University of Kwazulu-Natal

Benton Issues Opportunity Fund Fellowship Call Barriers To Broadband

Bonisiwe Shabane
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benton issues opportunity fund fellowship call barriers to broadband

With historic levels of federal funds flowing into states to build broadband infrastructure and implement digital equity plans, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is looking to cultivate a new generation of broadband... To that end, Benton is putting out a call for prospective fellows through its Opportunity Fund Fellowship program, seeking resumes and project proposals focused on identifying obstacles to broadband access. The deadline to submit proposals is August 31. According to Benton Institute's Vice President of Programs Revati Prasad, the questions the program is most interested in exploring are: “What obstacles prevent people from subscribing to broadband? How does the cost of broadband service impact adoption?

Does a concern for privacy and safety dissuade people from using the Internet? How might climate change adversely impact building broadband infrastructure? What national or state policies could delay or disrupt broadband deployment and/or digital equity efforts?” As part of its ongoing effort to support a new generation of broadband scholars, practitioners, and advocates, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society has put out the call for fellowship applicants looking to... In a recent newsletter, the Institute says they “are interested in supporting a range of projects that can better inform our current or emerging broadband policy debates, either through critical research about the future... More specifically, they are seeking “proposed projects (that) can yield either practice or research-focused publications or multimedia content.”

The Institute goes on to explain how those topics are “by no means an exhaustive list” and that applicants “should feel free to propose other ideas of critical importance to our field;" noting also... The fellowships, which are being supported through the Marjorie & Charles Benton Opportunity Fund, will range from $5,000 to $20,000 – with a tenure ranging from 6 months to 2 years. 2024 Opportunity Fund Fellowship Call—Barriers to Broadband Applications Due August 31, 2024 https://lnkd.in/dBGpp-mA From the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society… Applications Due August 31, 2024 // Email questions to research@benton.org The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society believes we need to build resilient, high-speed broadband infrastructure that reaches everywhere in the United States; to connect everyone to affordable internet service and equip people with...

We accomplish our goals by making sure people have the timely information, rigorous evidence, and practical guidance they need to implement a ‘broadband for all’ agenda. Through the Marjorie & Charles Benton Opportunity Fund, we aim to support a new generation of broadband scholars, practitioners, and advocates working on broadband access, adoption, application, and equity. Our Opportunity Fund fellows—within academia, nonprofits and government agencies—conduct research and document best practices on critical questions about the future of the internet in our communities. For the 2024-25 fellowship cycle—when an historic level of federal funds will flow to states to build infrastructure and implement digital equity plans—we are focused on identifying what the obstacles are that can hamper... We are interested in questions such as: About the Fellowship: Through the Marjorie & Charles Benton Opportunity Fund, we aim to support a new generation of broadband scholars, practitioners, and advocates working on broadband access, adoption, application and equity.

Our inaugural cohort of fellows are conducting research and documenting best practices—within academia, nonprofits andgovernment agencies—on critical questions about the future of the internet in our communities For the 2023-24 cycle, we are interested in supporting projects that can better inform our current or emerging policy debates in broadband access, adoption, and application. In particular, we invite proposals that focus on:● Coalitions and capacity building at the state and local levels to implement and influence broadband programs;● The extent and impact of digital discrimination;● Building sustainable, affordable... We especially welcome applications that focus on historically marginalized communities. Proposed projects can yield either practice or research-focused publications or multimedia content. Fellowships will rangefrom $5,000-$20,000, with a tenure ranging from 6 months to 2 years.

To apply, please submit a resume or CV (no more than 3 pages) and a project proposal (no more than 1000 words). The proposal should include: Submit the documents as PDFs by email to fellowships@benton.org by August 31, 2023. Please feel free to email us (fellowships@benton.org) if you have questions about the fellowship, your eligibility, and the application process. Applications Due August 31, 2024 // Email questions to research@benton.org The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society believes we need to build resilient, high-speed broadband infrastructure that reaches everywhere in the United States; to connect everyone to affordable internet service and equip people with...

