Fellowship Applications

Applications for the March 2016 fellowship intake are now open.

The Shuttleworth Foundation offers fellowships to individuals to implement their innovative idea for social change. We are most interested in exceptional ideas at the intersection between technology, knowledge and learning, with openness being the key requirement.

The Foundation funds people from all over the world regardless of gender, age, nationality or experience. We are looking for a complete picture of you and your idea.

Get Started

We invite individuals with a fresh approach to solving a social challenge, using openness, to apply to our Fellowship Program.

Applicants may choose to make their application public at any time. You are most welcome to do so. For those who choose not to, your application will remain private in its entirety within the Foundation and its immediate support network until such time as you may be offered a Fellowship. At that point, we will have a conversation on how best to share information about you as a Fellow in the interest of openness. Applicants who choose to make their application public do not have a specific advantage over those who choose not to do so during the selection process.

In order to keep your application private, you may choose to protect your video submission with a password. Please submit the password along with the video link via our secure application form.

No partial applications will be considered.

Application Checklist

The Do's and Don'ts of your Fellowship Application

Do

A completed application comprises:

  • The (completed & submitted) application form.
  • Your 5 minute application video.(public or private)
  • Your up to date resume.

Don't

We do not accept any of the following:

  • Hard copy applications.
  • Partial applications - you must answer all the questions and "submit" the form.
  • Email applications.

Application Pointers

The only true way is not a project plan but a champion

Over the years we have reviewed (and funded) many, many proposals and fellowship applications. In the current incarnation of the Foundation we support individuals to implement their idea for social change. Prospective applicants often ask us to narrow down the parameters for applications and be more specific about what we’re looking for. We are not planning on doing that, as we want to be surprised and intrigued by applicants, no matter how unconventional the idea may be.

However, we can provide some thoughts on what to keep in mind while developing your application for our fellowship. We hope these are useful, for applying for the Fellowship, and for distilling the essence of your idea.

Our number one ask is that openness be at the core of your idea and/or its implementation. Openness is not an add on. It is a  fundamental approach to both participation and intellectual property...