Flash grants of up to $50K are now available for fact-checkers fighting coronavirus misinformation

The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and Facebook have partnered to support the fact-checking community working on the COVID-19 related misinformation with a budget of $1 million.

Since January, the IFCN, based at the Poynter Institute, has been coordinating the #CoronaVirusFacts Alliance, with more than 100 fact-checkers in at least 45 countries. The partnership will broaden this work and improve its reach.

The budget will be distributed as flash grants based on approved proposals including, but not limited to, the below activities:

Translation of fact checks from native languages to different languages

Multimedia (videos, infographics, podcasts) production about COVID-19

Working with health experts for evidence-based and scientific coverage

Audience development initiatives that use innovative formats, such as offline or interactive communication, to better reach people with reliable information

Fact-checkers supporting public authorities with reliable information for better communication about COVID-19

All proposals should emphasize amplifying the fact-checking, increasing the reach and impact of the #CoronaVirusFacts Alliance and the fighting against health misinformation related to COVID-19 only.

“This timely investment in fact-checking will be instrumental in supporting the fact-checking organizations working around the clock on the #CoronaVirusFacts Alliance and the International Fact-Checking Network’s verified signatories. The IFCN has demonstrated its ability to lead the largest collaboration effort on the biggest outbreak in our century and Facebook’s support is welcomed by the fact-checking community,” said Baybars Orsek, IFCN’s director.

“The fact-checking community has been working very hard, day and night, since January to point out falsehoods about the new coronavirus. Social media platforms have a responsibility to combat this type of misinformation, it is great to see that Facebook is willing to support the CoronaVirusFacts Alliance”, said Cristina Tardáguila, the IFCN’s Associate Director and the coordinator of the COVID-19 collaborative project.

The timeframe for proposed projects should be no longer than six months. Each applicant can send up to two proposals and each proposal can focus on one or more activity categories described above.

The fact-checking community can apply through ifcn.submittable.com between March 18 and April 1, 2020. Accepted applications will be awarded grants up to $50,000. The applications are only open to the fact-checking units that are active members of the #CoronaVirusFacts alliance and to IFCN’s verified signatories.

The application form asks the applicants to demonstrate whether they have been working on COVID-19 related misinformation or not been able to do so due to a lack of resources. The International Fact-Checking Network will interview selected applicants before they are announced. Announcements will be made on a rolling basis by May 1.

The projects may or may not use any social media platform for the execution. No discrimination and/or preference will be exercised based on those mediums. Participants should respect community standards and public policy of every social media platform they consider to use.

Grant program subject to Terms and Conditions available at https://www.poynter.org/coronavirus-factchecking-grant/