2025:Scholarships
06–09 August 2025, Nairobi and Online
Wikimania @20: Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability.
Wikimania 2025 Scholarships
Wikimania 2025 Scholarships Application is open. Apply Now!
For questions or clarifications please feel free to send them to wikimania-scholarships
wikimedia.org
What is a Wikimania Travel Scholarship?
A scholarship is a grant given to an individual to enable them to attend Wikimania 2025 in person. Scholarship recipients are selected by the Scholarships Committee of the Wikimania 2025 Core Organizing Team, and funds are provided by the Wikimedia Foundation.
Scholarships cover flights, accommodation, registration, daily per diems to cover incidentals and meals during the event pre-conference and conference days, as well as limited medical insurance.
The form to apply for a Wikimania Travel Scholarship for Wikimania 2025 will be open through December 8, 2024.
Who can apply
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Who can apply?Like in the past, anyone who is able to prove contribution to or activities in Wikimedia is welcome. Examples are as follows:
These are just examples, though. Go to the section Detailed advice, read recommendations in the table, and think how you would answer the questions your way. If you have questions, go the section "Who can apply" in the FAQ. If you have further questions, go to Contact / Help / I have questions not answered on this page. What is the process for a Wikimania scholarship?In general, we expect the workflow for funding decisions to go through the following steps:
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Advice for filling out the application form
Open calls "A road to Nairobi"
The Core Organizing Team will be hosting open calls for everyone interested in applying for a scholarship for Wikimania. The calls will be held in different timezones to accommodate volunteers around the world.
Feel free to click one of them to add it to your Google Calendar (meeting link included).
- Option 1 – Tuesday, November 26, 17:00 UTC
- Option 2 – Thursday, November 28, 09:00 UTC
- Option 3 – Friday, November 29, 13:00 UTC
NB: Please find the table below which consist of the 3 call sessions with their timezones.
| 1st Call | |||
| Location | Local Time | Time Zone | UTC Offset |
| London (United Kingdom – England) | Tuesday, 26 November 2024, 17:00:00 | GMT | UTC |
| Nairobi (Kenya) | Tuesday, 26 November 2024, 20:00:00 | EAT | UTC+3 hours |
| Tokyo (Japan) | Tuesday, 26 November 2024, 02:00:00 | JST | UTC+9 hours |
| San Francisco (USA – California) | Tuesday, 26 November 2024, 09:00:00 | PST | UTC-8 hours |
| Corresponding UTC (GMT) | Tuesday, 26 November 2024, 17:00:00 | ||
| 2nd Call | |||
| Location | Local Time | Time Zone | UTC Offset |
| London (United Kingdom – England) | Thursday, 28th November 2024, 09:00:00 | GMT | UTC |
| Nairobi (Kenya) | Thursday, 28th November 2024, 12:00:00 | EAT | UTC+3 hours |
| Tokyo (Japan) | Thursday, 28th November 2024, 18:00:00 | JST | UTC+9 hours |
| San Francisco (USA – California) | Thursday, 28th November 2024, 01:00:00 | PST | UTC-8 hours |
| Corresponding UTC (GMT) | Thursday, 28th November 2024, 09:00:00 | ||
| 3rd Call | |||
| Location | Local Time | Time Zone | UTC Offset |
| London (United Kingdom – England) | Friday, 29 November 2024, 13:00:00 | GMT | UTC |
| Nairobi (Kenya) | Friday, 29 November 2024, 16:00:00 | EAT | UTC+3 hours |
| Tokyo (Japan) | Friday, 29 November 2024, 22:00:00 | JST | UTC+9 hours |
| San Francisco (USA – California) | Friday, 29 November 2024, 05:00:00 | PST | UTC-8 hours |
| Corresponding UTC (GMT) | Friday, 29 November 2024, 13:00:00 | ||
Detailed advice
- Filling out the application form will take approximately 45–60 minutes. You can not edit the application after submission. You can only edit it before submission if you don't clear your cookies. Draft carefully and ensure that you write everything you need to write. Please do not submit an application twice.
- You may submit your application in any of the Wikimania 2025 languages–Arabic, French, English, Spanish or Swahili. If possible, do consider submitting in English as it’s the only language spoken by all Scholarship working group members. Also consider that you will need a working level of English for travel and volunteering at the event anyway.
- We kindly request an honest delineation of individual contributions in group efforts. We do not accept accomplishments that cannot be proven or are untruthfully claimed as solely individual if in fact these were group efforts. Add a link to Diff, a wiki page or even a social media post that will allow us to check if you did what you claim as yours.
| Question | Tip |
|---|---|
| Travel and contact details | In this section please be precise with your answers. Further questions about information inside your passport etc. will be requested only if you are a successful recipient. |
| Statistical demographics | We ask for this information for statistical purposes, in order to ensure that the diversity of applications is reflected in scholarship awards. Answering these questions is fully optional. This data will only be reported in aggregate. |
| Assessment questions | The following questions are the primary questions from which your application will be assessed.
