Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund Application Form

Research project title: *

Total request from End Violence in US$ (between US$20,000-US$250,000): *

Total research project amount in US$: *

Total duration in months (maximum 24 months): *

Identify the primary focus area below that your proposal seeks to address (Choose one): *

Focus Area 1: Efficacy and impact of online CSEA deterrence and prevention interventions and frameworks including understanding of offender pathways and children’s digital experiences. This includes increasing the evidence base for: effective, actionable industry reporting to and investigation by the appropriate authorities; impactful education and outreach strategies; and strengthening the capacity of all stakeholders in preventing, disrupting and responding to online CSEA. Focus Area 2: Evolving technology may present new or exacerbate existing threats by contributing to changes in offender or children’s behaviour or creating new challenges and risks. Research could provide solutions to respond to implications of evolving technology, for example abuse detection in encrypted environments or real-time reporting in livestreams. This area of focus also includes potential solutions and opportunities offered by technology developments for risk mitigation and better tools and strategies around behavioural interventions. Focus Area 3: Well-being, collaboration and support including meaningful resources for survivors, improving well-being and resilience for staff such as content moderators and others as well as enhancing collaboration among all sectors working to end online CSEA. Focus Area 4: Policy and legal considerations are critical to shaping online CSEA deterrence and response. Research could include: assessment of policy implementation over time and upstream interventions such as public health or safety-by-design approaches; addressing age-appropriate design and experiences; and understanding how privacy and ensuring children’s rights intersect the fight against CSEA.

Identify any other focus area(s) below that your proposal seeks to address (Choose multiple):

Focus Area 1: Efficacy and impact of online CSEA deterrence and prevention interventions and frameworks including understanding of offender pathways and children’s digital experiences. This includes increasing the evidence base for: effective, actionable industry reporting to and investigation by the appropriate authorities; impactful education and outreach strategies; and strengthening the capacity of all stakeholders in preventing, disrupting and responding to online CSEA. Focus Area 2: Evolving technology may present new or exacerbate existing threats by contributing to changes in offender or children’s behaviour or creating new challenges and risks. Research could provide solutions to respond to implications of evolving technology, for example abuse detection in encrypted environments or real-time reporting in livestreams. This area of focus also includes potential solutions and opportunities offered by technology developments for risk mitigation and better tools and strategies around behavioural interventions. Focus Area 3: Well-being, collaboration and support including meaningful resources for survivors, improving well-being and resilience for staff such as content moderators and others as well as enhancing collaboration among all sectors working to end online CSEA. Focus Area 4: Policy and legal considerations are critical to shaping online CSEA deterrence and response. Research could include: assessment of policy implementation over time and upstream interventions such as public health or safety-by-design approaches; addressing age-appropriate design and experiences; and understanding how privacy and ensuring children’s rights intersect the fight against CSEA.

1. Briefly describe the problem that your research is designed to tackle and how your proposed research will address it. Please describe and expand as relevant on which of the four focus areas of this RfP that your research will address related to the understanding, prevention and/or response to online CSEA, especially for industry.(Maximum 150 words) *

0/150

2. Relevant prior experience: Please expand upon the relevant prior work of your organisation and/or team for performing this research. Describe demonstrated expertise and/or relevant research or methodological experience. Please include relevant links in response or attachments in following question. (Maximum 250 words) *

0/250

2a. Please include attachments (i.e. CVs)

3. Project summary & methodology: Please give a summary of the research including the methodology, timeline and key activities, main techniques, models or assumptions involved. Identify any interdisciplinary considerations and, where relevant, use of stakeholder knowledge or measures taken for public/societal engagement on issues related to the research. . Does the proposed research tackle new and novel problems in online CSEA and/or aim to produce ground-breaking or novel concepts, approaches, or recommendations, specifically applicability for industry? Where relevant, describe how underrepresented geographies or populations (BIPOC, LGBTQI+, children out of school (traditionally or now due to Covid), children living in poverty, children with special education needs and disabilities, and those with relevant lived experience including survivors of online CSEA) and age and gender-disaggregation, i.e. sex and/or gender analysis, are taken into account in the research. (Maximum 2000 words) *

