01/27/2022

Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC[1]) has continued its largesse,
funding a variety of projects through individual grants. Among the latest is a
nearly $900,000 award that will permit the Internet Archive[2] to build the
Digital Library of Amateur Radio and Communications (DLARC), "an online,
open-access resource that preserves the vital resources - past, present, and
future - that document the history of amateur radio and communications," as the
project proposal explained. Internet Archive is a nonprofit library of millions
of free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more.

"The DLARC will be both an education program building a unique and unparalleled
collection of primary and secondary resources, but also an innovative technical
project that will build a digital library that combines both digitized print
materials and [original] digital content," Internet Archive said in its
proposal.

It will incorporate three distinct areas: a large-scale scanning program to
digitize relevant print materials from institutions and individuals; a
large-scale digital archiving initiative that seeks to curate, archive, and
provide specialized access to such media as digital photos and audio-video
presentations, as well as websites and web-published material, and a personal
archiving campaign to ensure the preservation and future access of notable
individuals and stakeholders involved in the founding and activities of ARDC
and the broader community.

The ARDC grant program stems from the proceeds of the July 2019 sale of some 4
million unused consecutive AMPRNet internet addresses. Using those funds, ARDC
established a program of grants and scholarships in support of communications
and networking research, with a strong emphasis on amateur radio.

Another ARDC grant for nearly $34,000 will permit the Fauquier 4-H Ham Radio
Club[3] in Virginia to purchase and equip a 4-H Youth Station and Outreach
Trailer for the club's youth to use at regular meetings, public demonstrations,
and special events.

"The Fauquier 4-H Ham Radio Club provides local youth, ages 9 to 18,
opportunities to explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math
through amateur radio communications and electronics projects," the club's
proposal said. "An amateur radio license is not required to join, but the club
strives to inspire and help members who are interested in getting their license
achieve that goal."

A $318,000 to the Society of Women Engineers (SWE[4]), will fund 30 SWE global
scholarships and "contribute to programs that will help women in engineering
excel professionally and showcase their achievements." According to SWE, these
programs include the High School Leadership Academy, a virtual, year-round
program aimed at building self-confidence and resilience among high school
students who are interested in pursuing engineering and technology degrees; the
Community College Women of Color Pathways Research, a new year-long program to
encourage undergraduate women studying at Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) to pursue STEM
graduate degrees, and its Collegiate Leadership Institute, a program designed
to equip collegiate SWE members with the skills, knowledge, and leadership
abilities that will enable them to become leaders in engineering and
technology. 

[1] https://www.ampr.org/
[2] https://archive.org/
[3] https://fauquier.ext.vt.edu/programs/4h-clubs-list.html
[4] https://www.swe.org/

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