The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) announces the availability of funding for programs that support Internet freedom. DRL’s goal is to promote fundamental freedoms, human rights, and the free flow of information online through integrated support for anti-censorship and secure communications technology, advocacy, digital safety, and research. DRL invites organizations interested in potential funding to submit statements of interest (SOI) outlining program concepts that reflect this goal.
An organization may submit no more than two (2) SOIs per submission deadline of no more than three (3) pages each. SOIs that do not meet the requirements of the announcement may not be considered. Submission deadlines: SOI submissions will be reviewed on at least a semi-annual basis according to the following deadlines: Duke Internal Deadline: June 9, 2014 Sponsor Application Deadline: July 1, 2014 December 5, 2014 SOIs must be submitted no later than 5:00 pm (17:00) GMT-5 on the above dates. The official announcement and description of this award may be found on the funding agency's website: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=256496 Statements of interest must address one or more of the following program themes: 1) Technology Expanding Open and Uncensored Access to Information and Communications: Development and support of web and mobile anti-censorship technologies that expand open access to information and communications. 2) Secure Communication Technology: Development and support of web and mobile technologies that enhance the privacy and security of digital communications. 3) Digital Safety: Delivery of support, training and information that contributes to greater digital safety for users in Internet repressive societies and/or at-risk populations. 4) Policy and Advocacy: National, regional, and/or international policy and advocacy efforts that aim to mitigate negative trends toward Internet repression and to promote Internet freedom at a structural level. 5) Research and Evaluation: Efforts should emphasize applied research that can inform and benefit Internet freedom efforts globally. Research should address technological and political developments affecting Internet freedom. Eligibility: Faculty. Award Amount: $2,500,000 Estimated Floor of Individual Award Amounts: $500,000 Estimated Ceiling of Individual Award Amounts: $2,500,000 We anticipate that approximately $18 million in Internet freedom funds will be available for use in this solicitation. Additional country and regional resources may be available to support Internet freedom efforts. DRL reserves the right to award less or more than the funds described, including estimated individual award floor and ceiling amounts, under such circumstances as it may deem to be in the best interest of the U.S. government. In practice, awards in excess of $1,500,000 are uncommon. SOIs that request more than the award ceiling or less than the award floor may be deemed technically ineligible. Internal Nomination Process: Owing to the sponsor's restriction on the number of applications that may be submitted from Duke, anyone wishing to pursue nomination should submit the following materials as one PDF via the upload feature on the ORS website. * Completed SOI (maximum 3 pages as described in the RFP) * CV ( NIH or NSF Biosketch is acceptable) * Letter of support from Dean or Chair SOIs must include: 1) Brief description of the organization, including the organization’s mission statement and previous work in the area of Internet freedom, particularly in acutely hostile Internet environments. Due to page limitations, a general organizational history is not recommended. Information should clearly demonstrate an institution’s record and capacity and may include previous grant management experience, whether funded through private or United States Government resources. 2) Description of how the project is innovative, sustainable, generates positive, lasting impact, and does not duplicatecurrent efforts. See “Additional Information” below. 3) Project description, including estimated project duration and objectives. Outputs and outcomes should also be provided. Outputs and outcomes should clearly link to project objectives and include target benchmarks. Please include the program area(s) and element(s) to be addressed. For more information on program design, please see DRL’s Monitoring and Evaluation Primer (http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/138430.pdf). 4) Brief statement on the methodology to be used in the project evaluation. 5) An estimated total budget figure. The budget should include intended: Primarily Headquarters-Based Costs, Primarily Field-Based Costs, Indirect Costs, and Cost-Share. For more information on DRL budget standards, please see DRL’s Proposal Submission Instructions “Budget Guidelines” section (http://www.state.gov/j/drl/p/nov_2012/index.htm). Please note that while a detailed budget is not requested at this time, organizations invited to submit full proposals must not exceed the estimated SOI budget figure unless advised otherwise. To Submit Internal Materials: The above materials should be compiled (in the order listed above) into one PDF file. Go to Institutionally Limited Nominations/Current Open Competitions: https://ors.duke.edu/orsmanual/current-competitions, select the appropriate competition and click the Applicant button. Follow the instructions to create a profile; return to the funding opportunity; click the Applicant Button on the Opportunities page and then upload your file. 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