As part of its ongoing commitment to support governments in implementing their open data commitments and developing more ambitious action plans, the OGP Open Data Working Group, co-chaired by the Web Foundation and the Government of Canada, is undertaking a new funding initiative entitled Open Data for Development (OD4D).

Under this new initiative, the Working Group will provide a total of $200,000 in funding over the next year to support a number of short-term, intensive research projects exploring the technical and practical implications of open data. These grants will be administered by the Web Foundation and supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and will initially support research projects to take place between November 2014 and March 2015.

We are excited about this opportunity to provide significant support for the advancement of the global open data movement. Through our Working Group’s initial work and outreach efforts, we have learned that while there is an active, thriving international open data community, many governments and civil society organizations simply lack the information and tools they need to implement open data effectively. OD4D gives us an opportunity to support projects that will demonstrate the importance of open data for developing countries, and will set out best practices for creating ambitious, effective open data programs in countries around the world.

The Call for Proposals for OD4D can be found at the Open Data Working Group’s new website. Proposals should make a case for how the research will serve to deepen or inform work outlined in the 2014-2015 OGP Open Data Work Plan. In particular, proposals may address potential mechanisms for ensuring that deliverables in each of the four work streams (Principles, Standards, Measurement, and Capacity Building) can be inclusive to stakeholders and globally-focused.

Research proposals must be submitted by midnight (EST) on Friday, October 24th, 2014.

We hope many of you will show your support for open data by applying for funding through the OD4D initiative, or by forwarding this link to your open government contacts and networks. By supporting open data in the developing world, we can help to empower the experts, advocates, civil society organizations, and governments that are already working to make data more open and accessible to citizens around the world.