Miriyam Aouragh secures £100,000 FICS grant to support Digital Fortresses project

The Funders Initiative for Civil Society (FICS) has awarded a £100,000 grant to support the Digital Fortresses project, a collaborative initiative focused on enhancing digital resilience and civic engagement. It is co-led by Prof. Miriyam Aouragh of CAMRI—who also serves in an executive capacity at The Institute for Technology in the Public Interest (TITiPI)—and Nick Buxton, Knowledge Hub Coordinator at the Transnational Institute (TNI).

The Digital Fortresses project aims to build secure, inclusive digital infrastructures that support democratic participation and protect civic space in an increasingly surveilled and polarised online environment. It brings together academic expertise, community engagement, and international civil society networks.

The grant covers the period from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, with the possibility of a cost-free extension. Buxton expressed enthusiasm for the initiative, highlighting its innovative approach and the opportunity to combine Aouragh’s academic expertise and community engagement in the UK and Netherlands with TPI’s communications capacity and deep connections with international civil society.

Prof. Aouragh commented, “I’m really thrilled to be doing this with TNI around such an important public interest issue.”

The Funders Initiative for Civil Society (FICS) envisions a world where people, communities, and movements advancing democracy, human rights, justice, and environmental protection have the resources to expand civic space. Founded in 2016 as a donor affinity group, FICS initially served as a hub for funders to connect and learn. After publishing its landmark report Rethinking Civic Space in 2020, FICS evolved into a think tank, convener, and incubator—proactively shaping civic space discourse, offering analysis, and supporting innovative funding strategies. FICS is guided by an international Advisory Group and is fiscally sponsored by Global Dialogue, a registered charity in England and Wales.

Learn more about FICS research grants and focus areas here.

Photo by Scott Webb.