Questions

In the response in Q6 the rule of thumb indirect for foundations is 10% but Sloan allows for 20% and Ford has 25% for some grants, is it possible for more flexibility?

As the fund is pooled and we have a portfolio approach with applicants with different needs and backgrounds: As stated, ideally, the majority of the available resources to the project grantees - - if otherwise the threshold for an application is too high, there might be exceptions, as we understand researchers with an affiliation might be mandated to include higher overhead costs, and also acknowledge, that indirects are needed to run the academic infrastructure. the idc should in any case be included in the total cost - tier that is given in the form. (Also: please note that at this stage we don't ask for detailed budgets, this will only happen after selection)

Thanks for creating this pooled fund! We have existing infrastructure with a lot of researcher engagement... but we also have many requests from the researcher community to add a layer of infrastructure to fuel new research activities. I understand from the description and from other responses that the fund is research oriented, not infrastructure, but want to check to see if any of the funds could be used for devices provided they have an explicit research component and request.
Also, are we allowed to submit multiple proposals? Thank you!

Hi!
As long as the research question is valid and specific enough in context of the key interests of the fund (understanding better how open digital infrastructure in different domains - in our context this means mainly developer facing software-infrastructure like programming languages, compilers etc. as well as digital networking technology like implementation of communication protocols and such- is built, governed, deployed and maintained) - and the devices are directly connected to this research question and are in this way enhancing the research: They can be factored into the proposal. Interventions are also admissible, as long as they built upon prior research and the findings are documented. Multiple proposals are allowed, it is just unlikely that multiple grants go to the same organisation as we have a portfolio approach that centers diversity in subjects, methodologies, localities etc.

Re: “no software development in itself, unless it contributes to quantitative research,” my consortium are interested in DPGs & DPI, but we see a dearth of high quality quantitative data on where & how key DPGs are being deployed & used.

We'd like to (1) define a set of quantitative metrics that can be used to understand the types & scale of DPG deployments, (2) implement an anonymous metrics client/server solution that can be packaged with any DPG (e.g. https://data.syncthing.net/) and (3) build momentum to opt-in to this type of metrics reporting by working with other key DPGs.

There will be a software development aspect to the project, but we'll be making use of existing tools and the ultimate objective will be to create a richer, living dataset so that we can better understand the adoption of DPGs around the world; investigate longevity, security & sunsetting issues; track trends in localization and maintainer-ship/ownership; and conduct more targeted research in the future.

Hi!
Not all DPGs or DPI would qualify as open digital infrastructure in our narrow definition, because a lot of the acknowledges projects operate on the application layer and serve specific purposes, while digital infrastructure components are signified by their versatility, as they can be recombined into different products. We are mainly interested in open digital infrastructure and its production, use, governance and maintenance, be it developer facing software infrastructure like programming languages, compilers, libraries etc, or digital networking technology like implementations of networking protocols etc. If you can show the link between this layer and the DPG/DPIs - this would be in scope. If software is needed to assist to answer the research question in this context, the software enhances the research and is part of the proposal. No objections here.

Hi there, do we need to be factoring OpenCollective's typical cost recovery charge into our budgets or will this be covered elsewhere? (Reference: https://opencollective.com/europe/conversations/what-is-the-fee-5-or-10-9pa7akpy)

I believe this is already covered by an additional service contract the fund makes to OC as part of the partnership. I will double-check.

If we're successful, can we use our own existing USD bank account rather than set up a new one? If that's not possible, how is the money released from the special US account? (I know this will be made clear to successful applicants, but I need to explain the basic mechanism to colleagues in order to get our application signed off.) Thank you in advance!

Hi! We disburse via open collective, basics explained here: https://docs.opencollective.com/help/expenses-and-getting-paid/expenses - but can only send payments to bank accounts in countries that our provider, wise, serves. It's ok to use an existing bank account if it meets this criteria (for the fund, PayPal is not an option, although it is in other cases on OC). The payments are typically made in three instalments tied to milestones, but we will release the process for this cohort once we identify the grantees. There is a standard contract with Open Collective that formalises the disbursement process. I hope this helps!

How should we cite and format references used in the application (i.e., to motivate our proposed work)?

if there's a link available to further material, you could provide that in brackets after the given information. Otherwise, cite a publication with author, name, year - screendoor doesn't allow for sophisticated formatting, but to review and evaluate, these information pieces will be enough. Thank you!

Hi, We see the application form for both research and implementation. Once we click on implementation the questions do not change to implementation-related questions. I am proposing the implementation of a prototype where we plan to create e-wallets on the household wallet level which will record the loss. Would this be an appropriate idea for an RFP? Could you please give us some examples of implementation proposals as well?

Hi!
Implementation can indeed be misunderstood in this context: We are a research fund, but also fund implementations of earlier research findings, such as: support programs for open source infrastructure maintainer communities, guides for funders, or allocation mechanisms for available funds for infrastructure projects. All prior grantee projects are listed here: https://digitalinfrastructure.fund/projects/. An example for an implementation project would f.i. be: https://www.codeforsociety.org/incubator. We also shared some recommendations on how to scope the right projects for DIIFs context here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kthrnmeyer_2023-digital-infrastructure-insights-fund-activity-7111025118658600961-wlNP?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop. I hope this is helpful in the application process. Important to know is: we are not a technology fund, so don't fund software development, as long it's not connected with f.i. quantitative research or similar.

Hi! I wanted to clarify whether my proposal fits within the scope of this RFP: I am proposing research on the digital/human infrastructure of a massive community area network in Cuba that relies on FOSS while also contributing to FOSS projects internationally. However, it's not a traditional approach to FOSS research so, while I consider this to be a potential benefit of the work, I wanted to clarify before submitting. i.e. I don't know if you would consider this proposal to be a building block for FOSS more broadly, though we are definitely proposing to study the FOSS building blocks of this particular network directly. Thank you in advance!

Hi-
as first assessment: yes, this roughly would fall into scope as it adresses infrastructure on different levels. Make sure to include a high-level description on why this should be seen as FOSS infrastructure or if learnings from this specific case would allow insights for i.a. the care and custody of other open digital infrastructure projects.

Hi, I see that the application form only allows adding a leading representative (or PI). I wonder whether it is possible to propose multipartner initiatives. For instance, is it possible to propose an initiative where two institutions co-lead the work (i.e., two co-PIs)?

Multipartner initiatives are admissible - you can indicate the approach in the team section. In case of selection for a grant, in the project description and administration work, this can be displayed.

Is this concept proposal the only proposal stage in this process? Specifically, would the decision to fund a project be solely based on this concept proposal or will selected concept proposals be asked to submit a more detailed proposal prior to an award agreement process?

The decision will be based on the form linked in the RFP. There might be cases where reviewers have additional questions or require clarifications. In case of selection, we'll also require a fixed total budget (while in the form, we only require a range). But this is in general a one-step application process, and the second step, registering as Project Collective on the Open Collective platform, where we´ll disburse the grants, will only be required for the recipients of the funding.

Hello,
I'm a bit confused by the language in the RFP so wanted to clarify: our proposal would be to build open-source software that would harmonize and simplify a particular set of existing (but disjointed and thus mostly unusable) public data for easier consumption by researchers, journalists, the public, etc. Would this an appropriate idea for this RFP?

Hi! Thank you for reaching out: we are a research fund first and foremost, so generally don't fund technology development, but meta-observations on open software and the maintainers that build and sustain it by sociologists, computer scientists etc . My apologies if this doesn´t come across clearly in the RFP. I´ll link our prior grantee projects here - they do combine different approaches, methodologies, shapes and sizes, but combined, they indicate what we are looking for: https://digitalinfrastructure.fund/projects/ - In it's current form, your proposal wouldn't fit our remit - I hope this feedback was helpful!

Hello, We want to gather and consolidate the bulding blocks of an open science hardware infraestructure in Latam (much based on FOSS), would you think is this in the scope of this ODI call?

We don't fund technology development per se, but research on production, use and maintenance of building block open source software technologies. Sometimes the precursors and research design for designing a specific technology could be in remit- but everything that is on the application layer normally doesn't fit the scope of this open call. I hope this assessment helps!

Is the Ford Foundation the sponsor of this award program or would it be coming from the Digital Infrastructure Insights Fund?

The Digital Infrastructure Insights Fund is a multi-funder fund (resourced by Ford Foundation, Sloan Foundation, Omidyar Network and Schmidt Futures) disbursed via Open Collective. Resources are pooled and allocated via Open Collective to the selected grantee projects. The administration process will also be handled exclusively via Open Collective, but the funds come from aforementioned funders.

Hello, could you please confirm the IDC rate for this opportunity?

Hi Sarah, Indirect Costs for Institutions shouldn't be more than 10% of the entire project budget (incl in total budget) as a rule of thumb. I hope this helps!

Regarding the funds: do teams need to become a collective in Open Collective? Do an institution support is needed to receive the funds? What happen if the proposal is from individuals that don't have a formal affiliation or don't want their institutions managing the money from the grant?

Hi! The grants are being disbursed via Open Collective, and will be linked to one bank account per project. The project- collectives can be registered by individuals as well as teams. The OC-Team will support successful applicants with setting up the accounts. But this is only the second step of the selection process, after review and notification of the selected projects.

Could you clarify if this RFP is only for the study of existing F/OSS projects - or for the implementation of F/OSS? The small-scale pilot project reference is throwing me off about what you are looking for. Thank you.

Hi Merrie,
thank you for your interest in the RFP: While I´d confirm that the fund supports the study of existing F/OSS projects, the remit is even more specifically addressing Open Digital Infrastructure, so: not any FOSS application, but underlying building blocks that constitute the core components of different F/OSS products. Think: programming libraries, implementations of standards, compilers etc. The definition might be less restrictive if the proposal can make a case and explain why the subject of interest would qualify as such ODI. We don´t fund the implementation of F/OSS projects - or technology development in general, as our mandate is specifically to back research on ODIs and support experiments to sustain and understand ODIs better. I hope this answer provides some guidance on what is in remit and what might not be. Additionally, the overview of prior grantee projects here might help to determine, what the D//F is looking for: https://digitalinfrastructure.fund/projects - Best, Katharina

Thanks so much for your speedy response! I have another question, in case you have time.

I am supporting faculty with an interest in this call for the October grant cycle. In terms of the proposal, is the online "Respond" form the extent of the application that is due 10/1? or is there a second step for selected applicants?

The respond form is the one that is due 10/1 - for successful applicants, there will be (after selection) a second step in regard to the grant agreement with Open Collective, specifying the administration of the grants.

Is the due date Sep 30 as listed under "deadline" or October 1 as listed under "timeline"?

Hi Hollie,
my apologies, as the document and application page do give different dates: Due date (incl grace period) is October 1st, as stated here. Thanks!