TED Fellows Program — Fellowship

The TED Fellows program is TED’s support system for emerging leaders who are already putting world-changing ideas into action. TED describes it as transformational support for a global community of more than 500 individuals collaborating across disciplines, spread over more than 100 countries. The support comes as training, amplification and access rather than cash, and the program states that it is not a granting fellowship.

Fellows are chosen in annual classes with a core commitment of about a year, and most stay involved after that first year. The 2026 class was introduced on 3 March 2026, with work spanning four continents and nine countries. Since 2024 the way in has been nomination-based, so only people nominated by someone in their existing network may apply, and at the time of writing the application for the upcoming class was closed.

Benefits & funding

Preparation: workshops and one-to-one mentoring covering public speaking, media relations and team leadership.
Amplification: a TED Talk plus video content carried across TED’s platforms, where talks draw around two million views a day.
Connection: a year-round calendar of conferences, events, workshops and informal gatherings, with introductions to collaborators, industry leaders and potential sponsors.
No grant or stipend. TED states the program is not a granting fellowship, and its current pages publish no award figure.
Reported outcomes: 83% of Fellows say the program helped them reach new audiences, and 85% take part beyond their first year.

Eligibility

Emerging leaders in the earlier phases of a career, with a track record of excellence but without a long list of other fellowships and accolades.
Original, hands-on work: leaders close to the problem they are solving, already turning an idea into action.
Open to every discipline. The program weighs collaborative, kind character alongside early excellence in the field.
Ready to grow with what TED offers: amplification, network-building, communication training, professional development coaching and mentoring.
A nomination is required. Since 2024 only people nominated by someone in their existing network may apply; nominators include all 500+ members of the Fellows community and friends of the program.
No nationality, residency or degree requirement is published. Fellows come from more than 100 countries.
TED’s current pages state no age limit and no application fee, and publish no application deadline.

Can you apply?

Open to all applicants

No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.

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Application process

1
Secure a nomination from a member of the TED Fellows community or another friend of the program. Nomination is the entry point for every applicant.
2
Follow the TED Fellows application page, which posts the status of the current cycle and takes sign-ups for a notification when the next window opens.
3
Complete the application inside the annual window. TED opens applications for a new class once a year.
4
Wait for the decision. Each new class is introduced publicly on the TED Blog, as the 2026 class was on 3 March 2026.

Program timeline

Once a year
TED opens applications for a new class of Fellows.
TED introduces the 2026 class of Fellows, spanning four continents and nine countries.
Mar 3, 2026
Current status
the application for the upcoming class is closed, and TED has not published the next opening date.