RCC
Mozilla and USAID are awarding at least six grants from a pool of $192,000 USD (~R3.6 million ZAR) to higher education institutions in South Africa.
The funds will help embed ethics and other disciplines into computing programs and curricula

(SOUTH AFRICA | MONDAY, MAY 27, 2024) – Today, Mozilla and USAID are excited to announce that the Responsible Computing Challenge (RCC) has officially opened applications in South Africa. Faculty at accredited institutions of higher education who aim to embed ethics and social impact into their computing curricula can now apply — and help shape the next generation of technologists in the country. At least six grants, amounting to $32,000 USD (~ R600 000 ZAR) each, will be awarded.

Apply here, and submit a Letter of Intent by June 28, 2024

RCC has awarded over $6 million to universities across Kenya, India, and the U.S. over the last six years. RCC’s work recognizes that society must actively address inequity in tech by training the next generation of technologists to build a more just, healthier tech ecosystem. RCC shifts how computing and related fields are taught at the undergraduate (including Honours) level, offering a new way of thinking and changing the tech talent pipeline. With its own history of activism against Apartheid, inequity, and injustice, South Africa is ideally placed to reimagine how the next generation of technologists should be educated.

RCC applicants must be based in South Africa; focused on undergraduate computing-related education; and demonstrate how ethics will be integrated into computing-related curricula or pedagogy.

Says Dr. Ziyaad Bhorat, RCC Country Lead (U.S. & South Africa) at Mozilla: “South Africa celebrates 30 years of democracy this year, with a much longer history of struggling against inequality and inequity. Our voice deserves to thunder across the world of tech and be fully realized in the way we train our computing graduates. We are excited to do this work with our partners and community, helping to grow a movement for a healthier tech ecosystem and trustworthy AI.”

To find out more about past projects we have funded in other regions, click here.

Applications open May 27, 2024, with a required Letter of Intent (LOI) due by June 28, 2024, midnight (SAST) on that Friday. The full application deadline is July 26th 2024, midnight (SAST) on that Friday. Apply here.

For full details on the 2024 RCC South Africa Open Call, please consult the application guide here. Note that applicants will be evaluated by a panel of Mozilla judges and must meet criteria including working in the open, ethical approaches, and student audience.