O Shaughnessy Fellowships 2026: Win $100,000 Fellowships or $10,000 Grants for Bold Science, Art, and Social Projects

If you are an inventor, artist, scientist, storyteller, or builder who wakes up with an idea that refuses to stay small, this is the kind of opportunity that listens. The O Shaughnessy Fellowships & Grants program is looking for ambitious individuals whose projects could alter how people think, feel, or live. They award Fellowships of $100,000 and Grants of $10,000 to people across disciplines — from lab benches to film sets, from community projects to experimental design.

This program is not a conventional academic grant. Think of it as a temperate climate for unusually ambitious seedlings: not strictly academic, not corporate, and not limited to one discipline. The foundation has backed projects as varied as synthetic biology experiments, language preservation initiatives, modular housing for children, small-scale cinematic ventures, and even creative work like designing novel roses and writing viral music. If your work aims to make a real, visible difference — practical, cultural, or intellectual — this fellowship wants to hear from you.

There’s a practical side, too. Applications are open through April 30, 2026, with a rolling review in the first stage. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for conversations with the team, and final decisions are announced around June 1, 2026. Read on for a full breakdown: who should apply, what to prepare, insider tips, common pitfalls, and a realistic timetable so you can submit a competitive application without scrambling at the last minute.

At a Glance

What This Opportunity Offers

The O Shaughnessy program provides two distinct types of awards: larger Fellowships of $100,000 and smaller Grants of $10,000. The money is meant to give creators room to make substantive progress — not just to buy supplies but to support time, experimentation, collaboration, and early scaling.

A $100,000 fellowship can fund a full year (or more) of concentrated work: hiring collaborators or assistants, paying living costs so you can focus, buying specialized equipment, covering travel for research or collaboration, and commissioning essential contractors. It’s the kind of award that lets you shift from side-project status to dedicated effort. The $10,000 grants are ideal for high-impact seed projects — rapid prototyping, pilot studies, short films, community workshops, or initial rounds of fieldwork.

Beyond cash, fellows gain a relationship with the OSV team and their network. That means conversations that can refine your thinking, introductions to collaborators or technical support, and practical advice about next-phase funding or distribution. The application process itself is conversational: shortlisted candidates speak with the team, which gives you a chance to explain the work in plain terms and to model how you solve problems.

Finally, awardees join a visible cohort of creators who are doing uncommon things — think researchers storing data in plants, engineers building mechanical hands, cultural projects reviving dying languages, and artists making work that reaches wide audiences. The social capital of being in that cohort often leads to new partnerships, press attention, and downstream opportunities.

Who Should Apply

This fellowship is a fit for people who combine ambition with tangible plans. If you have a clear project that could change how people think or act — whether that’s a technical breakthrough, a cultural intervention, an artistic project with distribution, or a social program that pilots a new model — you belong in the applicant pool.

Examples of strong fits:

• A mid-career maker designing an affordable prosthetic hand and ready to prototype and test with users.
• A poet or filmmaker with a finished pilot and a plan for a broader audience.
• A scientist with a risky but plausible experimental design that needs funding for instruments and a small team.
• A language activist mapping and producing resources to revive an endangered tongue.
• A social entrepreneur piloting a new model for housing vulnerable children in a specific community.

This program favors individuals (not institutions) who will use the funds directly to advance the project. You don’t need conventional academic credentials; what matters is the quality of your idea, your capacity to execute, and the project’s likelihood to deliver meaningful results. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and the program accepts global applicants. If your work centers on or benefits communities in Africa, that regional focus is relevant to the tag, but the award is not limited to one geography.

If you’re still in the ideation stage with no prototype, no proof of concept, and no clear first-year plan, you’ll need to develop a stronger proposal before applying. Conversely, if you have a concrete pilot, measurable milestones, and a sense of what success looks like in 6–12 months, this program is worth your time.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application

These are practical, specific strategies that separate the applications reviewers remember from the ones that vanish into the pile.

