Deadline: 26 August 2016
The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) is seeking applications from organization for a program entitled “Internet Freedom Core Support for Anti-Censorship Technology”.
In support of the U.S. International Strategy for Cyberspace, DRL’s goal is to promote fundamental freedoms, human rights, and the free flow of information online by supporting civil society actors to achieve open, reliable, secure access to the global Internet through support for anti-censorship technologies.
Attributes
- Proven track record of successfully circumventing online censorship in highly Internet restricted environments, and of responding rapidly and effectively to censorship events
- Capacity to support hundreds of thousands of simultaneous user sessions on an ongoing basis for the period of the grant
- Significant existing global user-base
- A comprehensive external security audit, with results made available to DRL
- Open-sourced components wherever viable, use of modular community-developed transport libraries, and a record of contributing improvements back to those libraries
- Client support for major desktop and mobile platforms
- A design and deployment model that meets the unique needs of civil society and marginalized populations
- Versions and/or language support for most or all countries that employ censorship apparatus such as a “firewall”
- A demonstrated focus and attentiveness to usability for a diverse global user base.
Funding Information: Subject to the availability of funding, DRL anticipates having approximately $5,000,000 available to support one to two successful applications.
Eligibility Criteria
- DRL welcomes applications from U.S.-based and foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGO) and public international organizations; private, public, or state institutions of higher education; and for-profit organizations or businesses.
- DRL’s preference is to work with non-profit entities; however, there may be occasions when a for-profit entity is best suited.
- Applicants must have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with thematic or in-country partners, entities and relevant stakeholders including industry and NGOs and have demonstrable experience in administering successful and preferably similar projects.
- DRL encourages applications from foreign-based NGOs headquartered in the geographic regions/countries relevant.
- Applicants may form consortia and submit a combined application. However, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant with the other members as sub-award partners.
- DRL reserves the right to request additional background information on applicants that do not have previous experience administering federal grant awards, and these applicants may be subject to limited funding on a pilot basis.
- DRL is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its projects and activities.
- DRL welcomes applications irrespective of an applicant’s race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other status.
- DRL encourages applications from organizations working with the most at risk and vulnerable communities, including women, youth, persons with disabilities, members of ethnic or religious minority groups, and LGBTI persons.
How to Apply
Interested applicants can apply via given website.
For more information, please visit grants.gov.
