The Eduserv Foundation contributes to Eduserv's charitable mission, realising the effective use of ICT for learners and researchers, by offering research grants, contributing to international interoperability standards-making activities, seed-funding and developing pilot projects and offering advice on good practice. We also sponsor meetings, events and other activities.

We focus these activities in the following areas:

• resource discovery, metadata and open access,
• access and identity management,
• service architectures and Web 2.0,
• e-portfolios and the use of 3-D virtual worlds such as Second Life in education.

Background

Established in July 2003, the Eduserv Foundation undertakes activities that support the effective application of information and communication technology (ICT) in education. A number of distinct programmes have been launched since then including: Eduserv Research Grants; Assistive Technology Licences; Tutor Guides for Vocational Education; and Information Literacy initiatives.

The Foundation has committed funding to ten substantial research projects related to e-learning. It has also funded more than six hundred university and college site licences for assistive technology software. In further education, the Foundation is working with Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) to develop online tutor guides for Level 3 childcare and engineering qualifications. A new information literacy website has been launched with Foundation support, and funding for five other projects in this field has been agreed. The second Eduserv Foundation Symposium took place in May 2006.