2026 Fellowship
In our first year, we're supporting six postgraduate fellows in agriculture, health, and education. Fellows will take their research from validated ideas to deployed systems over a period of three to six months. Each fellow receives funding, technical and product partnership, and mentorship from experienced operators, researchers, and builders.
Tracks
Each track focuses on an area where there are significant gaps between Nigeria’s needs and its current systems. We're looking for research that has the potential to create practical tools, and where our network can be most valuable.
Agriculture
Yield, production, nutrition, and cost across Nigeria's agricultural landscape.
Learn moreWhat fellows receive
- Funding — financial support covering a combination of tuition and project development costs, within a defined budget
- Technical support — guidance on how to scope, design, and build systems using modern tools, including AI where it meaningfully accelerates development
- Product direction — support in translating research into usable tools: defining users, shaping the system, and prioritising what to build
- Deployment support — help getting systems into real-world use, within institutional contexts or with external stakeholders
- Mentorship — access to a small network of operators, researchers, and builders who can support both technical and strategic decisions
What we expect
Fellows are the operators of their projects. In exchange for funding and support, fellows are expected to:
- Drive the project forward and take ownership of the build
- Work actively with Axiom's technical and product support throughout the cycle
- Deliver a functional system within the program year
- Support deployment into real-world use — with actual users, in a real context
- Ensure the system is in a state that can be maintained beyond the initial build
Selection
Projects are selected on the clarity of the problem and users, the feasibility of the system within time and budget, the strength and commitment of the fellow, and alignment between student and institution. We are looking for projects that can become working systems — not research in isolation.
Projects are assessed on four criteria:
- Clarity of problem and users — Is the problem specific? Are the users clearly identifiable? Does the project have a defined system to build?
- Feasibility within time and budget — Can this be built and deployed within months? Is the scope honest about constraints?
- Strength and commitment of the fellow — Is the fellow the right operator for this project? Do they have the context, capability, and drive to deliver?
- Institutional alignment — Is there genuine alignment between the student and the institution? Does the department support this project?
Timeline — 2026 cycle
- Phase 1: Sourcing & Selection
- April – May 2026
- Phase 2: Build & Development
- April – December 2026
- Phase 3: Deployment & Validation
- January – March 2027
Build begins as soon as a project is confirmed — phases 1 and 2 run in parallel. The goal is to have working systems deployed and in use by March 2027.
FAQs
Who can apply?
Axiom is open to postgraduate students — masters and PhD — enrolled at Nigerian universities. You must have an active research project in agriculture, health, or education.
Why postgraduate students specifically?
Postgraduate research runs for years. By the time we meet a project, it has already been tested against evidence, refined by a supervisor, and pressure-checked by the constraints of real institutions. That rigour is the foundation we build on.
What research areas do you fund?
In our first year we are funding projects in agriculture, health, and education. These are starting points, not permanent boundaries.
How much funding do fellows receive?
Up to ₦15 million per project for development and deployment.
How long is the fellowship?
Active development runs three to six months, from selection to deployment. Before and after that window, fellows have access to ongoing advisory support.
What does technical and product support actually look like?
We work with you directly — scoping, designing, and building the system alongside you. This is not advisory. We are in the work with you.
Do I need institutional approval?
You do not need approval to apply. If selected, we will engage your department as part of onboarding. If the institution does not approve, we cannot proceed — but that conversation is ours to have, not yours.
How are fellows selected?
We select on five criteria: utility, impact, rigour, character, and community. The work must be practical, deployable, and grounded in serious research. The person must be someone who holds themselves to a high standard and is willing to bring others with them.
Can I apply if my project is already underway?
Yes. We prefer it. We are looking for validated ideas that need the right conditions to ship, not ideas at concept stage.
Can undergraduates apply?
Not in our first year. The fellowship is currently open to postgraduate students only.
How can undergraduates get involved?
Follow the program, attend events we host, and apply when you reach postgraduate level. The culture Axiom is building is for you too.
Will Axiom ever open to undergraduates?
Possibly. We are starting where the research is most developed and the constraints are best understood. We will expand as the program matures.
What does Axiom expect from fellows?
Commitment to shipping. Intellectual honesty. A willingness to be held to a high standard and to hold others to the same. You are not just completing a project — you are representing what this program believes is possible.
What does "deployed" mean?
The work is in use by real people in a real context. Not a prototype. Not a demo. Something that runs.
How much time does the fellowship require?
It is designed to run alongside your postgraduate work, but it is serious. Expect it to be one of the most demanding things you do this year.
Who owns the research and the work produced?
You do. Axiom does not take ownership of your research or intellectual property.
Who are the mentors?
Operators, researchers, and builders who have shipped real things. Each fellow is paired with mentors selected specifically for their project — this is not a generic matching process.
How involved are mentors?
Mentors are active participants, not figureheads. They are selected because they are willing to be in the work with you.