Research

In 2021, Instagram requests research proposals to help us better understand experiences on Instagram that may or may not contribute to the safety and health of our community. This includes, but is not limited to, research that will help us better understand equity and fairness issues facing our communities, develop better policies, assess possible improvements to protect our younger community, or better understand the mechanisms (e.g., social support, social comparison) through which Instagram usage would directly impact the people that use our service. We especially encourage researchers investigating topics that may affect teen communities or underserved or vulnerable communities to apply.

Proposals should include

• A summary of the project (1-2 pages), in English, explaining the area of focus, a description of techniques, any relevant prior work, and a timeline with milestones and expected outcomes.
• A draft budget description (1 page) including an approximate cost of the award and explanation of how funds would be spent
• Curriculum Vitae for all project participants.
• Organization details; this will include tax information and administrative contact details

Eligibility

• Proposal must comply with applicable US and international laws, regulations and policies.
• Institutions must be academic institutions or non-governmental organizations with recognized legal status in their respective country (equal to 501(c)(3) status under the United States Internal Revenue Code).
• Applicants must be the Principal Investigator (PI) on any resulting award. All funding will be directed to the PI’s host institution.
• Facebook cannot consider proposals submitted, prepared or to be carried out by individuals residing in, or affiliated with an academic institution located in, a country or territory subject to comprehensive U.S. trade sanctions.
• Government officials (excluding faculty and staff of public universities, to the extent they may be considered government officials), political figures, and politically affiliated businesses (all as determined by Facebook in its sole discretion) are not eligible.

• Projects can focus on safety and community health in online platforms more broadly, though the findings should be scalable/relevant for Instagram.
• We encourage applications from and proposals focusing on people across the globe.
• Instagram will not provide any data to research teams. All data collected by research teams for use in proposed projects must comply with Instagram’s terms and policies. Please be aware that Instagram prohibits the automated pulling of information from the platform and API access is not currently supported for research purposes.
• Award recipients will be listed on the Facebook Research website and will also be invited to meet with the Instagram team and present their work.
• We encourage the winners to openly publish any findings or insights from their work.

For additional questions related to this RFP, please email academicrelations@fb.com.

Facebook’s decisions will be final in all matters relating to Facebook RFP solicitations, including whether or not to grant an award and the interpretation of Facebook RFP Terms and Conditions. By submitting a proposal, applicants affirm that they have read and agree to these Terms and Conditions.

• Facebook is authorized to evaluate proposals submitted under its RFPs, to consult with outside experts, as needed, in evaluating proposals, and to grant or deny awards using criteria determined by Facebook to be appropriate and at Facebook’s sole discretion. Facebook’s decisions will be final in all matters relating to its RFPs, and applicants agree not to challenge any such decisions.
• Facebook will not be required to treat any part of a proposal as confidential or protected by copyright, and may use, edit, modify, copy, reproduce and distribute all or a portion of the proposal in any manner for the sole purposes of administering the Facebook RFP website and evaluating the contents of the proposal.
• Personal data submitted with a proposal, including name, mailing address, phone number, and email address of the applicant and other named researchers in the proposal may be collected, processed, stored and otherwise used by Facebook for the purposes of administering Facebook’s RFP website, evaluating the contents of the proposal, and as otherwise provided under Facebook’s Privacy Policy.
• Neither Facebook nor the applicant is obligated to enter into a business transaction as a result of the proposal submission. Facebook is under no obligation to review or consider the proposal.
• Feedback provided in a proposal regarding Facebook products or services will not be treated as confidential or protected by copyright, and Facebook is free to use such feedback on an unrestricted basis with no compensation to the applicant. The submission of a proposal will not result in the transfer of ownership of any IP rights.
• Applicants represent and warrant that they have authority to submit a proposal in connection with a Facebook RFP and to grant the rights set forth herein on behalf of their organization. All awards provided by Facebook in connection with this RFP shall be used only in accordance with applicable laws and shall not be used in any way, directly or indirectly, to facilitate any act that would constitute bribery or an illegal kickback, an illegal campaign contribution, or would otherwise violate any applicable anti-corruption or political activities law.
• Awards granted in connection with RFP proposals will be subject to terms and conditions contained in the unrestricted gift agreement (or, in some cases, other mechanisms) pursuant to which the award funding will be provided. Applicants understand and acknowledge that they will need to agree to these terms and conditions to receive an award.