The inaugural cycle of the ICANN Grant Program is now open for applications from eligible organizations. Applications can be submitted via the online application platform until 8 p.m., May 24.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a global multistakeholder group and nonprofit organization responsible for coordinating the maintenance and procedures of several databases related to the namespaces and numerical spaces of the Internet.
In this first cycle of the ICANN Grant Program, up to $10 million in grants will be distributed for projects that are consistent with ICANN’s mission and aligned with the objectives of the ICANN Grant Program. Applicants can seek awards between $50,000 and $500,000 in this first cycle for projects up to 24 months in duration.
Organization interested in applying should review the program materials and review the Applicant Guide for more information on eligibility requirements and how to apply here, according to Sally Costerton, interim president & CEO. While up to $10 million is available in this first cycle, it is anticipated that the program will eventually distribute over $200 million throughout its lifetime.
“The next 60 days are crucial in ensuring we reach a wide breadth of diverse applicants from across the world. ICANN is continuing to promote the program through a dedicated awareness campaign,” Costerton wrote in a blog posting.
The ICANN Grant Program is an opportunity to make a difference in the Internet ecosystem and to positively impact people around the world through creative and innovative solutions that further ICANN’s vision of a single, open, and globally interoperable Internet,” she wrote in the blog posting.
The organization is in the process of finding its next CEO. According to information is a separate blog posting, the board is seeking an individual with transformational leadership, who inspires action to effectively and relentlessly execute on multiple fronts, and who will:
- Modernize the organization and its processes.
- Implement policies successfully and in a timely manner.
- Build even stronger partnerships within the ecosystem.
- Reshape ICANN into an exemplar multistakeholder model.
- Work effectively on the global stage with other international leaders in this critical space to reaffirm an inclusive, multistakeholder Internet governance paradigm.