We are eager to read good insights with supportive links. |
| If a person asked you, “what impact have you or your local community has made in the Wikimedia movement”, what would you say? If you are a newcomer in the Wikimedia Movement, what inspired you to join our community? | We are looking to understand how you explain your involvement in Wikimedia to people within the movement, and people who may not have much background knowledge about the movement or your community. What impact have your contributions had? How have you worked with your community to advance our free knowledge mission? For newcomers who may have less to share so far by way of impact, we’d like to understand how you got here and what you are looking to gain and contribute in our movement. One paragraph answer is recommended. Please support any references to your own work with links where possible. |
| The theme for Wikimania 2025 is “ Wikimania@20: Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability”. What does this mean to you? | We are looking for a creative and well insightful answer on how;: this theme resonates with your contributions to Wikimedia? How has your work contributed to impacting the larger open Knowledge ecosystem? And What are some of the things we can do in your own words to enhance our movement’s sustainability. One paragraph answer is recommended. Please support any references to your own work with links where possible. |
| Tell us about your recent involvement in your home wiki or the broader Wikimedia movement. What have you built or contributed to in order to improve your wiki or community? Have you led or organized any of these activities? Which activity mattered the most to you personally, regardless of outcome? Please indicate which of these activities took place in the last 12 months. | For this question we are mostly assessing the last 12 months of involvement and activities, so please be intentional to underline these. If necessary, you can also indicate longer-lasting activities with a history and participation in them. Two to three paragraph answer is recommended. Please support any references to your own work with links where possible. |
| How do you usually share your experiences (or things you‘ve learned) with your community? How will you share what you have learned at Wikimania 2025? Examples of on-wiki summaries, reports, blog posts, meetup talks, etc. are welcome here. Please include links to examples. | In the answer we value a concrete, verifiable plan of sharing the Wikimania experience after Wikimania 2025. A bullet point list with some explanation/context is a fine format for this response. |
| Are you a functionary on the Wikimedia projects? e.g. Do you hold any extended user rights like admin, steward, check user rights, or perform functions behind the scenes to ensure the safety, smooth operation, and sustainability of Wikimedia projects like patrolling, discussing Did you know articles etc? If so, please describe. | This year we want to understand more about applicants with extended user rights. Please provide some examples of your work, adding links where possible. |
Criteria for immediate refusal
Applications will fail phase 1 if any of the following failing criteria apply:
- The applicant received a scholarship in 2019 but did not complete their post-conference report(s).
- The applicant received a scholarship in 2024 but did not complete their assigned duties at Wikimania.
- The applicant is a current or past grantee from any WMF Grant program and found to be non-compliant to Wikimedia Foundation Scholarship Travel Policy.
- The applicant is currently globally banned by the Wikimedia Foundation or the community.
- The application is empty.
- The application consists of content which is off-topic or abusive.
- The applicant has failed to make a reasonable effort to answer the questions on the application form.
- The applicant has failed to demonstrate any significant Wikimedia contributions or activities which may merit the awarding of a scholarship.
Core Organizing Team is cooperating with the Wikimedia Foundation and in some cases, Wikimedia hubs or affiliates to determine the final list of scholars. We reserve the right to remove certain people due to their conduct on/off-wiki. Examples would be those on global and event ban lists, under sanctions from the Universal Code of Conduct (UCoC), or otherwise known to the COT as rule breakers.
Applications for which no failing criteria apply will pass into phase 2 for further evaluation.
FAQ
Where will Wikimania 2025 take place?
Wikimania 2025 will take place in Nairobi, Kenya.
Who can apply?
Are the scholarships only for first time Wikimania participants?
We will be prioritizing applications from those who best fulfill the criteria of contributing to the Wikimania experience. We will take into account how the scholarship would enhance the applicants' contributions to the mission after the event.
I am not part of an affiliate. How do I apply for funding?
Individuals are able to apply regardless of their affiliate membership status.
I am a Wikimedia Foundation staff member. Can I apply?
- Not as staff. The Core Organizing Team does not provide scholarships to Wikimedia Foundation staff. Attendance of Wikimedia Foundation staff, Wikimedia movement Committees and Wikimedia Foundation Trustees is covered by the Wikimedia Foundation.
- If a paid staff member decides to apply for a scholarship, we expect that they clearly mark which of their accomplishments were coordinated as a staff member, and which were done on volunteer time. Please offer an explanation where required.
I am a Scholarship working group member. Can I apply?
Yes. Volunteer scholarship reviewers will be eligible for a scholarship. To avoid conflict of interest, their applications will be reviewed by a team made of Core Organizing Team members and past Wikimania scholarship reviewers.
If I can't attend Wikimania in person, how can I participate?
There will be an option to join virtually as it will have elements of being a hybrid event.
You may choose to organize a watch party, a local event with activities, or build your event around participation in Wikimania’s programme. This year though we will not be funding Wikimania-related events organized by affiliates from the Wikimania grants fund, funding for the meetup can be requested via the regular grant process.
What is the funding limit?
There is no dollar amount or value. There will a balanced selection process across all regions.
What is the process?
When will the Wikimania 2025 scholarship application open and end?
The applications phase opens on November 07 and closes on December 08 2024.