1. Tell a two-minute story, then follow with evidence. Start with a short, vivid description of the problem and the project’s concrete solution. Imagine explaining it to a curious neighbor — clear and memorable. Then provide data, plans, and milestones. The narrative hooks attention; the evidence convinces it.

2. Be ruthlessly specific about goals and deliverables. Instead of saying “we will produce a film,” write “we will produce a 25-minute documentary, complete a festival submission strategy, and host three community screenings in City X by month 10.” Specific outputs make evaluation possible.

3. Show you can actually use the money. Sketch a high-level budget in prose: who you’ll pay, how many months of effort, and which vendors or collaborators are critical. If $100,000 funds one year of work for you and two collaborators, say so.

4. Prepare to talk. Shortlisted applicants have calls with the team. Practice concise answers to likely questions: why this project now, what’s the main risk, who are your key collaborators, what would a successful year look like? These conversations are as important as the written application.

5. Demonstrate humility about risk and a clear contingency plan. If a key experiment or recruitment strategy may fail, describe Plan B. Reviewers reward thoughtful risk management — it shows realism and readiness.

6. Provide accessible documentation. Include images, short clips, schematics, or links to work samples. These help reviewers understand technical or artistic complexity quickly. Keep files compact and easy to view.

7. Use the cohort as part of your pitch. Explain how network support, mentorship, or publicity from the fellowship will materially enhance the project’s impact. Don’t just list benefits — connect them to concrete next steps.

8. Start early and iterate. Most competitive entries have gone through multiple revisions and external readers. Share drafts with a trusted colleague who will ask hard questions. If you have an institutional partner, secure a letter of support early.

These tips are practical more than performative — the fellowship values depth and clarity over clever buzzwords.

Application Timeline (Realistic and Backward-Looking)

Work backward from the Stage 1 close on April 30, 2026. Because Stage 1 uses rolling review, applying earlier often gets you feedback faster, so don’t wait until the final week.

• April 30, 2026 — Stage 1 application deadline (final day your initial form can be accepted).
• Late April — If you submit early, expect a rolling update within ~30 days. Shortlisted applicants are contacted for Stage 2 interviews.
• February 1 – May 30, 2026 — Stage 2 interviews: shortlisted applicants schedule a call to discuss their project.
• Through May 30, 2026 — Stage 3 conversations continue with extended team and network.
• June 1, 2026 — Final selections announced.

Suggested preparation timeline:

• 8–6 weeks before April 30: Draft your application narrative and budget. Assemble work samples.
• 6–4 weeks before: Send drafts to reviewers and secure letters of support or collaborator confirmations.
• 3–2 weeks before: Finalize the application, compress files, and test links.
• At least 48 hours before deadline: Submit. Rolling systems can be finicky; earlier is safer.

If you’re shortlisted, schedule your interview time promptly and prepare a 5–7 minute verbal summary of your project, followed by clear responses to risk, budget, and impact questions.

Required Materials

The program’s application form will collect narrative answers and allow links or uploads for supporting materials. Prepare the following, polished and ready.

• Project narrative (1–3 pages): Describe the problem, your proposed solution, objectives for the funded period, and expected outcomes. Include a brief timeline with major milestones.
• Budget summary (1 page): Explain how the funds will be used in plain language: personnel, equipment, travel, contractors, and other direct costs. No need for institutional budget templates, but be realistic.
• Work samples (links or compressed files): Short video clips, images, prototypes, code repositories, prior publications, or music files — whatever best demonstrates what you do.
• CV or resume (1–2 pages): Highlight relevant experience and roles directly tied to the project.
• Letters or statements of support (optional but useful): If you rely on a lab, a community partner, or a technical collaborator, a short confirming statement helps.
• Contact information and basic demographic details.

Practical preparation tips: compress large files to accessible sizes, provide direct links (YouTube unlisted, Vimeo, GitHub, or Google Drive with viewing permissions), and include captions or short descriptions for each work sample so reviewers know what to look for.

What Makes an Application Stand Out

Reviewers are looking for three things in combination: originality, feasibility, and potential for impact. Here’s how to translate those words into application specifics.

