Fusion Center Fund Open Call For Grant Applications 2023

Fusion Center Fund Open Call For Grant Applications 2023

Fusion Center Fund Open Call For Grant Applications 2023

Calyx Fusion Center Research Fund Open Call

UPDATE: The call for proposals is now closed.

The Calyx Institute is accepting applications to the Fusion Center Research Fund. This fund will disburse up to $50,000 in grants, with a maximum amount of $10,000 per grant, to projects researching Fusion Centers and their impact on digital privacy and freedom of expression. Fusion Centers are law enforcement intelligence sharing centers that integrate local, federal, and private intelligence gathering and dissemination which have documented deleterious impacts on privacy and freedom of expression. The Fusion Center Research Fund supports researchers, privacy educators, journalists, and others delving into this area of law enforcement and surveillance. Government surveillance and its chilling effect on freedom of expression has long been an area of focus for the Calyx Institute, and we are excited to support other organizations research and efforts on this topic.

To apply, please send a 1-2 page application to grants@calyxinstitute.org. The application deadline is Friday, March 17th, 2023. The application should include:

Information about the applicant.

A description of the project and how it fits the goals and requirements of the Fusion Center Fund.

The grant request amount (up to $10,000), and an overview of what the funds will be used for.

The outputs (e.g. research papers, datasets, curricula) and impact expected from this project.

Please include any other information that will help us understand how proposed project will improve the public’s understanding of Fusion Centers and their impacts on privacy and freedom of expression online. Projects should have an anticipated start date no sooner than April 01, 2023.

We are interested in a wide range of topics, including but not limited to: disproportionate impact of fusion center surveillance; gang databases and other watchlists used by fusion centers; public records focused research to illuminate fusion center policies and practices; research on one specific fusion center or on fusion centers nationally; or other topics not listed here. If you have an idea for a project, but are not sure if it fits within this fund’s focus, feel free to email us at grants@calyxinstitute.org before writing a full proposal.

We will confirm the receipt of all applications within several days. If parts of your application are unclear or are missing details we need to properly assess it, we will reach out with questions or with a request to revise and resubmit the application. We will notify all projects of our decision within a month of the application deadline closing.

Requirements, Reporting, and Paperwork

This fund is open to nonprofits or individuals conducting research and/or education on Fusion Centers in the United States. We prioritize funding smaller organizations with annual budgets under $1,000,000. Projects must be completed within 12 months, and all projects must fit within the IRS restrictions on 501(c)(3) activities.

We require a small amount of paperwork to disburse the funds, including a signed grant agreement. Recipients will be required to submit a 1-2 page report at the end of the project describing how it went, what impact it had, and what obstacles were encountered, as well as copies of any tangible outputs (e.g. research reports or links to applications or git repositories).