Applications for the 1 September 2018 fellowship intake are open. The application round will close on 1 April 2018.
To help us get there, we identify amazing people with innovative ideas, give them a fellowship grant, and multiply the money they put into their own project by a factor of ten or more.
If we are deliberate about finding great people, supporting and sharing their positive approaches for social change, the world will get better, faster. That is why we are looking for social innovators who are open at heart, have a fresh perspective on addressing challenges and have a very clear idea of their role in bringing about positive change.
Learn moreOpenness is at the core of the Foundation’s experiment in the world
We wanted to understand what would happen if the values, processes and licences of the FOSS world were applied to areas outside of software. Could that provide key building blocks for further innovation? What are the conditions that optimise innovation for positive social change? How can openness add value to that process? This is at the heart of the Foundation’s contribution to the world.
Learn moreThe only true way is not a project plan but a champion
The holy grail for every funder is sustained impact - an approach continuing to influence behaviour positively long after your funding has run out. We believe people, rather than systems or organisations, are at the heart of sustaining change. The only true way is not a project plan but a champion, someone who will drive an idea through an ever changing landscape, to continue to make a real difference in the world.
That is why we invest in individuals, building a family, not a portfolio. Each fellow is passionate about a unique cause they typically pursue both before and after the fellowship. We make a conscious choice not to limit our scope because we believe in the power of a diverse network. We strive to build a community of fellows who work together across disciplines, sparked by their similarities and strengthened by their differences.
Achal Prabhala
Advancing innovation and access to medicines
Adam Hyde
Hacking scholarly publishing
Alasdair Davies
Building affordable conservation technology
Anasuya Sengupta
Expanding human knowledge online
Astra Taylor
Lifting the lid on predatory lending
Isha Datar
Developing openly accessible cell cultures
Luka Mustafa
Delivering last mile access
Madeleine Ball
Opening human health data
Peter Cunliffe-Jones
Checking the facts
Tarek Loubani
Making open medical hardware
Tiffiniy Cheng
Fighting for Internet freedom
Ugo Vallauri
Fixing our relationship with electronics
For more information about all those previously part of the fellowship program please view our alumni.
Are you interrested in applying for a fellowship?
Get startedWhat makes us tick
The more we share the thinking, working and practices of ourselves and our fellows, the better. Making these publicly available allows other organisations, project implementers, funders, policy makers, change agents, advocates and academics to engage - learn from what we have done, critically assess, give feedback and open the door to collaboration.
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