The Activate Fellowship (U.S. Cohort 2027) is a two-year program for scientists and engineers who are commercializing hardware technology for the first time. Applications close on October 30, 2026 at 12 p.m. Pacific Time. Fellows receive a $100,000 annual living stipend and $100,000 in R&D support. Applicants must be legally able to work in the United States.
For Impact DOTS readers, this is a narrow call. It suits technical founders already based in the U.S. or authorized to work there, and it is a useful reference for funders tracking early hard-tech pipelines.
At a glance
| Deadline | October 30, 2026, 12 p.m. PT |
| Who can apply | Hard-tech founders with a bachelor’s degree and 4+ years of research, engineering or technology development experience, legally able to work in the U.S. |
| Support | $100,000 living stipend per year, $100,000 R&D support, $12,000 per year for travel and professional development, health insurance stipend, relocation allowance |
| Location | Five U.S. communities: Berkeley, Boston, Houston, New York, or Anywhere (in the U.S.) |
| Cost to apply | No application fee is listed on the application page |
| Official link | activate.org/apply |
Who can apply to the Activate Fellowship?
Activate lists these requirements for Cohort 2027:
- A bachelor’s degree and 4+ years of post-baccalaureate scientific research, engineering or technology development experience.
- Leading the commercial development of a hardware-based technology innovation for the first time.
- Full-time commitment to the proposed project or company if awarded.
- Legal ability to work in the U.S. for the duration of the fellowship.
- Proficient English.
- A project based in the physical or biological sciences or related engineering disciplines, with no more than $2M raised in debt or equity from non-governmental sources.
The U.S. work authorization rule is the one that decides most international readers’ eligibility. Activate’s page does not offer a route around it, so applicants without that authorization should not plan on applying.
What does the fellowship provide?
The Cohort 2027 application page lists a $100,000 living stipend per year, $100,000 in R&D support and $12,000 per year in travel and professional development funds. It also lists a health insurance stipend and a relocation allowance. Activate’s fellowship page describes the program as a two-year U.S. fellowship with no equity taken.
Up to two co-applicants can apply for the same project. Activate funds one individual per project, the Principal applicant. Co-applicants become Activate Affiliate Fellows with the same access benefits.
How to apply
- Read the eligibility section on the official application page and pick the community that fits where you live or can relocate.
- Prepare the components Activate lists: Resume and Community, Technical Vision, Technical Reality, and Personal Statements.
- Record the 60-second video demonstration, filmed in one continuous take.
- Submit before October 30, 2026 at 12 p.m. PT. The Berkeley community (Cyclotron Road) also states the date as October 30, 2026.
Advice from the Impact DOTS team
- Check the funding cap first. Activate excludes projects that have raised more than $2M from non-governmental sources.
- Be exact about “first time.” The call is for founders leading commercial development of hardware technology for the first time.
- Write the Technical Vision and Technical Reality sections around the de-risking work Activate says it looks for.
- Choose your community honestly. Each has its own location expectation, from relocating to the Bay Area to commuting to New York three times a month.
- Funders scanning pipelines can use the cohort page as a dated reference for what Activate screens for, without assuming anything about who is selected.
FAQ
Can applicants outside the United States apply?
Only if they are legally able to work in the U.S. for the whole fellowship. Without that authorization, the requirements are not met.
Is there an application fee?
The application page does not list one.
Can a team apply together?
Yes, up to two co-applicants, but funding goes to the Principal applicant only.
Does the project have to be hardware?
Yes. Activate asks for a hardware-based technology innovation in the physical or biological sciences or related engineering.
Sources
- Activate: apply to the U.S. Fellowship, Cohort 2027
- Activate: the fellowship
- Cyclotron Road: how to apply
