Esther Githinji
- @EstherGithinji
- | She/Her
WILDLABS
Fauna & Flora
About The Mozilla Technology Fund
The Mozilla Technology Fund (MTF) supports open source technologists whose work furthers promising approaches to solving pressing issues.
This year they're asking: Is there a role AI systems can play in addressing topics like environmental degradation, climate change, indigenous justice, food justice, and energy justice? Could AI technologies be a part of the solutions to these issues and not just a part of the problem? The Mozilla Technology Fund seeks to fund open source projects at the intersection of environmental justice and AI which are making a positive impact in ecosystems and human communities.
The 2024 Award
Titled the “AI and Environmental Justice Awards,” these grants will support a variety of hardware and software projects, datasets, tools, and design concepts. Winning projects might use AI to conduct environmental impact assessments, combat climate disinformation, or empower local communities to manage their natural resources.
Awards range up to $50,000 each and include one year of Mozilla mentorship and support. Projects must be open source and consist of a working prototype, a community of contributors, and a user base. (Given the early stage of research in the AI and environmental justice space, for this round of funding, they are also willing to consider earlier-stage and more experimental projects, provided they will be built by a team with a past track record of success.)
Learn more about the 2024 call for proposals for this award
Potential awardees might include:
- Projects which expose or mitigate the climate impacts of AI systems.
- Projects which utilize AI to conduct environmental impact assessments.
- Projects that prototype grassroots AI systems for ecological management.
- Projects which combat climate disinformation.
Applications will be open from September 7 to October 5, 2023 at 11:59pm Eastern Time.