.svg)
Apply
A Call for Daring Minds & Wild Ideas
Do you have a project—or even just a strange, stubborn thought—that doesn’t quite fit anywhere? A radical idea that refuses to stay in its disciplinary box? Do you wonder how to teach bacteria to write poetry? Create the sublime with AI? Rethink human potential in a post-human world?
If you’re the kind of person who lies awake at night haunted by impossible questions, by the urge to explore uncharted territories and think sideways, we want to hear from you.
Building 21 and Mila (Quebec’s Artificial Intelligence Institute) are thrilled to launch the Beautiful Limitless Unconstrained Exploration Fellowship (BLUE) at Building 21 open to all students, regardless of discipline, background, or year.
Apply under one of two themes:
- The Edge of AI
- Open (because some ideas don’t fit into themes, and that’s the point)
BLUE is more than a fellowship, it’s a mindset. Over the past 9 years, Building 21 has supported over 200 scholars across 12 cohorts who dared to think differently. If selected, you’ll have full access to Building 21 to design, build, and test your original idea, with the time, space, and freedom to push the boundaries of conventional research.
You’ll join a vibrant community of explorers, inventors, artists, philosophers, misfits, and bold thinkers. You’ll learn to ask better questions, think more courageously, and see further.
The fellowship will take place at Building 21, McGill University (651 Sherbrooke St. West) from 12 January 2026 to 3 April 2026. Selected fellows commit to spending at least 10 hours a week in person at Building 21 during the duration of the fellowship
Les projets en français sont également les bienvenue.
Fellowship Themes
Whether you come from the humanities, sciences, medicine, law, education, engineering, creative arts (not exhaustive!), if you have an idea for a BLUE project that courageously interprets, researches, or uses AI from your interdisciplinary background and unique perspective, we welcome you to apply.
If you are curious about an idea that falls outside the bounds of your traditional research domain, the open track fellowship encourages you to dive in and explore.
Details
Position type
Building 21 Fellow
Grant
$3000 each
Duration
12 weeks
12 January 2025 - 3 April 2025
This is not for credit
FAQ
Eligibility and Requirements
Open to all
- McGill graduate students including McGill-Mila students (Master's, PhD, Postdoctoral)
Who are in good academic standing and have received permission from their supervisor. Students who have already been employed by Building 21 or received a fellowship from Building 21 are not eligible.
Students may apply individually or in pairs, though individual applications will be given priority due to the high volume of applicants. Graduate students will need to confirm that they have received permission from their supervisor.
Fellows will be required to work out of—and be physically present at—Building 21 for a minimum of 10 hours per week over the course of the semester-long Fellowship. In-person presence at B21 leads to essential interdisciplinary connections and conversations.
We guarantee that we will not use any idea for future projects without consent; however, please stipulate in your application if you would like your idea to remain confidential if you are not selected for the fellowship.
What it means to be a BLUE fellow
Be present at Building 21 at least 10 hours per week.
This includes:
- Developing and presenting your project
- Being an active, generous, rigorous, and tolerant member of the community
- Attending one Lightning talk (brainstorming session) per week
- Participating in regularly scheduled talks and discussions
- Scheduling regular project check-ins at least twice per month with Ollivier Dyens (mentorship), Isabella Chiavarallotti (methodology) or Alex N. Chen (storytelling)
- Follow our community guidelines
How to submit a successful application
Important: articulate the unknown that you are trying to uncover! In your application, think about the question or the unknown that you are trying to get at and articulate it in your application.
The application should highlight the originality, boldness, and creativity of the idea submitted. We are looking for students who are passionate, engaged, autonomous, and are obsessed with knowledge and learning.
Short-listed students may be called for an interview during which they will be expected to explain their rationale for applying, and their overall goals.
Don’t have enough time to be a BLUE fellow?
Building 21 hosts Open Days every Wednesday, 10am - closing. Open to the entire McGill Community: students, faculty, and staff. No appointment necessary. Just drop by and come experience Building 21!
Use this time to develop your ideas and potential projects together with the Building 21 community.
Open Day activities can be found at building21.ca/calendar.
Community Guidelines
Building 21 is an ongoing experiment in creative and exploratory scholarship. Everyone who enters is a participant in this shared experience, and your presence and actions shape the culture of this space. We ask that you are considerate in how you interact with it.
In case of emergency, do not hesitate to reach out to any of the numbers below
McGill Security Services: 514-398-6378
General Security Inquiries: 514-398-4556
Emergencies: 514-398-3000
Ethos
Kindness & Respect: Treat everyone with dignity, listen with openness, and assume goodwill
Generosity: Share ideas, time, and care for the space and the people in it
Openness to New Ideas: Be curious. Engage in constructive conversation and collaboration
Tolerance: Welcome diverse perspectives and experiences
Space
Building 21 is a dedicated workplace for scholars actively pursuing projects.
We ask that you refrain from using this space for work unrelated to their B21 project.
When you come in, come with the intention to
- Work on your project, experiment, or research.
- Start or join meaningful conversations with other scholars.
- Contribute to the collective atmosphere of creativity.
Care for the space as if it were your own
- Introduce yourself to people you don’t know.
- Leave no trace—tidy, reset furniture, wash dishes, and treat equipment gently.
- Take off your shoes or boots when entering.
Hard rules
- School work: Please refrain from using the space for coursework or studying for classes
- Access: Only let in people you know or who are registered for an event (event hosts verify guests)
- Hours: Use the space only during regular hours (Mon–Fri, 10 AM–5 PM) unless approved by B21 staff
- Emergency Exits: Do not use emergency exits except in an actual emergency
- Alcohol: No alcohol without an official permit (violation = immediate suspension of access)
Gifts and Responsibilities
Gifts: We provide you with support and offer you the path to many different perspectives and ideas. We will encourage you to be bold and creative. But we will not hold your hand. We will create the conditions for your success, but we will not map the path for you. We will also challenge your ideas. Because we care deeply about your project.
Responsibilities: Support others. Suggest ideas and thoughts. Enrich them with your perspective. Be present, mentally and physically, be generous, be compassionate. We are a community of scholars. Help us create the community.