The Searle Freedom Trust seeks proposals for using new media tools and techniques to advance individual freedom and economic liberty. If the Trust likes your ideas, the Trust may award your organization up to $250,000 to implement them. Get your proposal guidelines today. Submission deadline: Oct. 1, 2007.

What is “new media”? Examples are perhaps more helpful than a dictionary-like definition. The Trust notes, in recent months its new media grants have included:

• $100,000 for a think tank to produce viral videos on government intervention
• $100,000 for an organization to sponsor film and web-video internships
• $75,000 for a website to host a contest of free-market videos
• $27,000 for a contest to encourage blogging on campus issues by college students
• $100,000 for a think tank to produce and market a video on an issue central to its mission

Further, Searle states: “Proposals that may hold particular interest include fellowships for bloggers who focus on government spending, tort reform, or problems in higher education; projects that encourage emerging filmmakers and video producers and help them develop their talent; and podcasting.”