Burning Questions Fellowship Awards- objective, eligibility criteria, application process, selection and documents required
Tiny Beam Fund’s fellowship helps scholars produce actionable insights on industrial agriculture’s impact in vulnerable regions.
- What are the Burning Questions Fellowship Awards?
- Objectives of the Fellowship
- Eligibility Criteria & Financial Support
- How to Apply for Burning Questions Fellowship Awards
- Selection Process
- Why the Fellowship Matters
- FAQs
What are the Burning Questions Fellowship Awards?
The Burning Questions Fellowship Awards are imparted by the Tiny Beam Fund through its initiative called Burning Questions. These are nine-month fellowships for academic researchers (or small teams) that pursue critical, unexplored “burning questions” about the negative consequences of industrial animal agriculture, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). The aim of the fellowship is to create academic outputs and also practical guidance for NGOs, policymakers, and practitioners.
The focus is on issues and challenges related to environmental degradation, animal welfare, public health implications, and social justice connected to industrial animal agriculture.
Objectives of the Fellowship
The purpose of the fellowship is to support research that achieves impact in response to pressing, real-world questions and ensures the research findings will translate beyond the academic community. The fellowship has the following focal points:
- To finance research that responds to real-time, urgent questions posed by NGOs and funders regarding industrial animal agriculture; and especially in LMICs.
- To support research that creates usable, accessible outputs (instead of solely academic papers) for non-academic audiences. tinybeamfund.org
- To support researchers, whether early career or senior, to conduct a project directed at a topic of their choosing, as long as it responds to one burning question.
- To ensure research findings reach audiences outside of academia (e.g., guidance memos, stakeholder engagement).
Eligibility Criteria & Financial Support
The fellowship is interested in supporting qualified researchers and collaborative groups who develop and execute impactful projects concerning industrial animal agriculture. The following sections lay out eligibility requirements, as well as about what funding will be covered.
Eligibility
- Applicants should have a PhD or nearly have succeeded in submitting for a PhD.
- Independent researchers and academics working at institutions are eligible to apply with no restrictions related to citizenship or country of residence.
- Collaborative teams of up to five people are permitted, as long as the lead/PI is a PhD holder or is soon to be finished with their PhD.
- Research will focus on one of the “burning questions” in industrial animal agriculture in LMICs that we received submissions for.
Financial Support & Benefits
- The award will last for 9 months’ duration.
There are two categories of funding:
- Category 1: $60,000—project led by a PhD holder or team of PhD holders (up to 5 people).
- Category 2: $45,000—project led by or a PhD candidate near completion (or team of PhD or near completion).
- Important – all projects must produce a “Guidance Memo” (~ 8,000–10,000 words, in plain language) that summarizes key insights from the research and offer recommendations for audiences outside of academia.
- Fellows will be expected to share/disseminate findings with stakeholder audiences outside of academia (government officials/agency staff, NGOs and philanthropic organizations, impacted communities, etc.) via organized workshops, webinars, etc.
How to Apply for Burning Questions Fellowship Awards
The process for applying for the Burning Questions Fellowship Awards is intended to have the proposals closely aligned with needs for real-world research. The following points outline how to apply:
Monitor the Call
- The yearly call occurs once a year, typically in mid to late March or early April. For 2025, proposals were accepted March 19 – April 30, 2025.
Select or frame your question
- You may select one of the published “burning questions” or link your own research to the questions.
Prepare the Application Materials
- A curriculum vitae (including academic credentials/publications)
- A research proposal or project plan (detailed)
- A “Guidance Memo” format, which addresses how treatment will be translated into practice.
- If a team, identify the lead PI with their roles and contributions
Complete Application via Tiny Beam’s Portal
- Applications are made through the Tiny Beam Fund’s online portal during the window.
Selection & Evaluation
- Applications will be assessed based upon academic merit, alignment to burning questions, feasibility and potential impact outside of academic contexts.
For more details, check out the official website- https://tinybeamfund.org/Fellowship-Awards
Documents Required
The candidates for the Burning Questions Fellowship Awards are required to submit a series of documents to support their proposal and to demonstrate their research experience and qualifications. The following are the required documents:
- Your Curriculum Vitae (CV) documenting your educational background and track record of research.
- Your research idea in regards to the burning question you want to address.
- Your Guidance Memo plan / framework.
- Any publications or previous work (not required to be published).
- Your credentials as lead PI/student and information about any team members (if applicable).
Selection Process
The selection process for the Burning Questions Fellowship Awards assures that selected researchers will be able to develop actionable knowledge, and share it with the intended audiences and stakeholders. The following describes the selection process:
- Applications for the fellowships are reviewed once per year and awards are made at that time.
Fellows, who are selected for each fellowship-award cycle, conduct the following tasks:
- A Guidance Memo (8,000–10,000 words) written in straightforward language for stakeholders to use.
- A conversation (designed as workshops or stakeholder meetings) in non-academic venues to disseminate the guidance memo and associated research for others to utilize.
Since 2019, the fund has awarded more than 50 researchers these fellowships in a variety of countries and disciplines.
Why the Fellowship Matters
The Burning Questions Fellowship is innovative in its desire to support research that is informing and socially relevant, develops collaboration and ultimately leads to action. The following are points that will outline the significance of this fellowship:
- Promotes academically sound work that is also socially applicable.
- Creates bridges between scholars and practitioners on important environmental, animal welfare and public health issues.
- Provides significant funding to work full-time for 9 months.
- Facilitates global participation and collaboration – no country restrictions.
- Delivers actionable research in LMICs, often where the problem is at its highest impact.
Burning Questions Fellowship – FAQs
Q: Who is eligible to apply?
Ans: Applicants must have a PhD (or be near completion a PhD) and independent scholars. If you are applying as a team (up to 4 people) the lead/PI needs to meet the PhD/near completion requirement.
Q: Is there a limit to country and/or affiliation?
Ans: No—researchers from anywhere in the world may apply. You may apply as a university-based researcher, a research institute based, NGO, or independent researcher.
Q: What are the categories and award amounts?
Ans: There are two categories of award amounts. $60,000 for a PhD-led application (or for a team led by a PhD), and $45,000 for a near completion PD/styled led application. The full $60,000 (or $45,000)/ and all research and deliverables will be covered by the award for the full 9-month project period.
Q: What is the length of the fellowship?
Ans: Nine months—this is the full length of research and deliverables work.
Q: What is the main deliverable(s)?
Ans: A Guidance Memo that is in plain-language (approx. 8,000-10,000 words) for NGOs, policymakers, and practitioners, along with active dissemination to non-academic audiences (workshops, webinars, briefings).
Q: May I apply as part of a team?
Ans: Yes, Teams of up to 4 will be permitted to apply, the lead will need to meet the PhD/near-completion requirement.
Conclusion
The Tiny Beams’ Burning Questions Fellowship Awards provide a unique opportunity to transform rigorous academic research into something practically useful for NGOs, policy makers, and communities themselves, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The fellowship is characterized by large funding amounts, having a clear non-academic deliverable and a focus on real world impact. This fellowship track is for scholars who wish to see their work used not just published and if this is the case for you, keep your eye on Tiny Beams web page, and be ready to submit a solid, stakeholder-oriented proposal.
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