On Think Tanks

 

News & opportunities from the global think tank sector. OCTOBER 2026 Dear OTT Community, As the year draws to a close, this edition brings new funding calls, a wave of leadership changes across the sector, and webinars worth putting in your diary. Warmly, Enrique Mendizabal Upcoming events Sign up to attend → November 2026 Weaving alliances for science and development in Latin America and the Caribbean, 3, 10 & 17 November 2026 | Zoom Three webinars from CEFIS UAI, supported by IDRC, presenting a regional study on how research alliances are built. Sessions run at 11:00 am New York / 12:00 pm Chile. 2026 Global Innovation Conference for Research, Policy, and Practice, 17–19 November 2026 | Singapore Co-hosted by the Impact Funders Forum (Pew Charitable Trusts) and the Centre for Evidence and Implementation, building on past editions in Miami (2022) and Cape Town (2024), the conference brings together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and funders working to connect research and evidence to real-world decision-making — and will launch IMPACT, a new journal on the societal impact of research. Note: This is an invitation-only event. Reimagining Financing for Democracy in Latin America, 23–25 November 2026 | Bogotá, Colombia Fundación Corona, Fundación Avina, TAI Collaborative, and Democracia+ convene funders, organisations, the private sector, and youth leaders to share learning and explore new ways to fund democracy in the region. OTT’s Enrique Mendizabal will attend. Masterclass #7: Finances 101 for think tanks, 18 November 2026 | Zoom Facilitated by Fiorella Bianchi, Director of Finance and Planning at OTT. T20 U.S. Summit, 18–19 November 2026 | New York, USA Stimson Center, Quincy Institute, and Brookings convene think tanks, governments, and G20 engagement groups to shape the final T20 Communiqué ahead of the Miami G20 Summit. OTT's Camila Ulloa & Enrique Mendizabal will facilitate sessions on the T20 knowledge hub and implementation roadmaps. Plan ahead for 2027 School for Thinktankers 2027, 1-5 February 2027 | Barcelona, Spain Strengthen your leadership. Expand your perspective. Join a global community of think tank professionals. OTT Conference 2027, 11-14 May 2027 | Barcelona, Spain Early registrations of interest for the 11th OTT Conference are now open. Stay tuned for more details! RFPs Tinker Foundation 2027 Funding Cycle Funder: Tinker Foundation Topic: Democratic Governance or Education projects by nonprofits in Latin America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean Grant amount: US$50,000–100,000 per year, for 1–3 years F. M. Kirby Prize for Scaling Impact 2027 Funder: CASE at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, with the F. M. Kirby Foundation Topic: Impact enterprises with proven results and a credible plan to scale Grant amount: US$150,000 in unrestricted funding Deadline: 2 December 2026, or earlier if 250 eligible applications are received Funder news Philea publishes two guides on flexible funding: a ten-step framework for funding organisational development and a practical guide to unrestricted funding. Read the organisational development guide. MacArthur Foundation expands its impact investment allocation to US$750 million, which President John Palfrey says advances its mission alongside charitable giving. Via ESG News. Spencer Foundation is refreshing its core research grant programs, including its priorities, structures, and application processes. It expects to announce the new approach and application schedules in June 2027. Read the letter to the field from Na’ilah Nasir and Leah Bricker. Think tank news Southern Voice welcomes 11 new affiliate members through its first affiliate programme, growing the network from 71 to 82 think tanks across 40 Global South countries. Leadership announcements Amélie Baudot becomes CEO of the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM), succeeding Nishant Lalwani, who led the fund for four years. Atje Drexler is appointed CEO of Robert Bosch Stiftung from 1 May 2027, succeeding Dr. Bernhard Straub, who retires on 31 May 2027. More details. Adwoa Banful is named ACET’s Director of Partnerships and Delivery, a new role bringing partnerships, programme delivery, and impact measurement together. Learn more. Peru’s Senate appoints Oswaldo Molina Campodónico of Redes, a think tank we have worked with, along with José Ricardo Stok Capella and Juan José Marthans León, to the board of the Banco Central de Reserva del Perú, filling its last three of seven seats. Read the article. OTT School for Thinktankers alumna Helen Dempster becomes Director, Migration and Displacement at the Center for Global Development. Marija Mitrovic joins Europe’s Futures Initiative as Head of Programs and Operations. In Memoriam Boris Marte (1964–2026) helped establish ERSTE Foundation and served as its CEO for over a decade. A steadfast champion of civil society and a free, united Europe, he built networks and initiatives across Austria and Central and Eastern Europe that will endure. In Memory of Boris, by Andreas Treichl. Dr Anbumozhi Venkatachalam is remembered by colleagues at ERIA and across Southeast Asia for his generosity and his commitment to international collaboration across ASEAN. Do you have news, funding opportunities, or events to share? Write to us to reach a global audience of policy experts, change-makers, and thought leaders. VIEW THIS EMAIL IN BROWSER Dear OTT Community, The OTT Think Tanks to Watch 2026 are here! We are delighted to launch the second edition of OTT Think Tanks to Watch, featuring 55 organisations from around the world nominated by the OTT community and recognised for noteworthy practices, innovative approaches and initiatives that offer valuable lessons for the wider think tank sector. Who are this year's Think Tanks to Watch? Discover the organisations featured in the 2026 edition and the work that makes them worth watching and learning from. Explore the full list How were they selected? OTT Think Tanks to Watch is not a ranking. It is a peer-recognition initiative designed to celebrate valuable experiences and encourage learning across the global think tank community. This year's selection drew on nominations from the OTT community, including the responses to the State of the Sector Survey 2026, which generated nominations for almost 200 organisations. Additional nominations came from OTT Conference participants and OTT members. Nominated organisations were invited to share examples of their recent practices and initiatives, helping us identify experiences that others in the sector could learn from. NEW: Explore our interactive initiatives library This year, we are also launching a new interactive library that brings together 324 initiatives and experiences shared by 145 think tanks from 56 countries featured in the 2025 and 2026 Think Tanks to Watch editions. Looking for inspiration for your next project, a new way of working or an approach you could adapt to your organisation? The library lets you search by keyword, explore initiatives by theme, region, or type of practice, and discover practical ideas from think tanks worldwide. Explore the initiatives library We hope this year's edition inspires you to discover new organisations, connect with peers and explore approaches that could make a difference in your own context. Congratulations to all 55 featured think tanks, and thank you to everyone in the OTT community who contributed to this year's nominations and selection process. Happy exploring! Discover other On Think Tanks’ initiatives — SCHOOL FOR THINKTANKERS 2027 1–5 February 2027 Barcelona, Spain Apply by 30 November → MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMME Learn, connect with, & strengthen the think tank community. Become a member → OTT CONFERENCE 2027 12–13 May 2027 Barcelona, Spain Register your interest to attend → COMMUNITY & LEARNING Membership programme School for Thinktankers 2027 OTT Conference 2027 CONSULTING SERVICES Support to funders Support to think tanks Advisory programme for think tank leaders RESEARCH & RECOGNITION State of the sector 2026 report 100 think tanks to watch Open think tank directory Copyright (C) 2026 On Think Tanks. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: On Think Tanks 2nd Floor Stanford Gate South Road Brighton, East Sussex BN1 6SB United Kingdom