2026:Scholarships
Liberté, Équité, Fiabilité
Wikimania 2026 Scholarships
The Wikimania 2026 Scholarships Application has closed.
We will be reviewing the scholarship applications and get back to every applicant!
What is a Wikimania Travel Scholarship?
A scholarship is a grant given to an individual to enable them to attend Wikimania 2026 in person. Scholarship recipients are selected by the Scholarships Committee of the Wikimania 2026 Core Organizing Team, and funds are provided by the Wikimedia Foundation.
Scholarships cover flights, accommodation, registration, daily per diem to cover incidentals and meals during the event pre-conference and conference days, as well as limited medical insurance. Depending on the initial round of scholarship confirmations, there may be a small number of partial scholarships available.
The application form for a Wikimania Travel Scholarship for Wikimania 2026 was open from September 10 to October 31, 2026.
Who can apply?
As in the past, anyone who is able to prove contribution to or activities in Wikimedia is welcome to apply. Examples are as follows:
- Active involvement (other than just membership and fulfilling member duties) in some form of Wikimedia group or organization (committee, hub, chapter, thematic organization, or user group)
- Participation in Wikimedia-organized events (e.g., photographers contributing to Wiki Loves Monuments, workshop attendees)
- Participation in a Wikimedia program (e.g., GLAM partnership or education program)
- Organization of Wikimedia events or contests (e.g., WLM, edit-a-thons)
- Being a steward, CheckUser, VRT member, interface admin, admin, or other advanced rights holder (current or former)
- Being a Wikimedia Foundation grantee
- MediaWiki code contributions, gadget or other tool-building for Wikimedia projects
These are just examples, though. Go to the section Detailed advice, read the recommendations in the table, and think about 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, you can email wikimania-scholarships@wikimedia.org.
What is the process for a Wikimania scholarship?
In general, we expect the workflow for funding decisions to go through the following steps:
- Individuals submit the application forms via LimeSurvey.
- Individuals will see a confirmation screen and will be guided to save the submission as a PDF if they wish to do so.
- The Scholarships working group reviews for eligibility.
- The Scholarships working group reviews applications and makes decisions. We will also run a Trust & Safety process to confirm your eligibility in the later stage of the process.
- Individuals are informed of the decision and are asked for personal information to enable the Wikimedia Foundation to book transport and accommodation.
- The Wikimedia Foundation books and confirms transport and accommodation.
Orientation sessions
The Core Organizing Team has hosted open calls for everyone interested in applying for a scholarship for Wikimania 2026. The calls were held in the four official event languages: Arabic, English, French, and Spanish. Please find the recorded versions below.
Agenda *Introduction to Wikimania 2026 * Overview of the scholarship application and selection process * Live Q&A
Advice for filling out the application form
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. We recommend working on your application in a separate document and copy/pasting over your answers when ready, to avoid any risk of losing your work. Please do not submit an application twice.
- In the last page of the application form, you will see the option to print your submission. This option will guide you to export the application to PDF format for your own personal back up — only if needed.
- You may submit your application in any of the Wikimania 2026 languages–Arabic, French, English or Spanish. If possible, do consider submitting in one of these languages as they are the languages 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. |
| The theme for Wikimania 2026 is “Freedom, Equity, Reliability.” What does this mean to you? | We are looking for creative and insightful answers on how this theme resonates with your contributions to Wikimedia. How has your work contributed to supporting “Freedom, Equity, and Reliability” within our movement? One paragraph answer is recommended. Please support any references to your own work with links where possible. |
| If a person asked you, “what impact have you or your local community 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. |
| 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? | For this question, we are mostly assessing the last 18 months of involvement and activities, so please be intentional in underlining 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 2026? 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 2026. A bullet point list with some explanation/context is a fine format for this response. |
| Are you a functionary on the Wikimedia projects? 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. | Last year, Wikimania successfully launched its first pre-conference event for users with extended rights, awarding 50 scholarships to support participation and fostering discussions on safety, privacy, and tools. We are interested in learning more about the characteristics of applicants with extended user rights. Please provide some examples of your work, adding links where possible. |
| If you have used AI tools other than translation, grammar, or spell-checking tools to complete any part of this application, please copy and paste all AI queries below. Failure to comply with these instructions may result in the revocation of your scholarship. This information will not be shared with reviewers. | This question will not be taken into account for the evaluation, as it aims to identify how we use AI and enable us to explain it. |
Criteria for immediate refusal
Applications will fail phase 1 if any of the following failing criteria apply:
- The applicant received a scholarship in 2025 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.
The Core Organizing Team (COT) 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 2026 take place?
Wikimania 2026 will take place in Paris, France.
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, it must be on the basis of their volunteer work. 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. Applicants will be fairly considered regardless of the region in which they reside and that region’s proximity or distance to the event.
What is the process?
When will the Wikimania 2026 scholarship application open and end?
The application phase opens on September 10, 2025 and closes on October 31st, 2025.
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 submitting 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 one of the four official languages of the event: French, English, Spanish, or Arabic. You will need a working level of French or 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 applications have been successfully 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 on my scholarship application?
Offers will start going out in January. 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@wikimedia.org and Wikimania Telegram Channel. In general, this support will cover:
- 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. Applicants will be fairly considered regardless of the region in which they reside and that region’s proximity or distance to the event.
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 Core Organizing Team 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, 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 wikimania@wikimedia.org as soon as they have the details of their event.
- The Core Organizing Team will provide technical support for groups wanting to livestream into Wikimania.
- Please use the Related affiliate events 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@wikimedia.org. 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.