ESRC Digital Good Network: The Public Voices in AI Fund

Overview

Background

The Public Voices in AI Fund is part of Public Voices in AI, which aims to ensure that public views and voices are front and centre in all uses of AI. Public Voices in AI builds, shares and reviews knowledge and understanding about public views on AI and encourages a range of AI users and stakeholders to engage diverse communities in AI uses, research, development, use and policy-making.

Public Voices in AI is funded by RAI UK (which is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)). It is a collaboration between the Digital Good Network at the University of Sheffield, the Ada Lovelace Institute, the Alan Turing Institute and University College London. The project web page explains our work in more detail.

Public Voices in AI runs from April 2024 to March 2025.

Overview

Because of this short timeframe , the Public Voices in AI Fund

a) requires applications to build on established relationships with groups negatively affected by or underrepresented in AI and

b) invites proposals that build on existing activities. Projects funded by the Public Voices in AI Fund must be complete by the end of 2024 with a final project output due by 31 January 2025.

What are they looking to fund

They invite proposals for funding of up to £50,000 for projects which seek to ensure that uses of AI are informed by the voices of communities underrepresented in or negatively impacted by AI.

They want to support projects that are developing new ways of engaging communities in dialogue about how AI is used and implemented.

They will support projects which address the impacts of AI on underrepresented groups or which identify ways in which AI could be used to reduce discrimination and bias.

Proposals should be led by organisations in the VCSE Sector that are led by or work with groups and people negatively affected by or underrepresented in AI. These include, but are not limited to:

• racialised minorities;
• low-income groups;
• LGBTQ+ groups;
• women;
• people with disabilities;
• people dependent on public sector support (eg Universal Credit);
• migrants, refugees and asylum seekers;
• people with experience of homelessness, clinical, financial or other vulnerabilities.

They welcome proposals that explore multiple disadvantages.

Proposed activities must:

• be a form of participation or participatory research that goes beyond merely consulting towards involving and empowering groups or communities so that they are able to effect change;
• build on existing work and/or relationships with underrepresented communities;
• aim to address unequal power dynamics between underrepresented groups and AI decision-makers;
• be undertaken in ways that foster an equitable and ethical participatory environment (for example, fair and proportionate pay for participants’ time, a commitment to providing a return to the communities engaged, a trauma informed (if appropriate) and/or non-extractive approach).

Proposals can build on existing activities which are already being undertaken. For example, proposals may seek to improve methods already in use, to scale up activity already underway, to support communications and dissemination of existing activity, or to amplify impact.

Eligibility

Applications must be submitted by one lead applicant and can include multiple team members.

They invite applications from lead applicants in the VCSE Sector. The lead applicant’s organisation should be either:

• a charity, civil society or community group working directly with participants who have lived experience of under-representation in or negative outcomes from AI,

OR

• a social impact and social enterprise organisation. They are particularly interested in supporting applications from organisations that are led by the communities they seek to serve.

The lead applicant’s organisation must have financial and administrative capacity to manage the grant, including a company bank account. Awards will be conditional upon passing due diligence checks, explained below.

Applicants should demonstrate that they have established relationships with groups negatively affected by or underrepresented in AI.

All team members and projects must be UK based.

Assessment areas

• Engagement of impacted or underrepresented communities
• Methods
• Social value

In addition, proposals will be assessed against the following standard UKRI assessment criteria:

• Excellence and impact
• Value for money

See guidance.

Funding available

They will make a maximum of £170,000 available to fund a range of projects.

They envisage funding 4-6 projects of up to £50,000.

UK business, third sector or government organisations can claim costs at 100% of eligible direct costs to the organisations.

Eligible costs vary slightly depending on the organisation type. For example, salary costs may be covered for businesses and third sector organisations, but not government bodies - see guidance for further details.

All costs are subject to UKRI funding guidance.

Examples of common eligible costs are given below:

• working time for lead applicant/team members (eg to run workshops and recruit participants)
• participant honoraria and expenses
• materials (eg artistic) to support the participatory work
• travel and subsistence appropriate to delivery of the project
• events related costs, eg venue hire.

This is an indicative list of eligible costs – it is not exhaustive. In line with UKRI regulations, alcohol is not a permitted cost.

If you have any questions about costing eligibility, please email PublicVoicesinAI@digitalgood.net.

Conditions of funding

It is a condition of funding that lead applicants commit to a member of their team contributing to the Public Voices in AI project by:

• engaging with Public Voices in AI team members to contribute to the development of project resources, to be produced and shared with a range of AI stakeholders (likely to be 2 x one-hour interviews),
• attending two events: a) a one-day meeting to contribute to Public Voices in AI resources; and b) a final project event in early 2025 (before the end of March).

Please include in the budget costs to cover two days of time (for one person) to enable project teams to satisfy the above conditions of funding. Travel and subsistence costs of attending these events will be covered by the project and does not need to be included in the project budget.

See guidance for additional requirements for successful lead applicants.