Deadline: 15-Nov-22

Wikimedia Foundation is inviting applications for Research Fund that provides support to individuals, groups, and organizations with research interests on or about Wikimedia projects.

Wikimedia encourages submissions from across research disciplines including but not limited to humanities, social sciences, computer science, education, and law. Wikimedia aims 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.

Wikimedia prioritizes 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.

Funding Information

Requests can be up to USD 50,000 and Wikimedia intends to give a minimum of six grants during this funding cycle.

• Requests must be over USD 2,000.
• The 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

Detailed budgets are not required as part of initial submissions but Wikimedia requests rough estimates in the following categories (if applicable) along with a brief explanation:

• Salary or stipend.
• Benefits.
• Equipment.
• Software.
• Open access publishing costs.
• Institutional overhead (up to 15% of total budget requested).
• Other (as specified).

Final grant amounts are up to the discretion of the Research Fund Committee, who may reach out to finalists to ask for a reduced budget and a proportionally reduced scope of work. Funds will be disbursed in one payment at the beginning of the funding period (June 2023).

What they fund?

Wikimedia welcomes submissions that describe in-depth research proposals to improve and expand its 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. Wikimedia 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 and Wikimedia Alliances Fund and the forthcoming Wikimedia Technology Fund.

Eligibility Criteria

• 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.
• 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.
• Wikimedia expects 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 more information, visit https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Programs/Wikimedia_Research_%26_Technology_Fund/Wikimedia_Research_Fund