AI for Accessibility grants support projects that use AI to empower people living with disabilities. We are looking for individuals or teams who are not only passionate about making the world more inclusive, but also firmly rooted in the communities they intend to benefit. We want to invest in ideas that are developed by or with people with disabilities.
Applications are evaluated on their scientific merit, innovative use of AI technology, and potential for scalability.
Last date of Application
Award round focus: Mental Health, deadline August 12, 2022
Award round focus: Low-Cost Assistive Technology, deadline November 1, 2022
Purpose
Almost one billion people live with one or more mental health conditions. Due to social and cultural stigmas, these figures are likely higher. Despite being the largest disability community in the world, the mental health technology landscape is fairly new. We want to support tech centered solutions that:
Design in consideration of humans experiencing mental health conditions rather than focusing on input from mental health professionals
Include cultural understanding into the design and engagement methods
Maintain privacy and protect the mental health of users
Use data sets that are inclusive
Share helpful and actionable insights or resources with users
Demonstrate a commitment to the accessibility of their product and approach
Interventions
Mental health solutions should be engaging, well-informed, and timely. Solutions can vary from "just-in-time" (e.g., monitoring and support in moments when stress appears to increase) to ongoing support or crisis intervention (e.g., when critical support is needed). For all of these cases, solutions should create positive outcomes for users. Projects should address potential risks of harm.
We ask you to consider:
What data can you use to ensure your solutions offer appropriate and responsive mental health support?
How will you design your solution to be responsive without being intrusive?
What risks may result from your solution and how will you address them?
Eligibility Criteria
Please refer to the AI for Accessibility Grants page for program details, tools, and answers to frequently asked questions. The last date to submit for this Mental Health RFP cycle is at 11:59 PM PST on August 12, 2022.
Note: Please do not share any private or protected information in your application.
We will invite chosen projects to present ideas to a committee who will score projects on the below criteria:
Innovation: Solution is unique and inclusive
Impact: Expected outcomes and benefits
Approach: Meet milestones and deliverables in 12 months
Diversity: Diverse team and target audience
Community: Evidence of mental health community support, involvement, and plan to engage with the target audience
Sustainability: Can maintain and scale the project after Microsoft funding ends
Budget: Use funds to maximize impact
Access: Affordable to and accessible by the target audience
Projects will be chosen and funded in September 2022. Work will start in October 2022.
For more details click here
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