2022 Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund Expression of Interest Form

Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund

2022 Expressions of Interest Application Form
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

APPLICATION FORM GUIDELINES

These application guidelines are for the Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund 2022 Open Call for Expressions of Interest focused on funding research to better understand and fight online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA). The objective is to advance the understanding of experiences and patterns of online CSEA for child and adolescent victims as well as offenders and persons at-risk of offending, and learn from effective efforts (behavioural, technological, educational) to prevent, deter and eradicate it.

We are interested in innovative research that produces actionable insights that can impact product and policy development, with a priority given to research that can help inform the technology industry's approach to combating online CSEA. Eligible research for this call will help deliver actionable insights that contribute to practitioner understanding of online CSEA with a focus on technology industry practice. The total funding envelope to be awarded through this 2022 Open Call is ~US$ 800,000.

This online application serves to collect all available information required for the Expression of Interest to be considered for invitation to submit a full proposal by the Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund. All submissions must be made in English. Submissions to this Request for Expressions of Interest (EOI) will be reviewed by technical experts at End Violence Safe Online as well as an Advisory Group of external experts, as applicable. Please note that your organisation may be requested to provide more details before funding decisions are final.

PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE THOROUGHLY REVIEWED ALL DETAILS PROVIDED ON THE TECH COALITION SAFE ONLINE RESEARCH FUND WEBPAGE BEFORE BEGINNING YOUR APPLICATION. You can review the full Request for Expressions of Interest here. You can access an editable version of the Application Form for download here to use in developing your application, but the final submission must be made in this online portal. You may also save this application in the online portal and continue later. Please also review the FAQs thoroughly before submitting your Expression of Interest.

This Request for Expressions of Interest does not constitute a call for proposals and/or solicitation. End Violence Safe Online does not require proposals or bids at this stage; this request is merely seeking an EOI to participate in the Fund’s 2022 Open Call. A response to this request for EOIs does not automatically guarantee that submitting entities will be selected to submit a detailed proposal.

How to Submit:

Please submit your Expression of Interest Application Form by 31 May 2022 11:59pm EST. Please be mindful of word limits in responses.

If you have technical issues with this form, please reach out to us through the FAQ portal with your contact information.
Eligibility criteria

The Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund is looking to provide project grants for research to non-profits as well as consortia with non-profits as the primary applicant. Only entities that fulfill these mandatory requirements will be considered eligible:
- legally registered non-profit entity (i.e. research institutes and academic institutions, civil society organisations (CSOs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and international organisations)
- the research addresses one or more of the three areas of the 2022 Open Call, addresses a clear need/gap, does not duplicate existing research, and builds upon and/or interacts with existing research/practice
- all funding will be directed to an institution, not to individuals
- an individual may submit one proposal as research project lead
- at minimum, the applicant organisation should have demonstrated relevant prior expertise and/or research experience
- the organisation complies with all relevant regulatory and ethical frameworks including having a safeguarding policy in place or willingness to develop a policy
We encourage proposals from researchers, or collaborations with researchers that are based in or with situational awareness of the country/countries being researched, include cross-cultural approaches, respond to a clear need/gap, and reflect principles of a Human Rights Based Approach to Data. End Violence Safe Online and the TC encourage applications that are inclusive and/or representative of diverse contexts, countries and cultures and with a specific research focus on underrepresented populations, such as BIPOC, LGBTQI+, people with disabilities, and those with relevant lived experience including survivors of online CSEA.
Eligibility
1. Is your organisation legally registered?*

YesNo
1a. If Yes, in which country?
1b. If Yes, please provide the registration number (e.g. EIN)
2. Does the proposed research address one or more of the three focus areas of the 2022 Funding Round?*

