Category Archives: Technology

Unity For Humanity Grant

The Unity for Humanity Grant is an international funding opportunity for charitable projects created with an RT3D platform (Unity, Unreal, Quill, etc.). Projects must also align with at least one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

A total of $500,000 in grant funding will be awarded with one grant specifically for a student project. Applications for up to $100,000 are due by February 7, 2025 at 11:59 PM PT.

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

Nonprofit organizations
Organizations with a fiscal sponsor. Applicants without a nonprofit sponsor will have potential partners recommended to them.

Applications may come from any country that does not have U.S. sanctions against it. These countries are:

The Crimea Region of Ukraine
Cuba
Iran
North Korea
Sudan
Syria*

*Subject to change due to new Syrian government

Project Medium

Applicant projects may use one or more of these mediums:

AI
AR
Film
Game – Mobile
Game – Console
Game – PC
Interactive Design
Music
Robotics
Theatre, Live immersive experience
Visual art, Installation
VR
Mixed Reality
Other

Application Requirements

Applications must include:

An accessible link to a project sample, trailer, or walk through. These do not have to be in English, but must include English subtitles
An accessible link to a project pitch deck

Applications must be submitted in English.

ACLS Digital Justice Grants

ACLS Digital Justice Grants are awarded by the American Council of Learned Societies with funding from the Mellon Foundation. They support projects that advance  justice and equity in digital scholarly practice across the humanities and interpretative social sciences.

In addtion to the monetary award, all grantees will have the opportunity to collaborate with the Nonprofit Finance Fund. Applications for Digital Justice Seed Grants and Digital Justice Development Grants are due by December 3, 2024 at 9:00 PM ET.

Eligibility

Grant funds must be administered by an institution of higher education in the United States. At least one principal investigator must be a scholar in the humanities and/or the interpretative social sciences, but they do not have to have a PhD or a faculty position.

Eligible projects must:

Critically engage with the interests and histories of people of color and other historically marginalized communities
Cultivate greater openness to new sources of knowledge and strategic approaches to content building and knowledge dissemination
Engage in capacity building efforts
Be made as widely available as intellectual property constraints allow

Grant Types

Seed Grants

Seed Grants of $10,000 – $25,000 are available for projects in the start-up or prototyping phase. Projects must explore or experiment with new materials, methodologies, and research agendas by way of planning workshops, prototyping, and/or testing products.

Development Grants

Development Grants of $50,000 – $100,000 are available for projects that can demonstrate significant preliminary work and a record of engagement with and impact on scholarly and/or public audiences.

Allowable Expenses

Grant funds may be used for:

Salaries and faculty release time
Tuition reimbursement
Equipment and software
Digitizing or cataloging analog materials
Collaboration with international partners

Grant funds may not be used for:

Indirect costs
Purely pedagogical projects
Straightforward translations
Textbook writing and editing only
Creative works only

Rockstart

Rockstart funds startups who are creating a sustainable future through Agrifood, Energy, and Emerging Technology. Applications are accepted from around the world on a continual basis.

Eligibility

This funding opportunity is open to early stage startups from anywhere in the world who are focused on one of the program areas.

Program Areas

Agrifood

The Agrifood Fund supports new technologies and business models to improve the food supply system. This includes:

Restoring soil and oceans for carbon capture
Reducing food waste
Increasing access to high quality, nutritious food

They are particularly interested in companies working on:

Alternative packaging and proteins
Smart fulfillment and logistics
Bio-alternatives to chemicals and plastic
Precision food production
Data and vertical data libraries
Production capacity growth tools
Upcycled products
Carbon sequestration
Supply chain traceability
Molecular farming and genomics
Impact certification in carbon markets
Human health

Energy

The Energy Fund supports new technologies and business models to slow climate change. This includes:

Optimizing renewable energy supplies
Helping energy-intensive industries reach net zero emissions
Making cities smarter

They are particularly interested in companies working on:

Renewable energy
Energy storage
Smart grid
Energy efficiency
Smart mobility
Decentralized energy systems

Emerging Technology

The Emerging Technology Fund supports new technologies and business models to solve universal problems. This includes:

Improving production facilities
Innovations in healthcare delivery
Data privacy and security

They are particularly interested in companies working on:

Photo by Jo McNamara: https://www.pexels.com/photo/mask-made-in-3d-printer-11288657/

ML / AI
Computer vision
web3 and Blockchain
Biometrics
Geospatial tech
IoT and Edge computing
Additive manufacturing

WSA Young Innovators Award

The WSA Young Innovators Award provides funding to young entrepreneurs and teams from UN Member States who have created a mobile or web-based solution. Products must have already launched and address a local issue while also meeting at least one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Applications will be accepted until October 15, 2024. The five winners will be announced during the WSA Global Congress, April 6-9, 2025 in Telangana, India.

