Next Generation Leaders
The Spirit of Asilomar’s Next Generation Leaders (NGL) program supports young- to mid-career actors who seek to contribute to and lead towards better biotic futures.
Awardees will be provided with transportation to and from the conference, covered registration, and lodging and meals for the duration of the event. Awardees will be invited and expected to be full participants in the discussions at hand and will additionally be offered dedicated mentorship and networking opportunities.
One critique of the 1975 meeting was that many were excluded. Most notable was the exclusion of younger people. One then young biologist who was not invited--but later became a prominent university president--shared recently, “I was a victim of Asilomar,” meaning that decisions made by others in 1975 influenced what she could do.
Because she and other next generation leaders were excluded from the 1975 convening, subsequent discussions for how to govern ongoing developments in emerging biotechnology have remained relatively static even as events, from bioterrorism to pandemics, reveal the urgent need for continuous and self-renewing leadership.
To directly address this issue we will include 50 next generation leaders as full participants in the 2025 convening. These young leaders will form a global fellowship who together can serve as catalysts for strategic, proactive, and effective governance of biotechnologies not just today but over the next 50 years.
This program supports early career scholars, from undergraduates to assistant professors, across the humanities to the natural sciences and engineering; from early career leaders in government and civil society organizations; and from early career professionals in the arts. International applications are particularly encouraged.
Fellows will be selected based on their potential for extraordinary future contributions and leadership along with accomplishments to date. Selection of the fellowship will also consider the overall diversity of perspectives, backgrounds, interests, and capabilities along with geographic region.
Applications are now closed. Thank you for your interest.
To nominate yourself or someone else to attend this conference, please click here.