0/2000

4. Risks / barriers: What are the key potential barriers or obstacles you can foresee to the development of this research? Describe any quantifiable risks, dependencies or framework conditions (such as regulation, standards, public acceptance, workforce considerations, financing of follow-up steps, cooperation of partners), that may determine whether and to what extent the expected outcomes will be achieved. . Please provide details specific to your risk mitigation plan in relation to successful completion of the research and Covid contingencies. (Maximum 250 words) *

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5. Geographical selection/ focus: What country/countries is your research focusing on? Please outline the criteria you have used or will use to identify the regions where your research will take place or be focused. If your research is global, please provide insight into how it is applicable/ considerations in different contexts. . Please note that End Violence encourages understanding the focus areas in different contexts, countries and cultures and with specific focus on vulnerable groups of children and Global South countries. (Maximum 150 words) *

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6. Technology / data: As relevant, please expand upon any technology or data sources you will use, how they will be accessed and used, and who will be the primary user(s)? Does your organisation have access to the relevant technologies and data required for the successful completion of this research? . Please include relevant MoUs/ support letters. If not, how are you planning to ensure adequate access is gained for the successful completion of the project? Please also detail your compliance with all existing and relevant data privacy and protection regulatory frameworks applicable to the work. (Maximum 250 words) *

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6a. Please include attachments (i.e. relevant MoUs / support letters)

7. Research ethics & open access: Describe the research ethics approach of your proposed project. Please be sure to include if your research will include interviews or direct data collection with children, victims or offenders. Please include how you have or will obtain ethical approval for their proposed project, such as approval from a university’s ethics/institutional review board. . Which, if any, components of your proposed research could not be released publicly or be made openly accessible? If components of your research cannot be open access due to sensitivity of the research area, please describe why not and how you will ensure impact for specific stakeholders. Please note that End Violence encourages research projects that are open access.* It also aspires to have any research or outputs that it invests in be available to the widest range of actors possible. . *All intellectual property and other proprietary rights including, but not limited to, patents, copyrights, and trademarks, with regard to products, processes, inventions, ideas, know-how, or documents and other materials which the Grantee develops using the Grant will be managed in a way that maximises public accessibility and allows the broadest possible use. (Maximum 250 words) *

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8. Expected impact: As relevant, please expand upon the type of change you expect the research to bring to the field, and how its positive impact (direct/indirect) translates to the technology industry's capacity to prevent, deter and eradicate online CSEA? Describe actionable insights and outputs for key stakeholders - clear recommendations, takeaways and/or applications - that can impact understanding, preventing and fighting online CSEA. . Please be explicit about maximising synergies across jurisdictions/ sectors/ communities, awareness of existing research, ensuring sustainability of the research, and how sharing will occur. (Maximum 500 words) *

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9. Dissemination & research uptake: Dissemination and communications will amplify the impact of your research project, ensure learnings are widely accessible and contribute towards influencing industry, policy makers, key stakeholders and the general public. As relevant, describe how you plan on disseminating and encouraging uptake of the proposed research (at local, national and/or global levels) to ensure maximum reach to different audiences (i.e. making it accessible, briefings on key findings, etc.). We recommend that you allocate between 3-5% of the total budget to research uptake. (Maximum 250 words) *

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10. Team structure: What are the different roles and responsibilities of key personnel for the research project? Describe the composition of the core team, how it works together, and how responsibilities have been split across different individuals. Please include anyone who will be included as ‘key personnel’ during the project period with details on the strengths, skills, experience and qualifications that each key person brings to the research project. . Does the team represent diverse perspectives, including across gender or underrepresented groups? Do you already have a network of experts and partners that can support the project? If yes, please explain. (Maximum 300 words) *

0/300

Thank you very much for completing the Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund Application Form! If you have any questions, please submit to our FAQ Form here. Please check end-violence.org/tech-coalition-safe-online-research-fund for updates on award announcement timelines.

Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund Application

Eligibility

About your organisation and your partners

Summary of the research proposal

Details of the research you would like End Violence to support