We’re looking for legal researchers in Germany, India, Kenya, and the United States to help us carry out research on alternative data governance and data stewardship. Take a look at our call for proposals!

Large parts of our data economy have become part of an extractive industry, concentrating control over people’s data — and with it, power — far from its original source. This is why we at Mozilla are investing in ideas that challenge this dominant paradigm by shifting power back to people and communities and allowing them to get their fair share of the benefits created using their data. Our Data Futures Lab funds builders seeking to better steward people’s data provides thought leadership and leads research into what we call alternative data governance.

With a new research project, we now want to create a legal playbook on how to implement such alternative data governance approaches in four different countries: Germany, India, Kenya, and the United States. But to do this, we need help. This is why we’re publishing a call for proposals in order to find local legal researchers who can help us carry out this research in each of these countries.

The main goal of the project is to identify opportunities for builders within existing legal landscapes — specifically, where the regulatory status quo in these four countries offers mechanisms for implementing alternative approaches to data governance. This way, we hope to get a better understanding of what can be built where and lower the barrier to entry for builders experimenting in this space. And we want to provide them with concrete and accessible Dos and Don’ts in realizing their ideas.

So we’re asking you for your support: If you’re a researcher and think that you can help us realize this project, send in your application by April 3, 2022. And if you know someone who might be interested, forward this to them.