Originality: Show what is new in your approach. That might be applying an existing technique in a novel context, connecting disciplines in an unexpected way, or proposing a cultural project that reaches an underserved audience. Be explicit about why this idea is not merely an iteration but a meaningful step.

Feasibility: Demonstrate you can do it. This is where a clear timeline, realistic budget, and team composition matter. If you need specialized equipment, explain access arrangements. If you need participants from a particular community, describe your recruitment plan.

Potential for impact: Explain measurable outcomes. Will you publish, prototype, stage public events, or produce a working device? Include short-term and medium-term metrics (e.g., number of screenings, prototype iterations, user tests, repositories seeded).

Narrative clarity: The best applications tell a crisp story from problem to solution to measurable next steps. Avoid jargon. If a technical term is necessary, explain it in one sentence.

Human connection: When appropriate, include testimonials from beneficiaries, users, or collaborators. Real-world endorsements make abstract promises tangible.

Common Mistakes to Avoid (and How to Fix Them)

1. Vagueness about outcomes. Fix: Replace general claims with measurable milestones. Instead of “raise awareness,” write “host three community workshops with 50 attendees each and collect pre/post surveys.”

2. Inflated budgets with no justification. Fix: Show unit costs and months of effort. If you request $100,000, explain who gets paid, what materials are bought, and why each expense is essential.

3. Overreliance on jargon. Fix: Write as if explaining to a curious colleague from another field. Define terms once and move on.

4. Missing collaborators’ buy-ins. Fix: Secure short confirming statements or emails from partners before you submit.

5. Submitting at the last minute. Fix: Submit several days early to avoid technical issues and to leave time for last-minute edits.

6. Weak contingency planning. Fix: State the main risks and one or two concrete contingencies to address each (e.g., alternate recruitment channels, backup suppliers).

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who can apply? A: Any individual aged 18 or older, anywhere in the world, whose work has the potential for meaningful impact. The program seeks creators across sciences, arts, and social innovation.

Q: Do organizations apply or only individuals? A: The call is targeted at individuals. If your project involves an organization, explain your relationship and how funds will be used by and for the individual-led project.

Q: Can I apply if I already have other funding? A: Yes. The fellowship can complement existing funding, but you should explain how the O Shaughnessy award will enable work that current funds do not cover.

Q: Are international applicants eligible? A: Yes. The fellowship accepts global applicants. Tagging includes regions such as Africa, but awards are not limited to any single geography.

Q: How long before I hear back? A: Most Stage 1 applicants receive an update within about 30 days. Because Stage 1 uses rolling review, earlier submissions may get earlier responses.

Q: Is there a required format for the proposal? A: The application form provides prompts. Keep narratives concise and include direct links to samples. Prepare downloadable files in standard formats (PDF, MP4, MP3, JPG).

Q: Can I revise my application after submission? A: Generally, no — treat the submission as final. If you must update due to an error, contact the program team promptly, but don’t assume changes are permitted.

Q: Will I receive feedback if I’m not selected? A: The program may provide summary feedback upon request, but formal reviewer reports are not guaranteed. Treat each submission as a learning process.

Next Steps / How to Apply

Ready to take the next step? Don’t hesitate — because Stage 1 operates on a rolling basis, submitting earlier often gets you a faster update. Prepare your project narrative, budget summary, and work samples (or links), then visit the official application page.

Apply now: https://forms.osv.llc/fellowships2026

A few last practical suggestions: save your draft answers in a separate document so you can iterate and share drafts with trusted reviewers; compress and label supporting files clearly; and schedule time in your calendar for the shortlisting interview if you get called. If you want real-world feedback on your draft, ask a colleague outside your narrow field to read it — if they can explain your project back to you in plain language, you’re on the right track.

Good luck. This program rewards well-conceived, well-communicated projects that are ready for an infusion of focused support. If your idea is bold and you can back it up with a clear plan, put your application in — and prepare to explain, out loud and on paper, why the world needs what you’re building.