Applicant FAQ
In this section of the Guide we address our most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), which many would-be applicants and partners have asked in the past.
Those that align with our Goals and whose activities fall within one of our core Areas of work. Each successful project will address either the perils posed by Our vision's most pressing threat (surveillance capitalism) or one of the Other harms, challenges, & obstacles outlined in this Guide.
We use these terms to classify applications during our initial review of a recently closed round of Open Call submissions. During this early "screening" stage of the decision process, we apply these screening statuses to all applications.
In Scope/Out of Scope
When an application is designated as "In Scope" it means we have identified that the application: (a) is aligned with one or more of our Goals, (b) will conduct activities that fall within one or more of the Areas of work we support, and (c) meets all other additional criteria required for the specific Open Call Fund or Fellowship (e.g., Reset Our Future Fund, Information Control Fellowship, or Resident Fellowship).
When an application receives an "Out of Scope" designation, it means we have identified the application does not meet at least one of the above criteria.
Note: Applications that are screened as "In Scope" will also usually receive an additional designation of "Competitive" or "Not Competitive." Applications that are screened as "Out of Scope will typically not receive such a designation.
Competitive/Not Competitive
When an application is designated as "In Scope/Competitive" it means we have identified that the "In Scope" application excels above others within the round at meeting the specific guidelines for the Fund or Fellowship, or the General guidelines for all Open Calls. Applications that we can clearly identify as aligning with or exceeding one or more of our Principles & values, Review criteria, Ideal applicant criteria, or Target beneficiaries will often be considered "Competitive."
When an application receives an "In Scope" only or "In Scope/Not Competitive" designation it means the application has not been identified as clearly aligning with or exceeding one or more of the above criteria.
Note: Typically, only applications screened as "In Scope/Competitive" will proceed past the initial determination stage of the decision process.
Both. Reset does not have any requirements regarding an applicant’s status - whether for-profit, nonprofit, or a single individual. A consortia of multiple people, an organisation consisting of just one individual, or an organisation designated as the lead applicant are all welcome to apply. Applications will be considered so long as their proposed efforts fit within the Goals, objectives, & areas of work requirements for all Open Call projects.
Note: Applicants may be located in or organised under the laws of any country, except for any country on which the United States, the United Kingdom, or the European Union has imposed trade restrictions or export sanctions.
Before applying, all potential applicants should take the time to explore Reset's Areas of work. Note that each proposed project should address either the perils posed by Our vision's most pressing threat (surveillance capitalism) or one of the Other harms, challenges, & obstacles outlined in this Guide. If it sounds like your project might be a good fit for the type of work we do, you’ll next want to identify which specific Fund or Fellowship is most appropriate for you to apply to (e.g., Reset Our Future Fund, Information Control Fellowship, or Resident Fellowship). From there, make sure that you meet the eligibility requirements, craft your application with an eye to receiving an "In Scope/Competitive" screening designation (as discussed above), and then submit your application in response to an existing Open Call.
Note: Approval is not guaranteed at any stage of the process. Given the high number of applications Reset receives for each Open Call, the likelihood of success for any particular application is low.
Applications for all our Open Calls are accepted on a rolling basis. You can submit at any time throughout the year, with “round” deadlines occurring every other month.
Round deadlines occur on January 1, March 1, May 1, July 1, September 1, and November 1. Applications must be submitted no later than 23:59 (11:59PM) GMT on the date of the deadline in order to be considered as part of that round. If a submission is received after that time, it will be reviewed during the next round. Reset reviews applications at the end of each round.
Note: You can check out our existing Open Calls here. To make sure you're always up to date on any changes to our Open Calls, and to learn about other Reset funding opportunities, sign up for Reset announcements.
Our Open Call awards provide a minimum of $5,000 and maximum of $600,000 for a year-long agreement. Please note, however, that our target support ceiling is $300,000 (most supported efforts receive between $50,000 and $200,000).
Immediately after submitting your application, you should receive an email from Reset confirming that we received your submission (this is an automated response, so if you don't receive the email it means we didn't receive your application). Within approximately one month of your round’s application window closing (e.g., December 1 for a November 1 deadline), Reset will contact you and let you know whether your application has been declined or is being considered further. You can check out the different stages of the decision process here.
Note: Although we always do our best to be as timely as possible, there is no guarantee that you will receive word from us within a month of a given round's closing. Various factors may contribute to this time period being longer than anticipated/hoped for.
Yes - but please note that such projects are less likely to be approved for funding because Reset places a high priority on funding the creation or ongoing support of projects that are open source and freely available to download and use because these projects ensure a lower barrier to user adoption (and are thus more consistent with our Goals & objectives).
Reset generally does not support standalone costs which are not directly associated with the completion of contractually stated objectives or deliverables. In the very limited instances where Reset determines that an overhead cost is permissible, such costs cannot be greater than 10% of the overall project cost. See our Application Guidelines for more information.
Attaching or otherwise including a project budget is required for all applications. Attaching a resume or CV is required for first-time applicants. If you’re applying as an organisation, include a resume or CV for the key team members that will actually be working on the project.
Note: If there is something you believe strengthens your application and it cannot be added as a link, you may also include such materials as an attachment.
Please note that applications must be submitted in English.
Yes!
You retain ownership of any intellectual property that you submit to us. In short, what belongs to you stays yours. When you submit an application to Reset, you give us a non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free worldwide license to use, host, and store submitted content in whole or in part as outlined in our Data Use Policy for Applicants. We require applicants to make new methodologies, tools, other code, and findings they develop available through an open-source license so that Reset, the general public, others in the public interest tech ecosystem can benefit from a growing set of shared resources.
If you have a question but don't see it answered here (and can't find what you're looking for elsewhere in the Guide), please reach out to us at [email protected] and we will do our best to answer your inquiry in a timely manner.
Last modified 2yr ago