating, and transformational
practices that bridge the past to a more just future or bring those at the
margins closer to the center. Research on Decolonising the Internet should
explore these practices and other methods toward an Internet for everyone.
Eligibility

   - Independent researchers should have a postgraduate research degree
   (PhD, Masters) and peer reviewed publications, patents, academic or
   independently published work in the relevant area.
   - Research institutions should be 501c3 or equivalent and should have a
   mission that is aligned to that of the Foundation.

Additional eligibility requirements for all Foundation grants are outlined
here <https://www.isocfoundation.org/resources/grantee-eligibility/>. All
applicants must ensure that they meet these basic requirements.
Underrepresented groups in the research world are highly encouraged to
apply.
Application Process

The application process occurs in four stages from the statement of
interest to award (and could take up to 3 months):

   - Stage 1: The Foundation seeks statements of interest related to the
   thematic areas and reviews and selects ideas that will move on to stage two.


   - Stage 2: The Foundation and the potential grantee will collaborate on
   a full proposal (5-10 pages). During this phase both parties will determine
   additional collaborators and resources to complement the research. All
   parties will then participate in a co-creation workshop to further develop
   the idea presented in the statement of interest into a full proposal.


   - Stage 3: Full proposals developed during stage two will be reviewed by
   the Independent Programme Review Committee (IPRC). The Independent
   Programme Review Committee recommends which proposals should be considered
   for funding to the Programme Officer.


   - Stage 4: The Programme Officer engages in the final review,
   negotiation, and determination of grant awards with successful partners.

See more information on the IPRC
<https://www.isocfoundation.org/resources/application-review-process/>
Selection Criteria

*Statements of Interest*

Researchers will be asked to complete a statement of interest that outlines
the following:

   - What is the thematic area of focus?
   - What is your research question? What do you seek to answer?
   - Why is this a novel research question? How does this differ from
   previous research on the same or similar topic?
   - How can this research be applied? What practical problem does this
   research solve?
   - Who is the principal investigator?
   - Who are your potential collaborators? Why have you chosen them?

*Full Proposal*

Select researchers will be invited to submit a full proposal to be reviewed
by the Independent Programme Review Committee. Final submissions will be
selected based on the following criteria:

   - Is the research novel?
   - Is the research applied?
   - Is the research collaborative?

Funding

One or more awards in each of the thematic areas are anticipated subject to
fiscal year funding. Grants of up to US$200,000 will be awarded for
research lasting up to 2 years. Timeframe:

   - Statements of Interest accepted beginning 1 September 2020
   - Full Proposal invitations on a rolling basis thereafter

How to apply

Only statements of interest submitted in the Foundation’s grants management
system will be considered. Incomplete submissions that do not meet
eligibility requirements will not be considered (see Eligibility
Requirements <https://www.isocfoundation.org/resources/grantee-eligibility/>
).
Submit your Research Programme application now
<https://isocfoundation.fluxx.io/>
Questions

If you have questions about this programme or the application process,
please email Research at isocfoundation.org
<https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&to=Research@isocfoundation.org>
.

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Joly MacFie  +12185659365
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