Competition seeks to act on recommendations from Commission on Information Disorder Report
Contact:
Betsy Cooper
Director
Aspen Tech Policy Hub
Betsy.Cooper@aspeninstitute.org
San Francisco, California, November 15, 2021 — The Aspen Tech Policy Hub seeks to fund unique and innovative projects that make meaningful progress towards ending information disorder, in direct connection to one or more of the newly announced 15 recommendations of the Aspen Institute’s Commission on Information Disorder. The prize competition is being launched with support from Craig Newmark Philanthropies and ex/ante (an initiative of Schmidt Futures).
Up to 5 semi-finalists will be awarded $5,000 each to develop prototypes of their deliverables over an 8-week period, after which 1 team will be awarded a $75,000 grand prize towards executing its proposed idea. Applicants submitting ideas for novel technology enterprises for this program will also be given consideration for additional funding through ex/ante.
“Misinformation is a real problem in our society that the private sector, government and technologists will need to work together to combat,” Betsy Cooper, Aspen Tech Policy Hub founding director, said. “We want to build on the great work of the Aspen Institute’s Commission on Information Disorder by supporting projects that put the Commission’s recommendations into action.”
The Commission on Information Disorder’s recommendations together aim to help government, private industry, and civil society increase transparency and understanding, build trust, and reduce harms.
Project teams are invited to identify a particular recommendation from the Commission’s Final Report, and propose a new, untested solution that would specifically help accomplish this goal. Possible deliverables might include new technologies, policy proposals, inventions, research projects, and other innovative approaches to solving information disorder. Creativity is welcomed; projects should not feel constrained by these sample deliverables.
For more information on how to apply, see here.
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The Aspen Tech Policy Hub is a West Coast policy incubator, training a new generation of tech policy entrepreneurs. The Hub takes tech experts, teaches them the policy process through fellowship and training programs, and encourages them to develop outside-the-box solutions to society’s problems. It models itself after tech incubators like Y Combinator, but trains new policy thinkers and focuses on the impact of their ideas. For more information, please visit https://www.aspentechpolicyhub.org. The Aspen Tech Policy Hub is an initiative of Aspen Digital.