auDA Foundation grants to beef up Australia's Internet

Posted by Jo Lim on 11 May 2006

auDA Foundation grants to beef up Australia’s Internet

 

Eligible Australian Internet projects can apply for $5,000 to $20,000 auDA Foundation grants

 

May 12, 2006: .au Domain Administration (auDA), the .au Domain Name Administrator, today announced the establishment of the auDA Foundation and called for submissions from eligible Internet-related projects for grants.

.au Domain Administration (auDA), the .au Domain Name Administrator, today announced the establishment of the auDA Foundation and called for submissions from eligible Internet-related projects for grants.

Chris Disspain, CEO of auDA, said, “auDA Foundation grants will typically be between $5,000 to $20,000 and be awarded to a range of eligible education or community-based projects.”

For example a grant for an education-based project could involve auDA supporting relevant scholarships for PhD students or research into Internet-related technologies.

“The auDA Foundation would certainly be interested in any new technologies that reduced or eliminated spam, enabled Internet voting and so forth,” Mr Disspain said.

Support for innovators to be widespread
The auDA Foundation will seek to support as many Australian innovators as possible by only providing once-off financial support to any one project.

“Our mission is to get great innovations off the ground but it’s up to the innovators to keep the ball rolling from there,” Mr Disspain said.

“Innovators will need to present the auDA Foundation with a business plan, prove there is a demonstrated need for their innovation and prove that the project is financially viable.”

To help ensure grants are only received by those in genuine need, financial support will not be awarded unless grant applicants can demonstrate that their ideas would not get off the ground without the grant.

“We are looking for innovators in genuine need of assistance, whose ideas and abilities wouldn’t otherwise see the light of day,” Mr Disspain said.

“We also seek to ensure the fair distribution of grants between organisations from metropolitan, regional and rural areas. We want ideas to flourish across the nation.”

auDA Foundation rules and grant application details
According to auDA Foundation rules, eligible projects must be not-for-profit and must not be for a political, religious or sectarian purpose.

Importantly, not-for-profit subsidiaries of Australian businesses will also be eligible.

Applications for an auDA Foundation grant will only be accepted if received on or before 5.00pm AEST on the 16th June 2006.

For more information about the grants or the auDA Foundation visit www.auda.org.au/foundation.

 

ENDS

 

About the auDA Foundation
auDA Foundation is a charitable trust that was established by .au Domain Administration Limited (auDA) to promote and encourage education and research activities that will enhance the utility of the Internet for the benefit of the Australian community. It is a grant scheme that will provide financial support for projects that satisfy the objectives of the auDA Foundation Charter.

 

Media contacts:

 

Blackie McDonald
Luke Dean, Account Manager
02 9929 0200
0414 535 433
luke.dean@bmcd.com.au

 Emily Birks
02 9929 0200
emily.birks@bmcd.com.au