Some of the specific projects we are planning include:

• Provide funding for researchers (including those outside academia) to carry out tattoo-related projects, especially on aspects of tattoo history and culture that have not previously been given much attention by rigorous scholars.

• Host regular conferences and symposia to gather together scholars and enthusiasts from around the world.

• Provide direct mentoring for students with worthy projects (secondary, college, and graduate students).

• Grant an annual student paper award (competition-based).

• Support scholars in “residence”* who serve the greater good by writing content, fielding reporters’ questions, and assisting students in a limited capacity. *Note: as a foundation whose home base is the world wide web, scholars in residence will work remotely.

• Produce publications, both virtual and actual. There will be a regular blog and newsletter. One bigger project is already in the works: the Tattooed People Historical Encyclopedia (initially this will be a dynamic and ongoing web publication and app, but eventually may be a printed book or set of books).

• Host an annotated database of historical and contemporary sources about tattooing. Scholars will point out errors as well as aspects of these sources that are exemplary. Full texts, films, etc. will be available whenever possible. The foundation will work on securing licenses for items that are not in the public domain. (This will be behind a paid firewall although students with proper identification and scholars below a certain income level can apply for free access for a limited time period.)

• Host an annotated image database utilizing copyright-free images plus licensed material. Collectors of tattoo-related material, photographers, and others can upload their material and the foundation can help with licensing the images for use more broadly (with a revenue share). (This will be behind a paid firewall although students with proper identification and scholars below a certain income level can apply for free access for a limited time period.)

• Provide a referral service for pairing the right content expert with journalists and others looking for expert knowledge for articles, books, videos, websites, or other media.

• Record oral histories with tattooers, tattoo collectors, and others to archive and index this important form of historical source material

• Assist public and private collections in identifying and cataloguing tattoo-related material in their possession.

• Provide moderated forums for discussion.