Applications Invited for Wikimedia Research Fund Grant

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About the Organization

The Wikimedia Foundation supports individuals and organizations around the world to increase the diversity, reach, quality, and quantity of free knowledge. We promote knowledge equity aligned with the strategic direction of the Wikimedia movement. Our funding programs are focused on decentralized decision-making, regional committees, and reaching underrepresented communities.

Our people-centred approach is built on the principles of equity & empowerment, collaboration & cooperation, and the promotion of innovation and learning. We have three funding programs which support individuals and organizations: the Wikimedia Community Fund, Wikimedia Alliances Fund, and Wikimedia Research and Technology Fund.

The Wikimedia Research and Technology Fund includes two subprograms: Wikimedia Research Fund and Wikimedia Technology Fund.

About the Grant

We welcome submissions that describe in-depth research proposals to improve and expand our understanding of the Wikimedia projects and their impact, introduce technical and socio-technical solutions that can enhance the technology in support of the Wikimedia projects, and advance the Wikimedia Movement towards the 2030 strategic direction. We will also consider funding proposals that focus on expanding and diversifying the community of researchers studying Wikimedia projects. For non-research related work, please see other sources of funding, including the Wikimedia Community Fund, the Wikimedia Alliances Fund and the forthcoming Wikimedia Technology Fund.

Who we fund:

The Research Fund provides support to individuals, groups, and organizations with research interests on or about Wikimedia projects. We encourage submissions from across research disciplines including but not limited to humanities, social sciences, computer science, education, and law. We aim to support applicants who have limited access to research funding and are proposing work that has potential for direct, positive impact on their local communities.

We prioritize supporting applicants who have limited access to research funding, are in regions of the world where the Wikimedia research community has less representation, and are proposing work that has potential for direct, positive impact on their local communities or the global Wikimedia communities.

Eligibility

• Individuals, groups, and organizations may apply. Any individual is allowed three open grants at any one time. This includes Rapid Funds. Groups or organizations can have up to five open grants at any one time.
• Requests must be over USD 2,000. Maximum request is USD 50,000.
• Funding periods can be up to 12 months in length. Proposed work should start no sooner than June 1, 2023 and end no later than May 31, 2024.
• Recipients must agree to the reporting requirements, be willing to sign a grant agreement, and provide the Wikimedia Foundation with information needed to process funding. You can read more about eligibility requirements here.
• We expect all recipients of the Research Funds to adhere to the Friendly space policy and Wikimedia’s Universal Code of Conduct.
• Applications and reports are accepted in English and Spanish.
• Potential applicants should not submit a proposal if at least one of the following holds true:
• At least one applicant has been an employee or contractor at  the Wikimedia Foundation in the last 24 months;
• At least one applicant has had an advisee/advisor relationship with one or more of the Research Fund Committee Chairs or members of the Wikimedia Research team;
• At least one of the applicants is a current or has been a former Formal Collaborator of the Research team at the Wikimedia Foundation in the last 24 months;
• At least one applicant has co-authored a scientific publication with the Committee Chairs within the last 24 months.
• For country eligibility, refer to the list of countries that have previously been funded.

How to Apply

Applications need to be submitted on EasyChair, which is a third party platform. We ask that you take the time to complete a detailed user profile as this information will be used to match you with appropriate reviewers. Submitting a proposal will require that at least one author create an account on Easychair.

The application on EasyChair asks for the following information:

• The name, email address, and Wikimedia username (if applicable) of all applicants.
• Names/usernames, roles (with regards to this proposal), institutional affiliations, countries of residence for all other personnel included in the project, including volunteers and advisors. (Optional)
• Proposal title.
• Description of the proposed project, including aims and approach (maximum 2500 characters).
• Approximate amount requested in U.S. dollars.
• Budget description (maximum 500 characters).
• Impact and relevance of the work to Wikimedia projects, including the degree to which the research will address the 2030 Wikimedia Strategic Direction and / or support the work of Wikimedia user groups, affiliates, and developer communities (maximum 750 characters).
• Plans for dissemination (maximum 500 characters).
• Prior contributions to related academic and / or research projects and / or the Wikimedia and free culture communities. If none, then an explanation of planned contributions (maximum 750 characters).

Submit proposal to the Wikimedia Research & Technology Fund via EasyChair (requires creating an account)

Deadline: 16 December 2022

For more information please check the Link

Tags Innovations and Technology Research Others