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Biodesign Without Borders
Resources for the Displaced and Determined
📬 Heads-up: This is an extra edition.
We normally write just once a week, but the new U.S. travel ban, and its knock-on effects for our community…felt urgent enough to break cadence. Thanks for understanding.
On June 4th, a new U.S. travel ban was announced, blocking entry from 12 countries, and partially restricting 7 more.
Combined with the ongoing NSF and NIH funding freezes, this moment marks a harsh acceleration of a pattern we’ve seen coming:
Mobility is no longer a guarantee.
Borders close. Grants pause. Yet curiosity continues.
So today, we’re sharing a set of tools we’ve built: to steady your path, support your practice, and help those whose plans just collapsed find new ground.
🗺️ 1. Labs & Students in Limbo Map (Now includes Travel Ban–Affected Talent)
We launched this to track the impact of the NSF and NIH funding freezes: but we’ve now expanded it to support those affected by the new U.S. travel ban as well.
The map includes:
Affected labs with frozen U.S. grant projects
New entries from researchers and students blocked from travel
Contact info for potential collaboration or support
🔗 Submit your lab or name: https://forms.gle/mHfakeFGnWGCxuyh9
👤 2. Refugee Talent Directory
If your travel plans have been shut down, or you’re mentoring someone whose opportunities just vanished: add your profile to the Refugee Talent Directory.
We’re sharing this list with partner labs, design studios, and educators across Europe, Asia, and Latin America who may have space to host or collaborate.
🔗 View & add your profile here: https://airtable.com/shrO3kL5mXU6rSK0E
This includes students, recent grads, early-career researchers, and educators: in biodesign, systems thinking, synthetic biology, speculative design, and regenerative practice.
📘 3. Biodesign Without Borders: Global Alternatives Guide
We’ve compiled a living list of programs, fellowships, and alternative learning paths outside the U.S. for anyone whose plans have been disrupted — or who’s simply ready to build elsewhere.
Degree Programmes + Studios
Programme | Focus | Link |
|---|---|---|
Sustainable Futures — Nature + Design + Creativity | Trans-disciplinary minor blending biodesign, systems thinking and speculative practice | https://research.hva.nl/en/activities/minor-sustainable-futures-nature-design-creativity research.hva.nl |
Crafting Futures (BFA specialisation) | Material-led “future-making” across craft, design & ecology | https://www.gu.se/en/study-gothenburg/bfa-programme-in-craft-with-specialisation-in-crafting-futures-k1crf gu.se |
MA Material Futures | Converging science, tech & design to prototype material futures | https://www.arts.ac.uk/subjects/textiles-and-materials/postgraduate/ma-material-futures-csm arts.ac.uk |
Biodesign Challenge (global network) | University/HS course + summit connecting >60 schools in 20 + countries | |
Material Balance Research Lab | Research studio exploring mycelium & bio-based materials (e.g. Growing Matter(s) pavilion) | https://www.materialbalance.polimi.it/en/about/ materialbalance.polimi.ithenninglarsen.com |
Fellowships + Residencies
Residency | Notes | Link |
|---|---|---|
Biofriction | EU-funded bio-art & science residencies, multiple host labs (ongoing open calls) | |
Onassis AiR (Athens, GR) | Artistic / research residencies with ecology & social-systems strands | |
Ars Bioarctica – Bioart Society (FI) | Long-running art-and-science residency in sub-arctic Kilpisjärvi | https://bioartsociety.fi/projects/ars-bioarctica/pages/residency bioartsociety.fi |
Ginkgo Creative Residency (Boston / remote) | 6-week syn-bio residency co-run with Faber Futures | https://www.ginkgobioworks.studio/project/creative-residency ginkgobioworks.studio |
Remote Courses + Alternatives
Course / Platform | What you get | Link |
|---|---|---|
Biodesign Academy – Foundational Tier | Weekly strategy briefs, toolkits & portfolio sprints | |
Systems Thinking for Sustainability (FutureLearn × Except Integrated Sustainability) | 3-week intro to SiD method & complex-systems mapping | https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/systems-thinking-for-sustainability-analyzing-and-transitioning-complex-systems futurelearn.com |
Design Justice resources @ MIT Media Lab | Open talks, papers & summit recordings on equity-centred design | https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/design-justice-auditing/overview/ media.mit.edu |
SFI Complexity Explorer | Free MOOCs on complexity science, intro-to-complexity, origins-of-life, etc. |
This list is growing. If you’re running a program, open to remote fellows, or can fund displaced students: reply to this email and we’ll add it.
In a time of closed borders, may your ideas remain open.
We’re here to support: not just with words, but with systems, structures, and visibility.
If you know someone this would help:
📩 forward this post
🧠 suggest a new program
🤝 connect us with someone hiring, hosting, or funding
Until next time,
Raphael
Biodesign Academy