Eligibility

This award is open to entrepreneurs, companies, student groups, and project teams from UN Member States. Teams may have up to 28 members.

At least one founder and the majority of team members must have been born on or before January 1, 1998.

Project Examples

Eligible projects may include:

Phone/tablet apps
Web pages
Apps for wearables
Kiosk installations
SMS based products
Games
Interactive productions

Rural Technology Fund Assistive Technology Grants

Assistive Technology Grants from the Rural Technology Fund support the purchase of technology to make U.S. schools more accessible to students with disabilities.

Application s are accepted on a continual basis and reviewed every 30-60 days. The average grant is $500 – $2,500, but larger requests will be considered for projects that will impact a greater number of students.

Eligibility

This grant is open to public schools and 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations in the U.S.

Grants are typically given to schools in rural or high-poverty areas.

Allowable Expenses

Grant funds may be used for computer and tablets that feature:

Text to speech
Speech to text
Word processing
Magnification
Audio books
Other accessibility tools

Funds may also be used for:

Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices
Adaptive keyboards and mouses
Software and applications

Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge

The Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge is an early stage deep tech startup competition. Applicants may submit in one of 11 track for the chance to win the €100,000 Grand Prize or €25,000 Second Prize. An additional €25,000 will be awarded to one Emerging Pioneer and customized prizes will be given in the different tracks in cooperation with corporate partners.

Applications are due by September 22, 2024. Eight hundred Deep Tech Pioneers will be announced on October 30 and have until November 15 to update their applications before finalist selection.

Eligibility

This challenge is open to startups that:

Are in early stage development, including before incorporation
Have developed/are developing new technology, a scientific discovery, or a complex engineering process
Have a proof of concept, prototype, solid scientific validation for their product, or are developing one
Have a team of at least 2 people
Are not a subsidiary or offshoot of another, existing company
Expect their product to be economically viable within 15 years
Have the potential to significantly impact their industry, society, or the environment in general

Tracks

https://builtin.com/robotics/microrobotics

Applicants may submit in any of the 11 tracks.

Aerospace
Advanced Computing & Electronics
Industry & Machines
Sustainable Construction & Infrastructure
Energy
Environment & Biodiversity
Food & Agriculture
Industrial Biotech & New Materials
Digital Health & Medical Devices
Medical Biotech & Pharmaceuticals

Award

All 800 Deep Tech Pioneers will be invited to attend Investor Day in Paris on March 12, 2025 where they’ll be able to meet with over 300 venture capitalists and corporate venture capitalists.

Seven finalists per track plus an additional seven finalists for the Emerging Pioneers Prize will pitch their idea during the Global Summit in Paris on March 13 and 14, 2025. The Grand Prize, Second Place, and Emerging Pioneer Prize as well as the corporate prizes will be chosen from these presentations.

Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE): Core Programs

The Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE): Core Programs support research and education projects that build new knowledge in computing, communications, and information science and engineering.

Applicants may apply for a Small Project, Medium Project, or OAC Core Project. Applications are due through Grants.gov or Research.gov October 1-23, 2024 (Medium and OAC Core Projects) or October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025 (Small Projects). The National Science Foundation expects to award 400-600 grants.

Eligibility

Applicant

This grant is open to:

Institutions of higher education accredited and with a campus in the United States
Nonprofit, nonacademic organizations
Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies, etc. engaged in research and education activities

Primary Investigator

Primary Investigator, Co-PIs, and other senior/key project personnel must hold either:

A tenured or tenure-track position, or
A primary, full-time, paid appointment in a research or teaching position

Project Types

Small Projects

Up to $600,000
Up to 3 years
Well suited to one or two investigators and at least one student and/or postdoctoral researcher

Medium Projects

$600,001 to $1,200,000
Up to 4 years
Well suited to one or more investigators and several students and/or postdoctoral researchers

OAC Core Projects

Up to $600,000
Up to 3 years
Well suited to one or two investigators and at least one student and/or postdoctoral researcher

Core Programs

Projects should align with one of these core programs:

Division of Computing and Communication Foundations

Division of Computer and Network Systems (CNS)

Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS)

Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC)

OAC Core Research (OAC Core) program

The Workers Lab Innovation Fund

The Innovation Fund is a five month virtual fellowship sponsored by The Workers Lab. Participants engage in 12-15 hours of coaching and training per month for which they receive a stipend.

