The Google News Initiative is launching a COVID-19 Vaccine Counter-Misinformation Open Fund worth up to $3 million.

The “COVID-19 Vaccine Counter Misinformation Open Fund” aims to support journalistic efforts to effectively fact-check misinformation about the COVID-19 immunization process, Google said in a blog post.

The fund is global and open to news organizations of every size that have a proven track record in fact-checking and debunking activities, or partner with an organization with such recognition. 

A global team of Googlers will review applications. The jury that will choose grantees is composed by the following:

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  • Theresa Amobi, Senior Lecturer, University of Lagos
  • Ludovic Blecher, Head of Innovation, Google News Initiative
  • Renee DiResta, Technical Research Manager, Stanford Internet Observer
  • Susannah Eliott, CEO, Australian Science Media Centre
  • Gagandeep Kang, Head of the Wellcome Trust Research Laboratory, Christian Medical College
  • Alexios Mantzarlis, News and Information Credibility Lead, Google
  • Syed Nazakat, Founder & CEO, Data Leads
  • Ifeoma Ozoma, Founder and Principal, Earthseed
  • Baybars Örsek, Director, International Fact-Checking Network
  • Andy Pattison, manager of digital solutions, World Health Organization
  • Angela Pimenta, Director of Operations, Projor
  • Amy Pisani, Executive Director, Vaccinate Your Family
  • Yamil Velez, Associate Professor of Political Science, Columbia University
  • Brian Yau, Promotion & Engagement Lead, Vaccine Safety Net at WHO

In December, the Google News Initiative pledged $1.5 million to fund a COVID-19 vaccine media hub to support fact-checking research.

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