Common Grant Questions

Common Grant Questions and Answers

Marcin Jakubowski PhD - Biography

Dr. Marcin Jakubowski is a Princeton graduate with a PhD in Physics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is a 2012 Shuttleworth Fellow and a 2012 Senior TED Fellow with the highest viewed TED Talk of all time that was ranked #6 on the 2011 Best of TED List issued by the Huffington Post.

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TED Biography Marcin came to the U.S. from Poland as a child. He graduated with honors from Princeton and earned his PhD in fusion physics from the University of Wisconsin. Frustrated with the lack of relevance to pressing world issues in his education, he founded Open Source Ecology in 2003 in order to make closed-loop manufacturing a reality. He began development on the Global Village Construction Set (GVCS) (see http://vimeo.com/16106427), an open source DIY tool set of 50 different industrial machines necessary to create modern civilization. His main interest is evolving to freedom by eliminating resource scarcity as the main force behind geopolitical relations - with the wise use of modern technology adapted for human service.

"I am a boundary-crossing iconoclast who believes that material well-being should not be a privilege that only the few can enjoy. I believe that the necessity 'to make a living' should not be an underlying force in civilization that prevents people from pursuing their true passions. I am convinced that by injecting a little wisdom into our technology, we can tame technology for true human service. I believe that open society and open source economic development is a route to abundance and prosperity for all. I am convinced that until we learn to share, there will not be enough for everybody. Sharing means engaging in open source economic development. Open source economic development is an economic paradigm where everybody has access to best practices, optimized product designs, and access to local production. I believe that one day, open access to the means of economic production may become a favored option over monopoly money - and stimulate much higher levels of innovation that are currently possible. I am also convinced that economies based on artificial scarcity are coming to the end of their useful life. Abundance is not an airy ideal - but a state of mind and a rigorous condition where people have not only the access to knowledge and tools of production - but also to free time in which to cultivate their wisdom, honor, and happiness. I am dedicating my life to live by these principles, and to make this a practical option for anyone who chooses to do so.

In practical terms, I am looking for collaborators who are interested in developing a world-class center for open source product development - with the stated goals of eradicating poverty as we know it; increasing meaning in peoples' lives; and evolving to freedom beyond material scarcity - while living regeneratively with balance in our life support systems. I am looking for people who endorse open source culture - to the point of understanding that open, collaborative development - if carried out effectively - has the potential to produce results far beyond and fear-based development path. To date, nobody has figured out how to truly leverage open economic development for disruptive social change. There are many hints that this is happening, but to date, open economic development has been grossly under-utilized. Our Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal is to develop and propel the open source economic development methodology into the mainstream."

See my CV at http://openfarmtech.org/wiki/Marcin_Jakubowski

Documentation

(1) design rationale; (2) 3D CAD files; (3) 2D fabrication drawings; (4) CAE analyses; (5) CAM files (where applicable); (6) exploded parts diagrams; (7) bills of materials and sourcing information; (8) scaling calculations; (9) A-Z instructionals; and (10) cost and performance comparisons to industry standards. Documentation is openly available on our website and for shipment in DVD format, along with high-quality video tutorials showing how to fabricate and safely operate the machinery.

Team Wikispeed

Team Wikispeed is an all-volunteer distributed Agile/Scrum team that built a 100 mpg vehicle, a record for a road-legal gasoline engine, in three months, and is the lightest car ever to achieve a five-star equivalency rating for front, side and rear impact tests.

Other

Annual Report – copy of most recent annual report

Board of Directors & Advisors - listing of board of directors, trustees, advisors

Budget - copy of current year's organizational budget and/or project budget

Contact Information - Name, address and phone number of organization

Description of Project - detailed description of project

Evaluations - how project's results will be evaluated or measured

Financials - copy of most recent audited financial statement/990

Geographic Focus - geographic area to be served

History - brief history of organization and description of its mission

IRS Determination Letter - copy of IRS Determination Letter

Other Materials - descriptive literature about organization

Outcomes/Impact - results expected from proposed grant

Population – demographic served

Problem Statement – statement of problem the project will address

Qualifications - qualifications of key personnel

Support - listing of additional sources and amount of support

Timetable - timetable for implementation and evaluation of project

Volunteers - role played by volunteers