Applications are due by July 15, 2024 at 11:59 PM PT for a fellowship from October 2024 – March 2025. Three final winners will be announced in April 2025; they will receive up to $200,000 and a full year mentorship.

Eligibility

This fellowship is open to individuals and organizations in the United States with a valid United States Tax ID or social security number. This includes:

For profit companies
Social enterprises
Cooperatives
Nonprofit organizations
Unions and government-aligned entities
Individual entrepreneurs

Topic Areas

The Innovation Fund is focused on two topic areas for 2024.

Climate Justice is Workers’ Justice

Projects under this topic should concentrate on addressing climate change and/or environmental justice while also attending to workers’ rights. These project should:

Bolster the transition to a green economy through high quality work
Modernize industries on the frontlines of climate change
Address the needs of workers most impacted by climate change

Worker-Centered Gen AI Solutions

Projects under this topic should apply artificial intelligence to improve working conditions and create new opportunities for workers. These projects should:

Empower workers
Make economic stability more equitable
Promote worker health and safety

Allowable Expenses

Grant funding is fairly flexible so long as funds are going toward the proposed project. Up to 15% of grant funds may be used for indirect costs.

Hikma Health Care Innovation Grant

The Hikma Health Care Innovation Grant provides funding for nonprofit clinics around the world to implement the Hikma Health electronic health record system.

Applications for up to $15,000 are accepted on a continual basis.

Eligibility

This grant is open to nonprofit organizations that:

Are officially registered in at least one country
Serve at least 1,000 patients annually
Provide direct healthcare services for no or subsidized fee to vulnerable populations
Can designate separate individuals to serve in three roles – Administrative Lead, Clinical Lead, and Technical Lead

Applicants may operate fixed location or mobile clinics.

Allowable Expenses

Grant funds may be used for relevant expenses such as:

Internet service
Cloud storage
Hardware, including computers and tablets
Training, including transportation
New personnel

Application Submission

Completed applications, including attachments, should be sent as a PDF file to sarah@hikmahealth.org.

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers Grant

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is the independent steward of the internet’s unique identifier systems, including domain names, Internet Protocol addresses, autonomous system numbers, and port numbers.

In their inaugural grant year, ICANN is offering awards of $50,000 – $500,000 for up to 24 months to organizations around the globe. Applications are due by May 24, 2024 at 20:00 UTC.

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

501(c)3 nonprofit organizations
Nonprofit organizations outside the U.S. who can provide documentation of their country’s equivalent of a 501(c)3

Funding Themes

The Internet’s Unique Identifier Systems

Acitivities under this theme include:

Supporting the development of standards for the Internet’s unique identifier systems
Strengthening the security and stability of the Internet’s unique identifier systems
Promoting innovative projects that expand the use of the Internet’s unique identifier systems
Improving the performance of the Internet’s unique identifier systems
Supporting long-term usability and sustainability of the Domain Name System
Enhancing Universal Acceptance to ensure truly multilingual and digitally inclusive systems

A Unified Internet

Acitivities under this theme include:

Advancing work related to open access to the Internet
Enhancing Internet interoperability to eliminate the exclusion of certain communities from the global Domain Name System
Enhancing the resiliency and sustainability of the Internet at the local, national, or global level

All applications should also take into consideration:

Diversity, participation, and inclusion of underserved populations
Impact and outcomes that can be sustained through capacity development

Review Criteria

All applications will be reviewed based on:

Innovation and Relevance
Effectiveness
Implementation and Feasibility
Competency and Expertise of Project Team
Community Value and Impact

Scores for each criterion will be on a 0-4 point scale.

4 = Outstanding
3 = Good
2 = Adequate
1 = Not Good
0 = Missing

A score of 1 or 0 on any criterion automatically disqualifies an application.