The FIA Institute recently completed its conceptual design for its driver academy which is due to be operational in 2010. The academy represents one aspect of the Motor Sport Safety Development Fund’s Young Driver Safety Programme.

The FIA Institute will shortly be identifying potential partners to help deliver the various aspects of the curriculum.

Quentin Crombie, FIA Institute’s Head of Educational and Excellence Programmes, said: “We are aiming to work with leading organisations that can provide a range of educational services for the academy. Specifically, we are searching for organisations that can assist with driver and road safety education and that can deliver a range of modules to do with developing young drivers for competition, and in particular physical and mental conditioning.”

The FIA Institute will also take responsibility for including modules relating to a number of key FIA policy areas including the environment and racial equality in motor sport.

Applications for funding for all three of the programmes, relating to officials’ training, facility safety and sustainability, and young driver safety, will open on 31 August and will close on 11 September. Successful applicants will be provided with funding for their 2010 projects and programmes.

The FIA Institute recently distributed funding criteria for the Officials Safety Training Programme and the Young Driver Safety Programme, with the funding criteria for the Facility Improvement Programme set to be distributed in July. National sporting associations will have an opportunity to register for funding using the FIA Institute’s new on-line system which will be available from July.