About the Prize

2009 Challenge Winner
Left to right: Andres Sevtsuk, Dimitris Papanikolaou, William Lark Jr., Arthur Petron, Michael Chia-Liang Lin, Charles Guan, Ryan Chin. (Photo by Cassandra Davis)
June 6th, 2009: The second annual Buckminster Fuller Challenge prize was awarded to MIT's Smart Cities group for their winning project 'Sustainable Personal Mobility and Mobility on Demand'. The team of seven students received the Omni-Oculi prize sculpture and a check for $100,000. The ceremony at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago included presentations by the winning team, the runner-up project 'Dreaming New Mexico', represented by Kenny Ausubel of the Bioneers, and a panel discussion with 2009 jurors Bill Browning and Edie Farwell moderated by Susan Szenasy of Metropolis Magazine.

Following the ceremony was a reception within the Merchandise Mart, where international designer Bruce Mau gave a presentation in front of Fuller's 25' Fly's Eye dome.

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“We're disappointed our entry was not advanced beyond this stage, but the process our team went through to grapple with the entry criteria has deeply influenced the development of our project.”

-2008 Participant



WHAT TO EXPECT FOR THE 2010 CYCLE



WINNER
The Winner (individual or team) will receive a $100,000 cash prize to support the on-going development and implementation of their winning solution
Additional benefits conferred to the winning entry include:

  • Round trip airfare (accommodations included) to receive the prize at a ceremony to which the press and guests will be invited.
  • The OmniOculi sculpture created for the Buckminster Fuller Challenge by artist Tom Shannon.
  • Opportunities to present winning work at events organized by the Buckminster Fuller Institute in the United States and abroad, subject to funding.
  • Opportunities to present winning work to the international press.
  • Exposure of winning work through the Buckminster Fuller Institute's outreach programs.
  • Work will be featured in the Buckminster Fuller Challenge Idea Index.

FINALIST:
Finalists in the Challenge will receive:

  • Featured recognition of work through the Buckminster Fuller Institute's outreach programs.
  • Presentation of work in the Buckminster Fuller Challenge Idea Index.
  • An in-depth exchange about the project.

SEMI-FINALIST:
Semi-Finalists in the Challenge will receive:

  • Featured recognition of work through the Buckminster Fuller Institute's outreach programs.
  • Presentation of work in the Buckminster Fuller Challenge Idea Index.

ENTRY PARTICIPANTS:
Participants who 'opt-in' and whose entries meet the criteria will have their work featured in the Buckminster Fuller Challenge Idea Index. Feedback will be given in a general statement to provide some perspective on the overall body of work. Entries to the Challenge will not be published in the Idea Index until the selection process has been completed.

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» Press




Bucky had it right. “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”

That’s why we’re awarding a $100,000 prize each year for comprehensive solutions that radically advance human well-being and ecosystem health.


» Idea Index