Frequently Asked Questions

  • Are there any restrictions on the cash prize?
    The cash prize is intended to be used to take the winning strategy to the next stage of development. BFI will remain in contact with the prize recipient for a minimum of one year to follow the progress of development.

  • Can I enter the Challenge via mail or email?
    No. Entries to the 2009 Buckminster Fuller Challenge will only be accepted online via this website. For detailed instructions about the entry process, please visit the How to Enter section.

  • How can I view previous entries, finalists, and winners?
    Previous entries to the Buckminster Fuller Challenge are displayed in the Idea Index. To get a sense of the sort of entries that have the potential to win the Challenge, take a look at the entries of the previous finalists and the 2008 winner.

  • Are entries limited to a particular area or field of endeavor?
    No, entries may relate to any field of human enterprise. Examples include: art, architecture, community development, design, decision support and visualization, education and learning, engineering, human health, industry, infrastructure and the built environment, innovations in finance and accounting, innovative use of existing technology and new technology innovations (actual technology artifacts and systems or software), policy and legislative initiatives, public awareness, and scientific discovery.

  • What topical themes are you looking for?
    Entries may relate to any topic or theme. We are interested in receiving entries that take a comprehensive approach to solving our most pressing problems.

  • How can I learn more about the ideas included in The Buckminster Fuller Challenge call for entries?
    We have provided a set of resource documents selected specifically to enrich your understanding of Design Science, sustainability, leverage points, etc – all of which speak directly to The Buckminster Fuller Challenge entry criteria. These resources can be found here.

    You can also find additional information on The Buckminster Fuller Institute website.

  • How far along does my solution need to be in order to be considered?
    Entries at the start–up stage are acceptable as well as those at more advanced stages of development. What is more important than the stage of development is the degree to which the prize monies will make an impact on the further development of your solution. It is our intention that prize monies will effect maximum advantageous change.

  • If I have a great solution, how much experience must I or my team have in order to enter The Challenge?
    The state of an applicant's or team's career is of less importance than the overall capacity of the team, the quality and feasibility of the solution itself, and its potential to be a "trimtab" (see definitions below). You and your team members need to be 18 years of age. If you are lacking in experience we suggest you make a strong case in your entry for your capacity and find highly experienced people who can vouch for you and your idea.

  • I know someone whose work should be considered to win this Challenge. Can I submit an entry on their behalf.
    There are special circumstances under which we will consider submissions made on behalf of someone else. For example, the originator of a solution may not know about the Challenge, does not have access to a computer or the internet, does not read/write/speak English, lives in a remote location without postal service, is too modest to enter on his/her own, etc.

    Entries entered on behalf of an individual/or team will be accepted if the following considerations are met:
    1. Permission must be granted by the project originator for someone else to enter the Challenge on their behalf.
    2. The project originator and/or the team leader must consent to the Terms and Conditions Agreement required in order to submit an entry to The Challenge.
    3. If the entry is invited to be considered beyond stage one of the Challenge selection process, the project leader must be available to respond to further inquiry (either directly or through a translator).
    4. If the entry wins the Challenge, the project leader (or representative selected by the project team) must be available to receive the prize in person at a ceremony (2009 conferring ceremony location to be announced).


  • What is a "trimtab"?
    Buckminster Fuller referred to the function of a trimtab in nautical and aeronautical design to demonstrate how small amounts of energy and resources precisely applied at the right time and place can produce maximum advantageous change.

    A large ship moving through the ocean has great momentum. Turning the rudder changes the direction of the ship but with great effort. Turning the trimtab — a tiny rudder on the trailing edge of the main rudder — causes an initial momentum allowing the main rudder to turn with less effort in pulling the whole ship around.

    Buckminster Fuller said, "When I thought about steering the course of the 'Spaceship Earth' and all of humanity, I saw most people trying to turn the boat by pushing the bow around."

    "I saw that by being all the way at the tail of the ship, by just kicking my foot to one side or the other, I could create the 'low pressure' which would turn the whole ship. If ever someone wanted to write my epitaph, I would want it to say 'Call me Trimtab'."

    From What's a Trimtab?

    "Something hit me very hard once, thinking about what one little man could do. Think of the Queen Mary — the whole ship goes by and then comes the rudder. And there's a tiny thing at the edge of the rudder called a trimtab.

    It's a miniature rudder. Just moving the little trim tab builds a low pressure that pulls the rudder around. Takes almost no effort at all. So I said that the little individual can be a trimtab. Society thinks it's going right by you, that it's left you altogether. But if you're doing dynamic things mentally, the fact is that you can just put your foot out like that and the whole big ship of state is going to go.

    So I said, call me Trimtab." — R. Buckminster Fuller, Barry Farrell (Playboy Interview, Feb 1972)

    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.

    For more definitions please visit www.answers.com/topic/trim-tab

  • How do I submit my processing fee?
    Please see the How To Enter section for detailed instructions for submitting your processing fee.

  • What is the selection process?
    A rigorous review of entries will be conducted by members of the Award Program Committee of the Buckminster Fuller Institute and a select group of advisors to ensure compliance with the eligibility requirements and fulfillment of the criteria for winning the Buckminster Fuller Challenge (What We're Looking For). The members of the 2009 review team are Joshua Arnow, Jay Baldwin, Matt Barron, Michael Ben-Eli, Bonnie DeVarco, Lucilla Marvel, David McConville, and Elizabeth Thompson.

    Entries that meet these standards will be invited to submit a more detailed proposal.

    The winner will be selected by a distinguished, international panel of jurors and announced to the public in May 2009.

  • Are there intellectual property issues I should be concerned about?
    Please review our Terms and Conditions for information about IP and other legal concerns.

  • Who is responsible for the Buckminster Fuller Challenge?
    Program design and planning as well as early review of entries is conducted by members of the Award Program Committee of the Board of Directors and the staff of the Buckminster Fuller Institute. This committee includes: Joshua Arnow, Mark Beam, Joseph Clinton, Jonathan Marvel (Chair), Lucilla Marvel, David McConville, Allegra Fuller Snyder, and Elizabeth Thompson.

    The work of the committee has been greatly enhanced with the help of key advisors: Bonnie DeVarco, Jim Fournier, Jay Baldwin, Michael Ben-Eli, Hardin Tibbs, and Gregory Watson.

    The staff of the Buckminster Fuller Challenge include:
    Program Director: Elizabeth Thompson
    Program Manager: JenJoy Roybal
    Development: David Shearer
    Legal Counsel: Tom Cohen