Applications are now open for the Internet Society Foundation's research programme to support global research collaborations that advance understanding of the Internet and its value for all.

This programme is designed for research applied and open, i.e. it seeks to answer a real-world question and must be published openly and made available to the scientific community free of charge. The Foundation supports research involving human or animal subjects where the project has been certified by a responsible body as being ethical and complying with local legislation. It is the responsibility of the principal investigator of the project to obtain these certifications.

Objectives

• Promoting new methodologies that generate solutions to Internet-related challenges.
• Identify and support a diverse and collaborative group of researchers and research institutions.
• Facilitating access to intersectional research that can be applied to decision-making in government and industry.

Areas of intervention

• Greening the Internet
  • The Internet affects and is affected by the environment and climate change. Critical awareness of this impact is essential to the resilience of the Internet and ensures its sustainability for generations to come. This awareness can include an assessment of the energy consumption by the Internet, or the toxins and waste generated by its use. It may take into account the favourable effect of the Internet on other sectors in limiting greenhouse gas emissions. It could examine the way in which climate change and extreme weather conditions threaten the infrastructure Internet and limit connectivity. Research focused on greening should promote 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 the economic landscape and lead to unpredictable economic futures. Understanding the interactions that create the Internet economy has the potential to reshape this uncertainty. Analysing how the Internet transforms traditional ideas about competition, production and consumption of goods and services could be useful in enabling everyone to participate fairly and remuneratively in a rapidly digitising global economy. Research proposals focusing on the economics of the Internet should present an analysis of past or present ecosystems that provides insight into the future of the Internet and its dependent market(s).
• An Internet you can trust
  • The Internet is totally trustworthy if, and only if, it is completely resilient, reliable, accountable and secure in a way that constantly meets users' expectations in terms of information and services. The Internet is only trustworthy when it conforms to what people expect to happen, whether those expectations are reasonable or not. Furthermore, trustworthiness is not a question of just one layer of the network, and it is possible for some parts of the Internet to be trustworthy while others are not. For example, while the application layer may be trusted or secure, there may be gaps in the logic or infrastructure, or there may be distrust of the content. Research into the idea of a trustworthy Internet should attempt to explain how the Internet does or does not meet user expectations and what should or should not be done about it.
• Decolonising the Internet
  • They recognise that the development of the Internet depended on industrial companies which, by their very nature, used the resources of the dispossessed lands of indigenous peoples and communities around the world. They recognise that the Internet can proliferate inequality and injustice, perhaps especially when its design is not inclusive and its designers are not diverse. They recognise that the Internet can invalidate and render obsolete traditional forms of knowledge production and sharing, and that it has the power to erase languages and cultures. But neither is this an obligation. Instead, the Internet can be a site of restorative, liberating and transformational practices that link the past to a more just future or bring those on the margins closer to the centre. Research into the decolonisation of the Internet should explore these and other practices for an Internet for all.

Information on funding

• The programme provides for two levels of funding:
  • Independent researchers may apply for funding of up to US$200,000 $. Grants will be awarded directly to the individuals designated as the principal investigator of the project and they will be responsible for the management of the grant, including all reporting requirements for the duration of the grant.
  • Organisations and institutions can apply for funding of up to 500,000 US dollars. One or more grants in each thematic area are planned, subject to funding for the financial year.

Eligibility criteria

• Independent researchers must have a postgraduate research qualification (doctorate, master's degree) and peer-reviewed publications, patents, academic work or independently published work in the field concerned.
• Be a legally registered 501 (c) (3) OR equivalent.
• Align with the objectives and activities of the Internet Society (ISOC), the organisation supported by the Foundation.
• Have an official bank account in its name (based on its legal registration).

Ineligible

• Projects that have nothing to do with the Internet or the Internet Society's mission.
• Projects that generate personal financial gain.
• Political campaigning, voter registration, lobbying or other attempts to influence legislation.
• Endowment funds, buildings or fundraising campaigns.
• Projects that serve exclusively religious objectives.
• Activities completed or costs incurred prior to the award of the grant, without prior approval.
• Help with school fees.
• Transactions or grants prohibited by the Internet Society Foundation's Bylaws, Conflicts of Interest Policy, or other governing documents.

For more information, visit the Internet Society Foundation website.