The Regional Fund for Digital Innovation in Latin America and the      Caribbean (FRIDA) announces that its 2012 call for proposals is now      open. Both nominations for the FRIDA awards and applications for the      grants for projects and initiatives that have significantly      contributed to the use and development of the Internet in Latin      America and the Caribbean are being accepted. This call for      proposals is being launched together with the FRIDA Program's new      website (
www.programafrida.net), through which the organizations and      entities aspiring to receive an award or a grant may submit their      projects before 15 June.
Since 2004, more than 1000 research teams and organizations from      around the region have participated in the calls for proposals and      nominations launched by the FRIDA Program, an initiative of the      Latin American and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry (LACNIC)      that for the past seven years has received the support of the      International Development Research Center (IDRC).
Research Projects and Awards.
This year there are two calls for proposals. On one hand, grants      will be awarded to research projects in four categories: a) efforts      to enhance, expand and promote Internet standards development; b)      political, economic and social effects of anti-piracy bills; c)      implementing strategies for reliable and effective Internet      infrastructure, human capacity and skills development; and d)      accelerating access and the social benefits of the Internet in      vulnerable and underserved communities. Each selected project will      receive a grant of 15 000 dollars. Details on how to apply can be      found at 
http://programafrida.net/grants
On the other hand, the 2012 FRIDA award will recognize the four most      outstanding contributions in the field of ICTs under the following      topics: access (initiatives that have allowed expanding fixed and      mobile Internet access through new technical and organization      formats); freedoms (projects relating to the freedom of expression,      freedom of association, privacy, security, consumer rights, etc.);      development (initiatives that use the Internet to contribute      directly to the resolution of environmental and socio-economic      challenges); and innovation (initiatives that have introduced      technical innovations in any aspect relating to Internet      development, either at physical or conceptual level). Each winning      project will receive a cash prize of US$ 3000      (
http://programafrida.net/awards), plus travel and accommodation for      one representative of each project to attend the Pre-IGF meeting in      Latin America and the Caribbean and, later, the IGF meeting that      will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan.
For more information, please see: http://programafrida.net/