A pillar of JOPRO

Incubation

JOPRO incubates research projects, working groups, and early-stage initiatives that need structured support to develop — from concept through a defined period of active development, toward independence or integration with the broader JOPRO ecosystem.

Incubated projects become fellows of JOPRO, gaining access to mentorship, institutional affiliation, working relationships with partner organizations, and where applicable, support navigating funding and external partnerships.

What incubation looks like

There is no single template. Some incubated projects are working groups anchored in a specific research domain. Others are programs, tools, or initiatives at the intersection of research and practice. What they share is an early stage that benefits from structured support, a connection to JOPRO's core domains, and a trajectory toward something independently viable.

Depending on the project, incubation may include:

  • Collaborative development with JOPRO staff and partners
  • Affiliation with JOPRO partner organizations, including the Orthogonal Research and Education Lab and others
  • Support accessing external programs such as university launch initiatives, open-source development programs, or research partnerships
  • Mentorship, feedback, and connection to JOPRO's broader network

Projects we've supported

Data and Direction

A JOPRO program supporting researchers and practitioners in working with data across applied and conceptual contexts.

Society, Ethics & Technology

Developed in partnership with the Orthogonal Research and Education Lab (OREL), this working group examines the intersections of technology, society, and ethical frameworks across interdisciplinary lines.

Startup Accelerators & Development UC Launch Accelerator

JOPRO provides support to early-stage startups through the UC Launch entrepreneurship program, connecting research capacity with early venture development.

Google Summer of Code University of Albany partnership

JOPRO supported a research project through Google Summer of Code in partnership with the University of Albany, contributing to sustainablity in open-source development.

Cognition Futures

Also developed with OREL, Cognition Futures explores questions at the boundaries of cognitive science, phenomenology, and artificial intelligence.

From Here to There In development

A strategy and mentorship program for innovators at early or transitional stages of their work.

Submission cycles

JOPRO runs two incubation submission cycles per year. Submissions are reviewed on a cohort basis, and accepted projects are onboarded at the start of each cycle.

Submissions closed

Submissions are not currently open. The next cycle is expected to open in August 2026. If you have a project in mind, we encourage you to review the criteria below and reach out informally before the cycle opens.

Contact us about a future submission →

Is your project a fit?

JOPRO incubates projects that:

  • Operate in or across cognition, complexity, futures studies, technology and society, or related interdisciplinary domains
  • Are at an early stage where structured support and institutional affiliation would make a meaningful difference
  • Have a clear development trajectory — toward an independent working group, program, publication series, tool, or partnership
  • Are led by or involve emerging researchers, practitioners, or interdisciplinary teams

We are domain-agnostic but not interest-agnostic. Projects that don't connect meaningfully to the fields and questions JOPRO works in are unlikely to be a fit.