How To Apply For Llama Impact Grants (Get Up To $100,000)
Recent advances in artificial intelligence, especially in generative AI, have sparked public interest and shown immense potential to drive economic and social progress. These advancements open up new avenues for individuals, creators, and organizations to express themselves and connect with others.
Meta’s commitment to open-sourcing its products and tools has led to the creation of Meta Llama 2 in July 2023, followed by updates to Llama 3 and Llama 3.1. These models boast state-of-the-art performance across various industry benchmarks, support eight languages, and include a 405B parameter version, marking the world’s first frontier-level open-source AI model.
Since the release of Llama, Meta has launched programs like the inaugural Llama Impact Grants in 2023 and the Llama Impact Innovation Awards in 2024. These initiatives seek to identify and support the use of these models for social impact, addressing pressing global challenges such as education, environment, healthcare, public services, economic development, and sustainability. Building on this commitment, Meta is now announcing the Llama 3.1 Impact Grants.
About the Llama Impact Grants
The Llama 3.1 Impact Grants initiative invites proposals through an open call and regional events that identify particular use cases. Winners from both avenues have a chance to secure up to $100,000 USD per region.
Global Events
Before the end of October, Meta will host events in five regions. These events will feature hackathons, workshops, pitch competitions, and demo days where Meta’s technical mentors will guide developers on optimizing their projects with Llama 3.1. Organizations participating in these events should indicate their involvement on their Llama 3.1 Impact Grant application.
They will be considered for a specialized track within the grant program, with a chance to receive up to $100,000 USD to further develop their projects. Participation in these events is highly encouraged for those interested in this specialized track.
Open Call for Proposals
The program is seeking innovative proposals from eligible organizations on how to utilize Llama 3.1 to tackle community challenges. Applications that meet any of the following criteria will receive special consideration:
- Showcase the latest capabilities of Llama 3.1, such as multilingual support.
- Reduce barriers for other developers to use Llama, enhancing features like evaluation, data preparation, or prompt engineering.
- Address one of these areas:
- Economic development: Solutions for the future of work, business scaling, and small business support.
- Science and innovation: Addressing climate, health, accessibility, agriculture, and infrastructure.
- Public services: Improving service delivery, government resource translation, policy challenges, and resource allocation.
- Education and skills development: Enhancing learning outcomes, retraining, and lifelong learning.
How To Apply
The application window is now open. Individuals affiliated with a valid business, non-profit organization, academic institution, or research institute in operation for at least one year are encouraged to apply.
Make sure to review the FAQs and Terms and Conditions before submitting your application. Attend upcoming webinars for additional guidance and reach out with any questions.
Selection Criteria
Applications will be accepted from August 5 to November 22, 2024. Proposals will be evaluated based on:
- Utility of Llama 3.1: The project should prominently feature Llama 3.1, highlighting its new features and multilingual capabilities.
- Applicability: The solution should address social impact issues, focusing on economic development, science and innovation, public services, or education and skills development.
- Impact: The proposal should outline how it will address broader problems and provide social benefits, potentially across multiple geographies and communities.
- Technical Feasibility: Applicants should assess the technical feasibility, including computational resources, expertise, and development time, and provide a plan for data collection and evaluation metrics.
- Business Plan: Demonstrate an understanding of the target market, potential users, and their needs, with evidence of market demand and how the model offers a unique value proposition.
Winners will be notified by April 2025. Stay tuned for program updates and additional information.
Webinars
Meta will host two webinars on October 2 and October 9, providing an opportunity to ask questions before the submission deadline. Visit the provided links to register for these webinars.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who is eligible to apply for this program?
We are open to any business, non-profit, academic institution, or research institution with ideas for applying Llama 3.1 to social impact issues. We are particularly interested in applications showcasing Llama 3.1’s newest capabilities, reducing barriers for other developers, or addressing economic development, science and innovation, public services, or education and skills development. For specific eligibility questions, please refer to the program’s Terms & Conditions.
When are applications due?
Applications will open on August 5, 2024, at 9:00 am PST and are due by 11:59 pm PST on November 22, 2024.
Is it possible to submit my application in my native language?
All applications must be submitted in English. For more information on submission requirements, please refer to the Terms & Conditions.
I am an AI researcher with a compelling technical application, but less familiar with the social impact problem areas. Can I still apply?
Yes! If your organization meets the eligibility criteria outlined in the Terms & Conditions, you are encouraged to submit a proposal.
What are the expectations regarding data sharing and model weights sharing from models trained/fine-tuned on non-public data?
You are not required to disclose trained model weights or the data used for training.
How many awards will be issued?
The number of awards given will be determined by the overall quality of the applications submitted.. At least one award per region will be granted to organizations participating in a qualifying Meta event in 2024, with a maximum prize of $100,000 USD per region. Grand prizes for open call applicants will not exceed $500,000 USD per prize. Participants in qualifying events will be eligible for awards under both tracks.
What types of files are acceptable for uploading with the application?
We do not accept file uploads. You may enter text or provide URL links to external sources, including news articles, blogs, or other public materials that detail your use of Llama 3.1.
We have a concept, but our team lacks expertise in AI. Can we still apply?
Yes! While technical expertise is beneficial, it is not required to have an AI expert on staff. Submitted proposals will be assessed according to the criteria detailed on the program website.
Can you share some examples of how large-language models might be used in practical applications?
For examples of successful social impact projects using Llama, please see the Llama Impact Grant finalists and check back in late September for updates on the winners of the Llama Impact Grants and Llama Impact Innovation Awards.
What support resources are available for developing applications using Llama?
For more information on developing with Llama, please visit the official website.
Conclusion
Meta’s Llama 3.1 Impact Grants present a special chance for organizations to utilize cutting-edge AI technology to tackle major social issues. Whether through global events or an open call for proposals, Meta is committed to supporting innovative solutions that make a positive impact.
If you have a groundbreaking idea for using Llama 3.1 to improve education, the environment, healthcare, or other critical areas, now is the time to apply. Join the movement and contribute to a future where technology and social good go hand in hand.
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