[Air-L] Fwd: Research Funding and Fellowship Open Tech Fund

[Niels ten Oever]

Hi all,

Corinne Cath asked me to share this with Giganet and other relevant communities, I hope this might be useful for you.

Best,

Niels

-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: 	Research Funding and Fellowship Open Tech Fund
Date: 	Thu, 17 Feb 2022 15:47:58 +0100
From: 	Corinne Cath <corinne at opentech.fund>
To: 	mail at nielstenoever.net <mail at nielstenoever.net>



Dear GiGanet Community,

I trust this email finds you well. I have had the pleasure of meeting many of you in my capacity as a PhD researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute.

This January, I started as Vice President of Research for the Open Technology Fund (OTF) <http://www.opentech.fund/>, an independent non-profit organization dedicated to advancing internet freedom in repressive environments.

I would like to flag our information control fellowship as well as other funding opportunities for (applied) research on Internet freedom and networked technologies below.

Your Vice-Chair, Dr. Niels ten Oever, has been kind enough to help me share OTF's call as I am not yet on the Giganet list with my new email address.

I would greatly appreciate it if you would be able to share this call for fellows and proposals with your colleagues, students and other networks. Likewise, if you see any opportunities to host a fellow or apply for (applied research) funding I am happy to discuss further.

Kind regards,

--
Dr. Corinne Cath

Vice President of Research
Open Technology Fund | w: opentech.fund | t: @OpenTechFund
Signal: +1 202 209 6820

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*Call for Fellows Open Tech Fund*

The Open Technology Fund’s (OTF) <http://www.opentech.fund/>Information Controls Fellowship Program (ICFP) is open for applications for its ninth fellowship cohort, with a final deadline of March 13, 2022. The application and additional information can be foundhere <https://www.opentech.fund/funds/icfp/>.

About the Program

The ICFP fellowship program supports individuals conducting research to examine restrictions on the free flow of information by repressive governments. In particular, ICFP fellows track Internet interference practices and investigate emerging means of overcoming censorship in repressive environments - the countries, regions, or areas worldwide where Internet freedom is threatened or under attack. Efforts that focus on investigating the security and privacy of tools used in these contexts are also supported.

The ICFP program offers flexibility for candidates with fellowships available for three, six, nine, or twelve months in duration. This allows for the support of a wider range of proposed efforts, from those that are relatively short-term to projects that are larger in scope. The fellowship offers a monthly stipend of $5,000 along with stipends for travel and equipment.

Independent Study with Organizational Support

All ICFP fellows are based with a host organization, which can be academic departments, for the duration of their fellowship term. Host organizations should demonstrate the ability to assist the applicant in carrying out the proposed scope of work. Applicants can propose any host organization on their application as long as sufficient justification for the selection is provided. For example, if you’re proposing to work on a project studying how misinformation spreads online, then your proposed host organization should be equipped to provide expert guidance on this topic. OTF welcomes host organizations from non-academic organizations as well as those that are based outside of the United States.

Or vice versa, if you are affiliated with a research organization and want to host an ICFP fellow at your organization, please email icfphost at opentech.fund for more information.

Supported Topical Areas of Study

Past fellows have explored a range of topics and technological focuses, including country and region-specific information controls studies; the development of research-focused software tools used to investigate Internet censorship as well as those that can circumvent online censorship; studies around targeted digital attacks aimed at at-risk users; and research into security vulnerabilities in technologies used by at-risk communities.

To get a better sense of the types of efforts supported through the ICFP program, you can read about the current (eighth) cohort of fellowshere <https://www.opentech.fund/news/announcing-otfs-newest-8th-class-of-information-controls-fellows/>, and past classes here (roundsone <https://www.opentech.fund/news/information-controls-fellowship-first-round-wrap-up/>,two <https://www.opentech.fund/news/icfp-second-round-wrap-up-results-and-outcomes/>,three <https://www.opentech.fund/news/icfp-third-round-wrap-up-results-and-outcomes/>,four <https://www.opentech.fund/news/fourth-cohort-information-controls-fellows-review/>,five <https://www.opentech.fund/news/2018-ICFP-wrap-up/>,six <https://www.opentech.fund/news/announcing-otfs-newest-class-of-information-controls-fellows/>, andseven <https://www.opentech.fund/news/announcing-otfs-latest-class-of-information-controls-fellows/>).

Questions?

If you have any questions, please post them inthis public spreadsheet <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RNxswHBoOxWEqq4Yo_ozaqOUziN3BI4pr8Lyf8GCfCo/edit#gid=0>and they will be answered in a prompt fashion. If your question is not appropriate for a public forum, please email icfp at opentech.fund.

If the fellowship is not a good fit for you but you do work on Internet Freedom, please check out the additional avenues for funding that OTF offers through our other funds, including the Internet Freedom Fund (IFF). <https://www.opentech.fund/funds/internet-freedom-fund/>


-- 
Dr. Corinne Cath

Vice President of Research
Open Technology Fund | w: opentech.fund | t: @OpenTechFund
Signal: +1 202 209 6820