FRIDA Launches New Website, Awards and Grants for Regional Projects

30/04/2012

The Regional Fund for Digital Innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean (FRIDA) announces that its 2012 call for proposals is now open. Both nominations for the FRIDA awards and applications for the grants for projects and initiatives that have significantly contributed to the use and development of the Internet in Latin America and the Caribbean are being accepted. This call for proposals is being launched together with the FRIDA Program’s new website (www.programafrida.net), through which the organizations and entities aspiring to receive an award or a grant may submit their projects before 15 June.

Since 2004, more than 1000 research teams and organizations from around the region have participated in the calls for proposals and nominations launched by the FRIDA Program, an initiative of the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry (LACNIC) that for the past seven years has received the support of the International Development Research Center (IDRC).

Research Projects and Awards This year there are two calls for proposals. On one hand, grants will be awarded to research projects in four categories: a) efforts to enhance, expand and promote Internet standards development; b) political, economic and social effects of anti-piracy bills; c) implementing strategies for reliable and effective Internet infrastructure, human capacity and skills development; and d) accelerating access and the social benefits of the Internet in vulnerable and underserved communities. Each selected project will receive a grant of 15 000 dollars. Details on how to apply can be found at http://programafrida.net/grants

On the other hand, the 2012 FRIDA award will recognize the four most outstanding contributions in the field of ICTs under the following topics: access (initiatives that have allowed expanding fixed and mobile Internet access through new technical and organization formats); freedoms (projects relating to the freedom of expression, freedom of association, privacy, security, consumer rights, etc.); development (initiatives that use the Internet to contribute directly to the resolution of environmental and socio-economic challenges); and innovation (initiatives that have introduced technical innovations in any aspect relating to Internet development, either at physical or conceptual level). Each winning project will receive a cash prize of US$ 3000 (http://programafrida.net/awards), plus travel and accommodation for one representative of each project to attend the Pre-IGF meeting in Latin America and the Caribbean and, later, the IGF meeting that will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan.