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Wikimania
The Wikimania is the annual main conference of the Wikimedia movement, which brings together volunteers from Wikimedia projects, employees of Wikimedia organizations and other people interested in Free Knowledge. It takes place physically at a different location every year, but has also included online participation opportunities since 2021. The conference is an opportunity to get to know colleagues from all over the world, their motivations, activities and projects, to learn from each other and bring new ideas for the Wikimedia projects and adjacent initiatives into the public. The current German-language Wikimania portal can be found on Wikipedia:Wikimania.
In a defined scholarship awarding process, a jury will determine the successful applications. |
Which Wikimedia chapters are providing scholarships?
The Wikimedia Foundation is once again providing a large number of scholarships for Wikimania 2025. All information is available on the Wikimania wiki.
Wikimedia Deutschland is providing a total of 15 participation scholarships for Wikimania 2025 (7 individual and 4 tandem scholarships). Further information is available on this page.
Wikimedia Austria and Wikimedia CH do not provide scholarships for on-site participation at Wikimania 2025.
What is covered by a Wikimania scholarship?
A fixed number of full scholarships will be offered each year, depending on the current budget and the expected costs (esp. travel expenses). Wikimedia Deutschland is providing a total of 15 participation scholarships for Wikimania 2025 (7 individual and 4 tandem scholarships).
A full scholarship always covers the following costs:
- travel costs
- accommodation costs at the hotel booked by WMDE
- registration fee
- public transportation fees for on-site travels, round trips to the airport/railway station
- visa costs if required
The travel arrangement will take place in coordination with Wikimedia Deutschland. Please plan your own travel arrangements only after prior consultation. Hotel bookings are made directly by Wikimedia Deutschland.
How do I apply for a Wikimania scholarship?
Applicants must fulfill the following formal requirements:
- submit a fully and truly completed application form
- show activity in the Wikimedia projects
- reside in the sphere of the Wikimedia chapter (exceptions are possible for the additional scholarships)
- have good communication skills in English
- for previous scholarship recipients: have fully submitted scholarship reports for all previous scholarships
- age of majority in the country of residence, the country of the Wikimedia chapter in charge, and the country of the upcoming Wikimania conference; resp. permanent escorted by parent/legal guardian
- commit to
- submit a report in the given format
- mark all media files which have been created during Wikimania and uploaded to Wikimedia Commons, in accordance with the guidelines ({{Supported by Wikimedia Deutschland|year={{CURRENTYEAR}}}})
Applications have to be submitted by the published deadline through a standardized form with questions about activity and motivation for the attendance, which are explained in more detail below.
Which questions do I have to expect?
The jury decision will be based on the answers on these subjects in the application form:
- activity in the Wikimedia projects: How have you been active in and around the Wikimedia projects, especially in the last 12 months, or are you planning activities in 2025? A list of notes is sufficient and it’s also fine to provide links for your activities and documentations.
- motivation and goals for participating at Wikimania: What are your expectations from your participation at Wikimania? How would you like to contribute to this year's Wikimania theme? Do you also intend to participate actively there (e.g., submitting a presentation, organizing a meetup, maybe participating in the hackathon, helping out as a local volunteer)? How would you like to share your experiences?
For each subject of questions we expect between 1500 and 2500 characters, including spaces.
For submitting your application, the only personal data which you have to transfer are your real name, user name, email address, country of residence. In case of a successful application, following private data is required: real name, residential address, phone number, contact data for your emergency contact and, in case your travel is booked by the Wikimedia chapter, additional information like date of birth or bank account data for reimbursements. For further information, please take a look at the data protection regulations of Wikimedia Deutschland (https://www.wikimedia.de/datenschutz#datacollection).
Who will decide on my application?
Wikimedia Deutschland will have an jury for the decision on the applications which will be composed of members of the German-language Wikimedia community, staff or board members of Wikimedia Deutschland and, ideally, international Wikimedia community members.
The jury receives a collection of all applications. The final decisions will be made in a final jury meeting. The results, including waiting slots, are forwarded to the Wikimedia chapter. The result of the application process will be communicated by the Wikimedia chapter. See below for more information on the jury.
Are there exclusion criteria for scholarships?
The decision on the granting of scholarships is made by the jury. However, some criteria lead to a direct exclusion from the scholarship programme at Wikimedia Deutschland:
- Not eligible for grants / volunteer support from Wikimedia Deutschland, e.g. due to Fördersperre (support ban).
- Globally blocked / banned by the Wikimedia Foundation or the community; event banned by the Wikimedia Foundation.
- Violation of the scholarship agreement in previous years, e.g. received a scholarship in 2023 or 2024 but did not complete the post-conference report(s) within the agreed period.
- International application without a German tandem partner or without a submitted application from the potential German tandem partner.
- Members of the WMDE scholarship jury for the allocation of the participation scholarships for Wikimania 2025.
- Minors – in Germany: under 18 years of age – who would be traveling without a parent or legal guardian. (Travel costs for a parent or legal guardian are not covered by the scholarship.)
What is expected from me after Wikimania?
As one of the requirements for a scholarship, a written report has to be published at the end of the next month after Wikimania. For every Wikimania, a joint place for collecting the reports will be provided.
Each report has to consist of two parts:
- a statement to a single session of 1500 to 2000 characters, including spaces
- an answer to the question How did my attendance push me forward and have I been able to share something with others afterwards? of 1500 to 2000 characters, including spaces
Beyond these formal reports, scholarship recipients are encouraged to voluntarily share their experiences and learning on other platforms like writing blog posts for the special edition of the Wikipedia:Kurier, sharing stories at local roundtable discussions or holding workshops back home which can get support from the Wikimedia chapters.
- Scholarship for covering the registration fee (more information will follow soon)
- Tandem scholarship by Wikimedia Deutschland
Specific full scholarships
- Full tandem scholarship by Wikimedia Deutschland
To promote international exchange, Wikimedia Deutschland offers the possibility of tandem applications: Engaged community members from Germany, both first-time and returning applicants, can apply for a Tandem Scholarship together with international community members in addition to their normal application.- International Tandem Partners residing outside these regions are preferred, as chapters in Northern, Western, Southern, and Central Europe often have their own scholarship processes, making participation easier. Applicants living in Germany are asked to find their own partner. Both potential tandem partners must complete the application form independently and outline the planned joint activities at Wikimania in the fields provided.
- It is possible that not all tandems will receive a scholarship, depending on the number of tandem applications. In this case, the German-based applicants in the tandem are automatically eligible to apply for scholarships in the other categories. This means that all applicants from Germany have an equal chance of being granted a scholarship, regardless of whether they apply alone or as a tandem.
Deadlines
Number of scholarships
Jury 2025 Information to follow Application Contact details if you have further questions: wikimania Consultation hour
The consultation hours take place via Big Blue Button (instance of Wikimedia Deutschland, see Wikipedia:Förderung/WikiVideoCon for more information). Participation is subject to the Förderrichtlinien, data regulations of Wikimedia Deutschland and the rules for video conferences. The support guidelines of Wikimedia Deutschland are valid for this program. |
