Field Building Accelerator | Apply through December 15

THE Field BuildING ACCELERATOR

An Experiment Foundation Program

ABOUT THE ACCELERATOR

Some of the most transformative opportunities in science emerge outside established disciplines, institutions, and funding structures.

Field Builders identify these opportunities early. They connect ambitious researchers, mobilize resources, and create the networks and momentum needed for new areas of science to take shape.

Through the accelerator, you’ll design and launch your grant program, recruit researchers to apply, and fund the projects that best advance your field. You bring the vision, expertise, and connections. We provide the resources and operational support to help you build.

Each Field Builder will award $70,000 to researchers they recruit and receive a $5,000 honorarium for leading the work.

Applications are open now through December 15, 2026.

See How It Works

Our focus areas

Oceans

Science and technology that strengthens marine and coastal resilience.

Climate

High-leverage mitigation and adaptation niches that are underfunded relative to their potential impact.

Conservation Tech

Ideas and tools that expand what conservation can do.

Toxicity

Infrastructure for detecting and reducing chronic chemical exposure across air, water, soil, and consumer products.

Future Science

A home for field-forming ideas that do not yet fit existing categories.

Learning Together

There’s no single formula to building a field, and we’ll be learning together about what works and what doesn’t. The accelerator is itself an experiment in field building, run with metascience researchers who are studying the effects of the program.

As a Field Builder, you’ll be part of that experiment. Your experience will help shape how new fields get built in the future.

How the accelerator works

From an emerging idea to a research community.

Define your field: Identify an emerging area of scientific opportunity within one of the Accelerator's focus areas and share why it deserves support.

Design and launch your grant program: Publish a call for projects on Experiment inviting researchers to apply for funding.‍

Select and fund projects: Choose the projects you believe can advance your field, awarding $70,000 in grants of up to $10,000 each. ‍

Build momentum: Connect researchers, strengthen relationships, and help your field grow beyond the accelerator.

The accelerator runs for a year, but you set the pace. Most of the time commitment comes in the few weeks when you design and launch your grant program, recruit applicants, and choose projects.

Who we are looking for

Field Builders with:

A compelling vision: You can identify an important research opportunity just beyond the edge of current paradigms and explain why it deserves greater attention and support.

Genuine curiosity and independent thinking: You’re willing to explore new, unproven ideas, challenge established assumptions, and recognize potential in research that others may overlook.

The ability to connect people: You’re willing to find, build, and nurture a community of researchers exploring different directions. You may already be connected to potential grantees and are ready to seek out more.

Sound judgment: You can recognize promising research and talent, and make thoughtful funding decisions even without all the answers.

An entrepreneurial approach: You’re motivated to move ideas forward, build relationships, and create momentum in areas where established structures may not exist yet.

You don’t need to be an academic or have formal research credentials to be a Field Builder. No institutional affiliation is required.

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What you receive

$70,000 to award to researchers: Fund a portfolio of promising projects in your field, with grants of up to $10,000 each. These funds go directly to the researchers you select.

$5,000 honorarium: Compensation for your time and contributions to designing, launching, and managing your grant program.

A community of field builders: Join a cohort of at least 50 people working across emerging areas of science, sharing perspectives and challenges.

Dedicated operational support: Guidance on grant program development, outreach, and application review, with grant administration handled for you.

An opportunity to shape a new field: Help create the connections, early evidence, and momentum that an emerging scientific field needs to take hold.

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Key dates

November 10, 2026: Applications open

November 18, 2026: Virtual information session. Register here.

December 15, 2026: Applications close

February 2027: Field Builders announced

March 2027: Virtual orientation to meet your fellow Field Builders and publish your call for projects

Throughout 2027: Grant programs launch in waves

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Explore our FAQ with additional information about eligibility, the application process, program expectations, funding, and specific program mechanics.

For additional inquiries, contact Allison Lewis, Program Director, at allison@experiment.foundation.

See FAQs

Discover our early Field Builders

Hyperspectral Biology

Read reviews about the program

This is an incredibly important experiment to foster the emergence of new scientific fields, and to discover the next generation of field-builders.

Tom Kalil

CEO, Renaissance Philanthropy and Chair, Convergent Research

I had a vague notion that hyperspectral biology was a field that ought to exist, but I didn't have proofs of concept to pitch a larger program, and I didn't know who else was thinking about these ideas. The simple act of taking a relatively small amount of money and putting it in someone's hands changed that. This microgrant program is enabling me to build in this space, and it could be a stepping stone to an entirely new way of thinking about biology. I'm now raising funds to start a nonprofit research group focused on developing tools for long-range, or "force-controlled," biology.

Niko McCarty

Founding Editor of Asimov Press

Join us for an information session
Join the Experiment Foundation team for a virtual information session exploring the vision behind the Field Building Accelerator, the application process, and what it takes to launch a grant program on Experiment.

Virtual

November 18, 2026

Stay in touch

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The Field Building Accelerator is a project of the Experiment Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity supporting new ideas, people, and fields of science.
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