Can I submit applications for a scholarship after the deadline?
No. This is to ensure that final decision results are released on-time and in fairness to all applicants. We recommend to submit applications at least a few days before the deadline to avoid missing it.
Can I submit my application in a language other than English?
- Yes. The Scholarship working group members will try their best to review the application.
- If possible, we prefer English. This is the only language spoken by all Scholarship working group members.
- You will need a working level of English for travel and volunteering at the event.
Can I edit my application after submission?
No. Draft your application carefully and ensure that you write everything you need to write before submission. Please do not submit an application twice; this creates a lot of additional work for reviewers.
When will the submissions for the Wikimania scholarship be reviewed?
Submissions will be reviewed by the Scholarships working group on an ongoing basis.
How will scholarships be reviewed and awarded?
We will encourage you to provide the suitable answer and link accordingly on LimeSurvey. Once all surveys have successfully been completed and therefore all of the data has been collected, the Scholarship working group will jointly determine which people will become scholars.
When will I receive feedback around my scholarship application?
Offers will start going out in early March. All applicants will be notified of their outcome as quickly as possible. This may take a couple of weeks as some people's circumstances may prevent them from accepting. Other applicants will be referred to their affiliates if they choose that option.
How will applicants for scholarships be notified of the results?
We will use the e-mail address provided on the application to notify applicants. All applicants will be contacted at some point, regardless of the result. We encourage you to use your active email address or provide your active username account in the application form.
Where can I find support/help during the Wikimania application process?
The Core Organizing Team will organize meetings for different regions and will answer questions coming into wikimania-scholarships and Wikimania Telegram Channel.
In general, this support will cover:
wikimedia.org
- Clarifying questions on the submissions
- The Dos and Don’ts of application submissions
- The issues during the application submission
- Next steps after submissions
- What if I don’t get funded
Eligibility questions
Are the scholarships only for first-time Wikimania participants?
We will be prioritizing applications from those who best fulfill the criteria of contributing to the Wikimania experience. We will take into account how the scholarship would enhance the applicants' contributions to the mission after the event.
I am not part of an affiliate. How do I apply for funding?
Individuals are able to apply regardless of their affiliate membership status.
If I can't attend Wikimania in person, how can I participate?
There will be an option to join virtually as it will have elements of being a hybrid event. You may choose to organize a watch party, a local event with activities, or build your event around participation in Wikimania’s programme. This year though we will not be funding Wikimania-related events organized by affiliates from the Wikimania grants fund, funding for the meetup can be requested via the regular grant process.
What is the funding limit?
There is no dollar amount or value. There will be a balanced selection process across all regions.
I have received / not received a scholarship, and...
What are the requirements for reporting?
Instead of reporting, we are asking scholars to support by volunteering at the event for 4-6 hours. We will work with you on finding a role that suits your needs, skills and experience. You may write a report or a Diff post though, if you like!!
Can I pass my scholarship to someone else?
No. To provide equality, the scholarship was reviewed to a certain order of merits. If a recipient will confirm to decline it, we will pass it to the next person in the order of the review.
If I decline the scholarship for this year, can I pass it to next year’s Wikimania?
No. Each year Wikimania was set under different themes under the consideration of each COT in certain regions. We will encourage you to apply again for the following year, but we will ensure to consider your continuous valuable contribution in our review process.
If I didn’t receive a scholarship, can I ask the scholarship group to review my application again?
No. Our review process involves several meticulous steps, and regrettably, it can only be completed once.
I applied for a scholarship but did not get it. What do I do now?
Getting a scholarship is not necessary for attending Wikimania; you can also register to attend as long as you can cover your own costs.
If you can't cover your own costs, we strongly encourage you to get in touch with an affiliate in your region. They might be running their own scholarship program or hosting a local event!
Where should I contact for more information?
You may address your inquiries to wikimania-scholarships
wikimedia.org
Related affiliate events funding
(In the past years, this was called Satellite events)
Wikimedia affiliates may use funds already obtained through the Wikimedia Foundation General Support Fund (GSF) to run a Wikimania-related event locally, even if such an event was not initially included in their GSF proposal. The GSF grantees have the ability to move funds around their budget as needed, and, per the General Support Fund agreement, the Foundation only requests that Program Officers be informed if that variance is more than 20% from the original proposal.
We encourage all affiliates interested in hosting a Wikimania-related event to list their event details on the Related affiliate events subpage, so that affiliates may coordinate between themselves, encouraging collaboration and connection amongst Wikimedians and to better promote their events.
- Affiliates wanting to live stream into Wikimania should get in touch with the programme working group at
wikimaniaas soon as they have the details of their event.
wikimedia.org - The Core Organizing Team will provide technical support for groups wanting to livestream into Wikimania.
- Please use the talk page to discuss ideas.
I have more questions and they are not in this FAQ
You can reach out to the committee any time at wikimania-scholarships. We will be hosting open calls for everyone interested in Wikimania to come in and ask questions on: Programming, Grants, Logistics, Celebrations, how to get involved with Wikimania. These will be available soon.
wikimedia.org