The Basis Fellowship
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Overview
At a Glance
Program Name: The Basis Fellowship. It is a fellowship program for operators, engineers, scientists, builders, and other unconventional thinkers who are working on promising ideas or projects.
Support Type: Unrestricted, non-repayable fellowship funding combined with membership in a lifelong professional network. The fellowship does not take equity or attach stated strings to the funding.
Funding Amount: Each selected fellow receives $50,000.
Application Deadline: Applications are always open. Fellows are selected on a rolling basis, with the first or founding cohort scheduled for 2026.
Program Focus
The Basis Fellowship is designed to identify people doing ambitious, technically creative, scientific, engineering, or otherwise difficult-to-categorize work. Its target audience includes operators, engineers, scientists, independent builders, researchers, and people pursuing projects that may not fit conventional startup or academic categories.
The program emphasizes the discovery of talented individuals who may be working independently or without access to established networks. The fellowship aims to connect these individuals into a diverse community whose members contribute different skills, experiences, and perspectives.
Location
The webpage does not state a country or region restriction. It also does not publish specific nationality, residency, age, incorporation, or organizational-registration requirements. International applicants may therefore be able to apply, but applicants should confirm any country-specific conditions through the application form or by contacting the organizers.
About the Program
The Basis Fellowship is run by Mark Khrapko, Spencer Green, and Steven Pang and funded personally by the organizers and through Orbit Engineering. The organizers previously ran the Duct Tape Prize and the Eigenprize, through which they identified promising individuals and projects.
The name “Basis” refers to the mathematical concept of the smallest set of independent vectors needed to span a space, reflecting the program’s aim of bringing together people with distinct abilities and directions.
Program Benefits
- Selected fellows receive $50,000 in unrestricted funding, described by the organizers as money that belongs to the fellow without stated strings attached.
- Fellows join a lifelong network in which every cohort becomes part of one continuing community.
- Fellows may receive visibility and connections with other builders, scientists, engineers, operators, and advisors.
- Listing as a fellow on the public website is optional; participants may remain private if they prefer.
- Applicants whose submissions are not selected may still be considered for a discretionary $3,000 award.
Eligibility Criteria
The webpage does not provide a detailed checklist of formal eligibility requirements. However, the program explicitly invites:
- Operators, engineers, scientists, and other individuals doing unusual or ambitious work.
- Independent builders, researchers, inventors, and technical creators.
- People developing projects, experiments, businesses, research, or inventions that demonstrate originality and potential.
- Applicants who can provide a portfolio or other evidence of their work.
Applicants are expected to:
- Submit a portfolio and any other useful information.
- Answer the application questions honestly.
- Demonstrate the nature, progress, or potential of their work through examples, projects, research, products, or other relevant accomplishments.
The program does not state that applicants must have a registered company, venture backing, revenue, a specific academic qualification, or a particular level of business development.
Application Process & Timeline
The application process is intended to take approximately 10 minutes. Applicants submit their portfolio and supporting information, then respond to the questions in the online application.
Key details:
- Application status: Always open.
- Selection method: Fellows are named on a rolling basis.
- First cohort: Founding cohort scheduled for 2026.
- Application materials: Portfolio, useful supporting information, and responses to the application questions.
- Nomination option: Individuals may nominate candidates through the separate nomination process.
- Nomination reward: The nominator receives $1,000 if the nominee is selected.
The webpage does not publish a fixed closing date, selection schedule, cohort size, or detailed evaluation rubric.
Best Fit
This opportunity is best suited to:
- Independent inventors, scientists, engineers, and technical builders.
- Startup founders or operators working on ambitious or unconventional projects.
- Researchers and creators who can demonstrate meaningful work through a portfolio.
- Individuals whose work may not fit traditional venture-capital, academic, or grant-program categories.
- Applicants seeking unrestricted capital and access to a high-quality peer network rather than a structured accelerator program.
It may be less suited to applicants who do not yet have a portfolio or demonstrable body of work, or who are seeking a conventional startup accelerator with formal training, investment milestones, mentorship sessions, or guaranteed follow-on funding.
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