Deadline:
As soon as possible
Location(s)
Austria Finland France Germany Hong Kong Japan Latvia Norway Portugal Sweden Switzerland Taiwan United Kingdom United States of America Worldwide
Various locations
Overview
Falling Walls Lab is an international forum for the next generation of early-career innovators, trailblazers, creators, and visionaries.
Details
Its aim is to promote exceptional ideas and connect promising scientists and entrepreneurs from all fields on a global level. Participants, also known as Labsters, are given the opportunity to present their research, business model, or initiative to peers, a high-calibre jury of experts from academia and business, and the general public – in just 3 minutes.
Each year, academic institutions host local Falling Walls Labs to showcase the quality, diversity, and passion of their region’s most innovative minds. The winners of these Labs travel to the global Finale in Berlin on 8 November. 100 Labsters present their work in front of a distinguished jury and showcase their solutions to some of the biggest challenges of our time. All finalists win a ticket to attend the Falling Walls Conference, where they meet the world’s movers and shakers of science, business, and policymaking. The three winners of the Lab Finale in Berlin are awarded the title “Falling Walls Young Innovator of the Year”. They receive a prize money and the opportunity to pitch their idea once again on the grand stage of the Falling Walls Conference. The international network of Falling Walls Labs includes renowned academic institutions from over 60 countries. Stanford University, the ETH Zurich, the University of Tokyo, and the University of São Paulo are only a few of the universities that have recently participated in the Falling Walls Lab programme.
The Falling Walls Lab is organised by the Falling Walls Foundation and generously funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Berlin-Senate, Bayer Foundations, Google, Huawei, and Sartorius. It is supported by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
There are many reasons to apply:
- Be given a platform for your research and ideas
- Share your project, research work, or business ideas with other individuals dedicated to innovation
- Become a part of a global community breaking down walls in science and society
- Network and find new ways to collaborate with peers
- Win a trip (travel & accommodation included) to the global Finale in Berlin, Germany, including a ticket to the Falling Walls Conference
- Receive the opportunity to win a cash prize and to present on the grand stage of the Falling Walls Conference
OPEN CALLS (locations in 2026)
Students, entrepreneurs, early-career researchers, and academics of all disciplines are invited to pitch their innovative idea in 3 minutes, showcasing a breakthrough that creates a positive impact on science and society.
Join the growing community and win a trip to the global Finale!
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
Falling Walls Lab aims to reach a broad range of people from all professional backgrounds at the beginning of their careers. We are looking for university students and early-career professionals of all disciplines. Our aim is to provide our target demographic with a platform where they can present their innovative ideas and connect with fellow researchers and entrepreneurs from various fields. In order to pinpoint and reach these early-career innovators, we needed to develop a mechanism. We introduced our eligibility criteria to help us reach our target group and provide a level playing field for all participants.
Eligibility Criteria
You must be 18 years or older when submitting your application. There is no upper age limit for applicants.
You must fulfil at least one of the following formal requirements:
- You are currently enrolled at university as a student
- You received a Bachelor’s degree no more than 10 years ago
- You received a Master’s degree no more than 7 years ago
- You received a PhD no more than 5 years ago
*An MD (medical degree excl. a doctoral dissertation) is considered equivalent to a Master’s degree. A Dr. med. (medical degree incl. a doctoral dissertation) is considered equivalent to a PhD.
The jury uses three criteria to evaluate presentations:
- Breakthrough factor (50%): How innovative is the proposed idea?
- Relevance/Impact (40%): How relevant is the idea to the discipline and beyond?
- Structure/Performance (10%): How convincing was the presentation?
Dates
Deadline: As soon as possible
Cost/funding for participants
There are no costs/fees involved in participating in a Falling Walls Lab. Please note, however, that the Falling Walls Foundation and our international Lab organisers cannot cover the costs of travel/accommodation for international Labs.
There are many reasons to apply. Falling Walls Lab gives participants the opportunity to:
- share their research and ideas with other individuals dedicated to innovation
- become a part of a global community breaking down walls in science and society
- network and find new ways to collaborate with peers
- win a trip (travel & accommodation included) to the global finale in Berlin, Germany, including a ticket to the Falling Walls Science Summit. Breakthrough Winners additionally receive a cash prize and get to present their winning pitch on the grand stage of the Falling Walls Breakthroughs of the Year
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
