Quick Facts

Past Winners // Entry Criteria // Glossary // FAQ

Each year a distinguished jury will award a $100,000 prize to support the development and implementation of a strategy that has significant potential to solve humanity’s most pressing problems.

The Buckminster Fuller Challenge was launched in 2007 with the first award in 2008.

To Date…
640 Entries
25 Jurors
20 Advisors
90 Semi-finalists
3 Runner-Ups
3 Challenge Winners


From all the entrants over 450 have published their proposal in the Idea Index in the last three years.

Past Winners:

2010 2009 2008

Entry Criteria:

The winning solution should exemplify the trimtab principle, address a well-defined need of critical importance, represent a preferred state model and the team must demonstrate the capacity to move it forward. In addition, entries must be:

  • Comprehensive — applies a whole systems approach to all facets of the design and development process; aims to simultaneously address multiple goals, requirements, conditions and issues;

  • Anticipatory — factoring in critical future trends and needs as well as projected impacts of implementation in the short and long term;
  • Ecologically responsible — reflecting nature's underlying principles while enhancing the Earth’s life-support systems;
  • Feasible — relying on current know-how, technology and existing resources;
  • Verifiable — able to withstand rigorous empirical testing;
  • Replicable — able to scale and adapt to a broad range of conditions.

The winning strategy will integrate all these criteria into a powerful catalyst having the potential to play a significant role in the transition to an equitable and sustainable future for all.

Glossary

Buckminster Fuller
Buckminster Fuller was one of our world's first futurists and global thinkers. His 1927 decision to work always and only for all humanity led him to address the largest global problems. He realized early on that by examining global problems in the context of the whole system-the whole planet-he would have the best chance of identifying large-scale trends that would allow him to anticipate the critical needs of humanity.
» read more at bfi.org


Design Science
Design Science is an approach to solving problems developed by Buckminster Fuller. It's an approach that informs the basis of our entry criteria. In the words of Buckminster Fuller, Design Science is "effective application of the principles of science to the conscious design of our total environment in order to help make the Earth's finite resources meet the needs of all humanity without disrupting the ecological processes of the planet."

» read more on our Resources page
» read more at bfi.org

Trimtab
Trimtabs are small steering devices used on ships and airplanes which demonstrate how relatively small amounts of leverage, energy, and resources strategically applied at the right time and place can produce maximum advantageous change. In design science, the trimtab metaphor is used to describe an artifact, or system, specifically designed and placed in the environment at such a time, in such a place, where its effects would be maximized, thereby effecting the most advantageous change with the least resources, time and energy. Doing more with less. Buckminster Fuller often describe himself as a trimtab and had "Call me Trimtab" inscribed on his grave.