We’re trying to spur ideas/collaboration among Hacks/Hackers members for the Knight News Challenge, a grant program that supports news innovation that has a Dec. 1 deadline. So far more than $20 million has been granted to dozens of projects, including Spot.us, DocumentCloud, Ushahidi and MediaBugs. Who knows? Yours could be next.

The News Challenge gave support to our series of hackathons across the country. Inspired by the collaboration and the people we met, we’ve created a cross-group Google doc where you can leave thoughts/contact information/skills. Lots of people have already put ideas and talents online.

To apply for Knight, your project must use digital, open-source technology and fit into one of four categories: mobile, authenticity, sustainability and community. More about the categories is available online.

Whether you have an idea and you’re looking for a technical person, or a technical person looking for journalistic advice, here is a good place to start and to have someone help shape and critique your idea.

The application only consists of eight questions and anyone — individual, non-profit, for-profit, student — can apply from around the world.

Background: Run by the Knight Foundation, the Knight News Challenge awards up to $5 million annually for innovative projects that use digital technology to transform the way communities send, receive and make use of news and information. Recently it announced $1 million in additional funding from Google.