Applications Open for the Research Grant Program

The Internet Society Foundation is pleased to announce the opening of applications for the Research Grant Program, which supports innovative research that deepens the understanding of the Internet and its impact on society. By funding forward-thinking projects and collaborations, the program aims to generate actionable insights that can help us create a more inclusive, trustworthy, secure, and sustainable Internet for everyone.

Researchers and institutions worldwide are encouraged to investigate the pressing challenges shaping today’s Internet and to produce practical, open knowledge that can directly inform public policy, industry decision-making, and technology development, with funding ranging from US$200,000 to US$500,000.

Supporting the Internet Society’s 2030 strategic goals, the Research Grant Program advances global research and partnerships, fostering understanding and innovation to build a world where everyone has access to affordable, reliable, and resilient Internet service, as well as a safe, secure, and trustworthy online environment.

Over the past five years, the Research Program has shown consistent progress and growing impact, supporting over 70 projects with more than USD $22 million in funding. From the beginning, the program has focused on a diverse, collaborative, and globally representative cohort of researchers, especially those from or dedicated to the Global South, producing intersectional and exploratory research that guides decision-making in government and industry. 
This sustained approach has resulted in tangible outcomes, such as:
– Research by the Distributed AI Research Institute on mis/disinformation in non-dominant languages influenced policy discussions at the European Parliament and produced tools that help underserved communities navigate online spaces safely;
– The Internet Security Research Group’s work on Divvi Up advanced privacy-preserving telemetry by contributing to emerging standards and creating practical tools for broader use;
– Berna Akcali Gur and Joanna Kulesza’s research on LEO satellite governance translated into action by supporting international policy dialogue and training policymakers in countries like Gambia and Botswana.

While Research projects aim to generate knowledge, their most significant impacts are in shaping policy, strengthening coalitions, and advancing real-world practices.

Four Key Areas of Focus

To guide the research efforts, proposals must address topics related to one or more of the following key areas of focus:

1. Inclusive Internet
 Proposals for this thematic area must focus on the structural and systemic barriers, such as income levels, gender, geography, and lack of digital literacy, that prevent one-third of the world’s population from participating in digital ecosystems. Research should address the preconditions for meaningful digital participation, from affordable infrastructure to community-led networks.

2. Greening the Internet
This focus area is aiming at improving our understanding of the Internet’s environmental impact, infrastructure, use, and uneven distribution across communities and regions. We encourage research proposals on sustainable technologies, energy use and efficiency, resource extraction, climate resilience, and climate-conscious digital practices, as well as the effects of extreme weather on connectivity, particularly for already-disadvantaged communities.

3. Measuring Meaningful Connectivity
This focus area promotes research to determine aspects of meaningful connectivity that genuinely allows people to engage in economic, social, cultural, and civic activities. Proposals should examine measurement frameworks that include emerging technologies such as AI, cloud services, and platform-dependent ecosystems.

4. A Trustworthy Internet
 This focus area examines how the Internet meets user expectations for reliability, security, and accountability across all network layers. Research should explore emerging risks that challenge the Internet as an open platform for free expression and contribute toward building a more trustworthy digital environment.

The Research Grant Program is open to both individual researchers and organizations worldwide, supporting a wide variety of projects and collaborations. Underrepresented groups and applicants from the Global Majority are strongly encouraged to apply.

“Through the Research Grant Program, the Internet Society Foundation continues to invest in empowering research that not only advances knowledge but also promotes real-world change. The program focuses on outcomes that can influence decision-making and help build a more inclusive and resilient Internet ecosystem,” said Maiko Nakagaki, Senior Program Officer. She also highlights that the program’s impact goes beyond academia: “The researchers we support generate practical knowledge to address critical challenges. This vision underscores the Foundation’s commitment to ensuring that research translates into meaningful improvements in how the Internet is built, governed, and experienced globally.”

Applications are open from 7 April until 22 May at 21:00 UTC and must be submitted through the Foundation’s grant management platform (Fluxx) in English, French, or Spanish.

Visit the Research program page to read the full program details, apply, and stay tuned for upcoming information sessions designed to help applicants succeed.