TED Prize TED Prize

What is the TED Prize (and how can you win next year’s)?

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What do a British chef, an education technology professor and a pioneering ocean researcher have in common? They’re all winners of the TED Prize – a cash award of $1,000,000 that’s given annually to a forward-thinking individual with a fresh, bold vision for sparking global change.

The Prize begins with a big wish – one that will motivate people around the world to get involved. Imagine an inspiring, high-impact idea that needs the support of a global community of activists, big thinkers and social entrepreneurs. Each TED Prize winner is a rare and powerful combination: someone who knows how to capture imaginations as well as how to make a measurable impact. From Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution (2010) to Sugata Mitra’s School in the Cloud (2013) to Charmian Gooch and her campaign against anonymous companies (2014), the TED Prize has helped to tackle child obesity, advance education, improve global health and inspire art.

We may just have announced 2015 TED Prize winner — Dave Isay of StoryCorps, who’ll share his wish for the world on March 17, at the TED2015 conference. But we’re already looking for our 2016 TED Prize winner. The deadline for this year’s applications is March 31, 2015, so nominate yourself or someone else you think might fit the bill. Anyone can win the TED Prize — while TED Fellows, speakers and community members will be considered, this is a prize open to anyone with a great idea and a track-record that shows they can accomplish it.

Here’s a guide to filling out the nomination form — and here some tips for writing a killer application.

Now, make a nomination for the 2016 TED Prize »

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Note: This post originally ran in March of 2014. It was updated on January 13, 2015, when nominations for the 2016 TED Prize opened.