We accomplish our goals by making sure people have the timely information, rigorous evidence, and practical guidance they need to implement a ‘broadband for all’ agenda. Through the Marjorie & Charles Benton Opportunity Fund, we aim to support a new generation of broadband scholars, practitioners, and advocates working on broadband access, adoption, application, and equity. Our Opportunity Fund fellows—within academia, nonprofits and government agencies—conduct research and document best practices on critical questions about the future of the internet in our communities. For the 2024-25 fellowship cycle—when an historic level of federal funds will flow to states to build infrastructure and implement digital equity plans—we are focused on identifying what the obstacles are that can hamper... We are interested in questions such as: What obstacles prevent people from subscribing to broadband?

How does the cost of broadband service impact adoption? Does a concern for privacy and safety dissuade people from using the internet? How might climate change adversely impact building broadband infrastructure? What national or state policies could delay or disrupt broadband deployment and/or digital equity efforts? The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society welcomes fellowship applications from a new generation of broadband scholars, practitioners, and advocates. We are interested in supporting a range of projects that can better inform our current or emerging broadband policy debates, either through critical research about the future of the internet in our communities or...

We welcome submissions from people working on broadband access, adoption, and application and are especially interested in projects that focus on what the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act identifies as "covered populations"—those historically marginalized... The annual call for applications will open July 2024. For questions, please reach out to fellowships@benton.org. Dr. Revati Prasad is the Benton Institute's Vice President of Programs. In this role, Dr.

Prasad recruits and manages a diverse cohort of fellows—researchers, advocates, and practitioners—and their projects. In addition, she leads Benton's research efforts and helps develop resources and strategies any state or community can use to bring broadband to everyone. Six fellows from our inaugural cohort are conducting research and developing best practice guidance for our field. They profiled community champions who successfully addressed broadband needs, highlighted the broadband adoption journeys of low-income women of color, and evaluated the work of digital navigators within healthcare settings. We also supported projects that focused on online safety, privacy, and well-being within the context of digital equity efforts, documented the effort to build a community network in affordable housing developments in the Bronx... Read about the six fellows and their projects here.

Dr. Revati Prasad is the Benton Institute's Executive Director. Dr. Caroline Stratton is Research Director. They recruit and manage a diverse cohort of fellows—researchers, advocates, and practitioners—and their projects. Caroline leads Benton's research efforts and helps develop resources and strategies any state or community can use to bring broadband to everyone.

Six fellows from our inaugural cohort are conducting research and developing best practice guidance for our field. They profiled community champions who successfully addressed broadband needs, highlighted the broadband adoption journeys of low-income women of color, and evaluated the work of digital navigators within healthcare settings. We also supported projects that focused on online safety, privacy, and well-being within the context of digital equity efforts, documented the effort to build a community network in affordable housing developments in the Bronx... Learn more about the inaugural fellowships here. From our 2023 application cycle, we established two research groups that bring together related projects in order to share approaches and insights and foster collaboration among digital equity researchers. The Policies, Plans, and Promises Research Group analyzes the deployment and digital equity plans that states are developing under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to examine how states are approaching connectivity to Tribal...

These comparative analyses will surface best practices and provide examples for how state governments can do better. In its ongoing effort to support a new generation of broadband scholars, practitioners, and advocates, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society has put out the call for new Opportunity Fund Fellowship applicants for... The Institute is looking for fellowship proposals that are particularly focused on: While that is not an exhaustive list of possible proposals, the Institute says it will “welcome other proposals of critical importance to our field that can better inform our current or emerging broadband policy... Fellowships will range from $5,000 to $20,000 with a tenure ranging from 6 months to 2 years. More information about the fellowship can be found here.

Questions about the fellowship opportunity should be emailed to [email protected].

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