[Air-L] ISOC Foundation Research Program 2023

[Joly MacFie]

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


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

*Decolonizing 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 Decolonizing 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.
   - Public research institutions should be 501c3 or equivalent and should
   have a mission that is aligned to that of the Foundation. (Private
   institutions are not eligible entities to receive funding).

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

In 2023, the application process was updated to include two application
cycles: April and September. *For the April cycle, applications will be
accepted between April 12 and May 31.*

Additionally, the statement of interest was removed from the process.
Applicants are now required to submit a single application through Fluxx.

Applications are reviewed by staff to ensure proposals are aligned with
thematic areas and eligibility requirements. If there are any questions
staff will reach out to applicants through the provided contact information.

Those that are in alignment will move forward to a second stage where
proposals are reviewed by the Independent Program Review Committee (IPRC).
The IPRC recommends which proposals should be considered for funding to the
Program Officer. The Program Officer engages in the final review,
negotiation, and determination of grant awards with successful partners.
The whole process will take about two months*.*

View application template
<https://www.isocfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Application_Template_Research-Program.docx>
.
Selection Criteria

Researchers are encouraged to submit a full application to be reviewed by
the Independent Program Review Committee. Final submissions will be
selected based on the following criteria:

   - Is the research in line with one of the Foundation’s thematic areas?
   - Is the research novel?
   - Is the research applied?
   - Is the research collaborative?

The IPRC meets twice a year to review proposals. The next Research cycle
will open in April 2023.

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

The program provides for two levels of funding:

   - Independent researchers may apply for funding up to US$200,000. Grants
   will be awarded directly to individuals who are identified as the principal
   investigator on the project and he/she will be responsible for grant
   management including all reporting requirements during the life of the
   grant.


   - Organizations and institutions may apply for funding up to US$500,000.
   One or more awards in each of the thematic areas are anticipated subject to
   fiscal year funding.

You can learn more about current and past Research grants on Our Projects
<https://www.isocfoundation.org/about/our-projects/> page.
How to apply

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

-- 
--------------------------------------
Joly MacFie  +12185659365
--------------------------------------
-