Time Warner Cable's digital research stipend program has awarded its latest grant, which will go toward understanding the digital communications needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.
The $20,000 stipend will go toward the National Broadband Plan--An LGBT Perspective project, which will be a joint effort between the LGBT Technology Partnership and Jessie Daniels, a professor at CUNY School of Public Health at Hunter College.
The paper will "provide recommendations on how government policy makers can address those needs and ensure inclusion of those communities in the full benefits of broadband," according to TWC.
"We are pleased to have this unique opportunity to contribute to a fuller exploration of issues relating to broadband and digital communications policy, especially with respect to LGBT communities whose needs have not yet been addressed by policymakers," said Fernando Laguarda, VP for external affairs and policy counselor at Time Warner Cable. "We look forward to learning from this work and making further contributions to the communications and technology policy debate."
Since 2010, TWC has given out 21 awards to 29 researchers to "foster research dedicated to increasing understanding of the benefits and challenges facing the future of digital technologies in the home, office, classroom and community." The awards are open to nonprofits and academics. Applications for the next round are due by Nov. 1. For more information about the program, go to the program's website.
The LGBT Technology Partnership was co-founded by former Discovery Communications rural and LGBT marketing specialist Christopher Wood and Joe Kapp, formerly with KPMG Washington's National Tax Practice. The organization is holding its inaugural policy forum next week in Washington, with FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai scheduled to provide the keynote speech.
