Clojurists Together Fellowships
By Clojurists Together Foundation
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Quick Answer
Quarterly fellowships of US$1,000, US$2,000 or US$9,000 (about ₹95,000–₹8.55 lakh) for maintainers of open source Clojure and ClojureScript projects. Apply any time.
- Funding amount
- Varies
- Funding type
- Fellowship
- Provider
- Clojurists Together Foundation
- Application deadline
- Rolling
- Location
- International
About this grant
Clojurists Together Fellowships are paid funding for people who maintain open source Clojure and ClojureScript projects. The program is run by Clojurists Together, a member-funded organisation that pools money from companies and individuals to support the tools the Clojure community depends on. Fellowships come in quarterly rounds of US$1,000, US$2,000 or US$9,000 (about ₹95,000 to ₹8.55 lakh), and you can apply at any time because every application goes into the next funding cycle.
What the program offers
There are two kinds of funding. Quarterly fellowships come in two sizes. The US$1,000 or US$2,000 (about ₹95,000 or ₹1.9 lakh) awards are meant for smaller or more experimental projects and usually last up to three months. The US$9,000 (about ₹8.55 lakh) award is for larger projects, and the work can run anywhere from one to twelve months. Separately, Clojurists Together issues a call for annual funding towards the end of each year, typically US$1,500 a month, which is US$18,000 a year (about ₹17.1 lakh), intended for long-term work such as ongoing maintenance, new features or new projects. How many awards are made, and at what size, depends on the money available in that round.
The US$9,000 fellowships are paid in three equal instalments: on signing, at the midpoint and on completion. Smaller fellowships are paid in one or two instalments, typically at the start and the end. Each payment depends on you sending the project reports that are due. The organisers say there is no fixed number of hours, and that results matter more than time logged. The program also says plainly that unglamorous work, such as chasing hard-to-reproduce bugs and keeping dependencies current, is welcome.
Who can apply
You need to be a maintainer of the project, meaning you have commit access or the other people on the project recognise you as a maintainer. The project must be open source with a recognised licence, and it must benefit the Clojure or ClojureScript community. Other funding does not disqualify you, but you cannot be paid twice for the same commits, for example by billing the same work to an employer and to a fellowship.
Maintainers anywhere in the world can be funded, except in exceptional cases such as US sanctions. That means a maintainer based in India can apply. It suits individual open source developers and small teams who already look after a Clojure library or tool. It does not suit people who want funding for a closed-source product, or for a project that is already very well funded, since the committee looks at how much funding a project already has.
How to apply
Applications go through a short online form linked from the Clojurists Together open source page. It takes about five minutes and asks which project you are applying for, who you are and how you relate to the project, what you want to achieve with the money, why the project matters to the Clojure community, and whether you receive other funding for it, such as sponsorship or employer support. You may submit more than one application for different projects. A practical tip: a clear plan for how you will use the funding is treated as stronger than a vague one, so say what will change in the project by the end of the fellowship.
Before each round the organisers survey the community and then publish a call for proposals with the survey results, funding levels and schedule. Proposals that are not funded are automatically entered into the next two cycles.
How applications are judged and what happens next
Each committee member reviews the applications against the criteria and ranks them by preference. Winners are chosen by multi-winner ranked choice voting. The criteria are the project's needs, how widely it is used, its current and previous funding, comments from members (comments from higher-tier members carry more weight), and the applicant's record in the community. A history of harassment or negative interactions can lead to an application being declined. Results are published, with only the top five projects shown in full. Annual funding follows a similar review and a member ballot.
Once selected, you have two months to start. A contract is issued based on your proposal, and you complete payment and tax paperwork. The reports can be short: a list of issues with brief comments is enough.
About Clojurists Together
Clojurists Together funds open source developers working on projects that benefit the Clojure and ClojureScript community. A committee evaluates proposals and members, who give at different tiers, take part in surveys and votes.
Things to check before you apply
- The contract is similar to a freelance contract, so you are responsible for your own taxes. The organisers advise speaking to an accountant, and a founder in India should do the same about how foreign income is treated.
- The source does not publish a fixed yearly calendar. The timeline it shows is only an example, so watch for the call for proposals each cycle.
Eligibility
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Grant providers
Benefits & Funding
- Fund type
- Fellowship
What You Get
Selected maintainers sign a contract based on their proposal. US$9,000 fellowships (about ₹8.55 lakh) are paid in three instalments: one third on signing, one third at the midpoint and one third on completion. Smaller US$1,000 or US$2,000 fellowships are usually paid at the start and finish. Payments depend on short project reports. Annual funding is typically US$1,500 a month (about ₹1.43 lakh). The contract is similar to a freelancing contract, so you should expect to pay tax on it.
- Disbursement
- Tranched
- Bootstrap friendly
- Yes
Timelines & Process
Applications
Rolling basis
Selection Process
Each committee member reviews applications against the project's needs, community usage, current and previous funding, member comments and the applicant's track record, then ranks them. Winners are chosen by multi-winner ranked choice voting, and annual funding goes to a member ballot. Results are published, with only the top five projects shown in full.
Application Process
- 1
Apply
Submit the five-minute application at any time.
You - 2
- 3
- 4
How to apply
Four steps from draft to disbursement — one action each.
- 1
Draft your application
Answer the form inside the grant tracker — AI drafts each response using your past answers, so you're not starting from a blank page.
- 2
Submit on the official portal
Use the official application link and verify all details before final submission.
- 3
Follow up
Reach out 5–7 days after submitting to confirm receipt and ask about the review timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply for the Clojurists Together Fellowships?
Maintainers of open source Clojure or ClojureScript projects can apply. You need commit access or recognition from the others on the project as a maintainer. The project must have a recognised open source licence and benefit the Clojure community.
Can Indian developers apply for Clojurists Together funding?
Yes. The source says maintainers can be funded anywhere in the world, except in exceptional cases such as US sanctions. It does not name India as excluded. You should still check how foreign income is taxed for you.
How much do the Clojurists Together Fellowships pay?
Quarterly fellowships are US$1,000, US$2,000 or US$9,000 (about ₹95,000 to ₹8.55 lakh). Annual funding is typically US$1,500 a month, which is US$18,000 a year (about ₹17.1 lakh). The number of awards and their size depend on available funds.
How are the fellowship payments made?
A US$9,000 fellowship is paid in three instalments: on signing, at the midpoint and on completion. Smaller fellowships are paid in one or two instalments, typically at the start and end. Payments depend on receiving your project reports. The source does not say which payment method is used.
When is the deadline for Clojurists Together Fellowships?
There is no single deadline. You can apply at any time and your application enters the next funding cycle. If you are not funded, the proposal is automatically re-entered into the next two cycles.
Is a Clojurists Together Fellowship a grant or equity?
The source describes it as funding for open source work under a contract similar to a freelance contract. It mentions no equity or ownership being taken. You are responsible for your own taxes.
What do I need to submit to apply?
A short online form that takes about five minutes. It asks about the project, who you are, what you want to achieve, why it matters to Clojure users and what other funding you receive. The source does not list other documents.
Do I have to travel or work a set number of hours?
The source mentions no travel. It sets no fixed hours either, saying results matter more than time spent. You are asked for short project reports, and a list of issues with brief comments is enough.
Is it free to apply for Clojurists Together funding?
The source does not mention any application fee. The form is described as a short five-minute application.
When are fellowship results announced?
The timing depends on the cycle. In the example timeline for a spring round, proposals are due on 1 February and fellowships are announced around 10 February, but the source says this is an example and not a fixed schedule. Check the call for proposals for the current round.
Sources
Data on this page is compiled from official program and provider references.
