Deadline: 17 August 2018

Information Commissioner’s Office is inviting applications for its grant programme to promote good practice; to support independent, innovative research and solutions focused on privacy and data protection issues.

Objectives

The objectives of the Grants Programme are to:

• Support and encourage research and privacy enhancing solutions in significant areas of data protection risk.
• Focus on projects that will make a real different to the UK public.
• Increase awareness of privacy enhancing solutions with data controllers across the UK.
• Improve understanding of how individuals view privacy issues, interactions with new technologies and promote better public awareness.
• Promote uptake and application of research results by relevant stakeholders, including policy makers.
• Develop existing privacy research capacity in academic and not-for profit sectors.

Research Themes

They have set 5 strategic goals in their Information Rights Strategic Plan:

1. To increase the public’s trust and confidence in how data is used and made available.
2. Improve standards of information rights practice through clear, inspiring and targeted engagement and influence.
3. Maintain and develop influence within the global information rights regulatory community.
4. Stay relevant, provide excellent public service and keep abreast of evolving technology.
5. Enforce the laws we help shape and oversee.

Funding Information

A number of awards will be made each year of between £20,000 and £100,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• The scheme is open to both UK and international organisations. All proposals must meet the objectives set out above, including the ability to deliver for UK individuals and organisations. They will not be able to consider proposals that seek to find a solution to data protection or privacy risks that do not impact on the UK.
• Eligible applicants (whether lead or joint) can include:
  • academic institutions;
  • organisations with a genuine commitment to public benefit outcomes;
  • trade and industry associations; or
  • civil society groups.
• Those who would not be eligible include:
  • political parties and organisations;
  • religious groups and organisations;
  • current or former employees of the ICO;
  • any individual who has been disqualified as a director in accordance with the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986;
  • any organisation/individual subject to insolvency/bankruptcy proceedings, including voluntary arrangements with creditors; or
  • any organisation that has been the subject of an enforcement notice, monetary penalty notice or legal proceedings by the ICO Enforcement Department.

How to Apply

Applicants can apply via email at the address given on the website.

For more information, please visit ICO Grants Programme.