UNHCR’s Innovation Service is committed to creating an enabling environment for innovation to flourish in UNHCR. We equip staff with the knowledge, resources, and skills to ensure that they can create value for people forced to flee with novel ideas.
We incentivize innovation through funding and technical support and by creating an enabling environment for experimentation to take place across the organization. We innovate to deliver UNHCR’s mandate more effectively.
Our Funds
The Innovation Service offers four funds to accelerate innovation that makes a difference for people forced to flee. Discover more below.
Digital Inclusion Fund
Digital rights and opportunities for displaced communities.
Innovation, Environment and Resilience Fund
Innovation at the nexus of environment and displacement.
Data Innovation Impact Fund
Data can shape the future of refugee protection.
Refugee-led Innovation Fund
Empowering displaced communities to innovate.
Stories
UNHCR Innovation Service’s new blog brings you a transparent looks at what humanitarian innovation looks like in practice for (and with) refugees.
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FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions.
Am I eligible for the Funds in the Innovation Service?
For the eligibility criteria of the various Funds and programmes of the Innovation Service, please follow the relevant link below:
- Digital Inclusion Fund
- Innovation, Environment and Resilience Fund
- Data Innovation Impact Fund
- Refugee-Led Innovation Fund
- Innovation Fellowship Programme
Can you support my idea?
If you are a UNHCR colleague, your idea may fit under funds. If you are not from UNHCR, we do not currently provide funding, but partnerships is possible through local offices, whom you should try to contact directly. If your idea is not specific to a country, contact us below with a summary of your idea and the challenge it’s trying to address.
Do you have any job openings?
All our job and internship opportunities are located on UNHCR Careers page and ReliefWeb when available. We do not accept volunteers, but you should have a look at UN Volunteers.
Can you support my thesis, academic studies or research?
We love that you’re interested in humanitarian innovation but we can’t financially support your studies. However, if you are working on a thesis related to humanitarian innovation, contact us below. We cannot provide confidential data. Data made public by UNHCR may be found here.