Focus Area 1: Prevention and deterrence of online CSEA. To prevent harm to children we must identify ways to promote safety in digital environments and put in place deterrence measures that identify and disrupt risky situations before harm happens.Focus Area 2: Detection and reporting of online CSEA. To quickly and accurately identify and remove child sexual abuse material (CSAM), detection technology must quickly evolve. This includes detecting CSAM within new technological environments as well as increasing the ability to detect complex interactions like grooming or solicitation. Alongside technological measures, effective reporting (by or on behalf of children) both to and by technology companies is a crucial tool in identifying and removing CSAM, and identifying offenders.Focus Area 3: Response and support to the full ecosystem, especially victims. Coordinated, collective response is necessary to maximise impact of interventions. Support systems and resources need to be accessible to victims in their differential experiences of online CSEA, children and families in navigating digital environments, professionals working with children’s digital safety (e.g. content moderators, law enforcement, direct service providers, etc.), as well as potential and actual offenders.
3. Does your organisation ensure compliance with all relevant regulatory and ethical frameworks including having a child safeguarding policy or willingness to develop one?*

YesNo
4. Do you have a demonstrable track record of previous research experience or methodological expertise to successfully perform the proposed research?*

YesNo

Summary of the research proposal
Research project title:*
Funding Stream

Main Funding Stream A: above US$ 50,000 & up to US$ 200,000Alternative Funding Stream B: up to US$ 50,000
Total request from End Violence in US$ (between US$20,000-US$250,000):*
Total research project amount in US$:*
Total duration in months (maximum 24 months):*
Details of the research you would like End Violence to support

It is not expected that EOIs will cover in depth or provide full details of each criteria, however specificity and clarity will be assessed. It is not necessary to elaborate the state of the field or scope of the problem being addressed in the EOI.
1. Brief project summary & methodology:

Be explicit about maximising synergies across disciplines/ sectors/ jurisdictions/ communities, awareness of existing research, ensuring sustainability of the research, and how sharing insights and outputs will occur. Where relevant, describe how underrepresented geographies or populations (BIPOC, LGBTQI+, children out of school (including due to Covid), children living in poverty or experience homelessness, children with special education needs and disabilities, and those with relevant lived experience including survivors of online CSEA) and age and gender-disaggregation, i.e. sex and/or gender analysis, are taken into account in the research. (Maximum 500 words)
Please give a summary of the research. Be sure to include specifics on: i) the relevance to the focus areas of this request for EOIs, ii) specific applications of the research, iii) actionability for technology industry, iv) methodology (main techniques, models or assumptions involved), v) timeline and key activities / outputs.*

0/500
2. Geographical selection/ focus:

Please note that End Violence Safe Online encourages understanding the focus areas in different contexts, countries and cultures and with specific focus on children facing the most risks and Global South countries. (Maximum 100 words)
What country/countries is your research focusing on? If your research is global, please explain how it could be applied / adapted in specific contexts.*

0/100
3. Technology / data:

Please also note your compliance with data privacy and protection regulatory frameworks applicable to the work. (Maximum 200 words)
What technologies and data sources are required for your research? Does your organisation have access to these technologies and data for the successful completion of this research? If not, how are you planning to ensure adequate access is gained for the successful completion of the project?*

0/200
4. Organisational capacity:

Applicants who are applying in the Alternative funding stream for up to US$ 50,000 and are interested in tailored support for their proposal if successful in the EOI phase, should include here the request to be considered and 1-2 sentences on the need for support and qualifying criteria of the organisation and/or team. (Maximum 300 words)
Please describe the relevant prior work, demonstrated expertise and/or relevant research experience of your organisation and/or team for performing this research. Does the team represent diverse, inclusive perspectives, including across different contexts, countries and cultures, such as representation from Global South countries, underrepresented groups and those with relevant lived experience including survivors of online CSEA? Do you already have a network of experts and partners that can support the project? *

0/300
Thank you very much for completing the Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund Application Form! If you have any questions, please submit to our FAQ Form here. Please check end-violence.org/tech-coalition-safe-online-research-fund-2022 for updates on FAQ responses and timelines..
Should be Empty:

Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund

Eligibility

About your organisation and your partners

Summary of the research proposal

Details of the research you would like End Violence to support

1. Brief project summary & methodology:

2. Geographical selection/ focus:

3. Technology / data:

4. Organisational capacity: