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OVERVIEW
Our mission is to hear big, bold ideas from every part of the world. TED will be hosting two global idea searches in 2021. Selected group of people from each application pool will be invited to give TED Talks, either virtually or in person.

The TED Global Idea Search 2021 is now receiving applications:

ELIGIBILITY
A TED Talk usually comprises of a topic and an idea.

A topic is the general area of interest the talk will be based on.

An example of a topic is: Fixing The Opioid Crisis.

An idea on the other hand is a specific angle that arises from the topic, that is, a unique message or solution that only you can give.

Example of an idea is: What It Takes To Save a Life In The Opioid crisis.

—Your idea must be worth spreading:
We’re looking for ideas worth spreading as is our mission! This means that we are looking for ideas that are new and unique, and offers perception or a new way of thinking to a very large audience.

Additional examples of topics and ideas include:

Topic: Africa does not have access to basic energy sources

Idea: Energy Africa needs to develop in order to fight climate change.

Topic: The importance of Paleontology.

Idea: Hunting for dinosaurs let me know our place in the universe.

Topic: More organ donors are needed.

Idea: How to create a world where there are no more deaths while waiting for a transplant.

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
To us, an idea that is worth spreading can mean a number of things. Before submitting your application, check your idea against this list.

—Does your idea offer the audience a unique insight?
—Will your audience learn something new?
—Is your idea something they’ve never heard before?
—Will your audience learn a new solution to a problem?
—TED is not a platform to pitch a product so, do you feel confident that your idea is not a product pitch?
—Did you check our massive library?Are you very sure we do not already have a talk about your idea?

THINGS TO AVOID
In rare circumstances, we invite people to speak about a personal experience or a personal philosophy. Listed below are some examples of ideas that we would likely not consider:
—How I learned to speak my truth and to be my authentic self.
—How to conquer your fears and to achieve your dreams.
—Finding your passion by unleashing your creativity.
—I had a rare experience and I learnt to face my fear.
—Finding happiness using the L.U.V. method: Light, Universe and Vulnerability.
—I traveled to India and my perspective on the stock market changed, even though I’m not a banker.

How To Apply For TED Global Idea Search 2021.

A video submission which does not exceed two minutes and in which four questions must be answered is required.

Questions To Answer In Your Video:

1. Who are you and let us know your credentials?
2. What idea do you want to share?
3. What insights will you give the audience?
4. Why should you be invited to give a TED Talk?

Preparing for your video:

Make a two minute video as a part of your application. More details and information can be found on the application form as well.

Tips To Setup Your Video

—Film yourself using good lighting which is angled towards your face and not coming from behind you.
—Use a stable camera oriented in horizontal framing (not necessarily a professional camera, it can be a computer or phone camera), set to the highest resolution. (For most phones, the resolution you will want to use is 4k, 1080).
—Make sure your sound is very clear and audible (Do not film outside, and prevent objects from rubbing on the microphone).
—Your combined answers to the four questions should not be more than two minutes. A good way to account for two minutes is to write out a script that is around 280-300 words.
—When you are done with the above, upload your video to YouTube or Vimeo and title the video, “your name – TED Global Idea Search”. Please make sure your video is listed as “public” or “unlisted” so that we will not need a password to view it.

DEADLINE
The deadline for this round of submissions is on the 21st of January, 2020.(11:59pm EST).
The next round of submissions will commence in June of 2021.

REWARD
Applicants selected for round 2 will be invited to a virtual event where they’ll talk more about their idea and participate in a Q&A with members of the TED community.
The Winners will then be invited to give a TED Talk, either virtually or in person.

More details and applications can be found here: