UNHCR Innovation Fellowship 2023

The Fellowship involves a full curriculum of real-life assignments, online workshops, webinars, open-house calls, peer-support group sessions, and alumni mentoring to support Fellows as they work on their independent projects.

To advance these projects, Fellows follow a loosely-scripted approach, working their way through nine tasks that guide them through the different stages of innovation. This process begins with a collaborative approach to narrowing down problems Fellows have identified and possible solutions to those problems. Then, each Fellow rapidly tests their ideas, before honing in on a particularly promising solution. Fellows aren’t expected to produce a perfect final product from this journey; instead, they’re expected to go through a process that evidences their learning and that they can continue with once the Fellowship is over.

The Fellowship is delivered fully online, with hands-on assignments stemming from practical challenges and opportunities for innovating in UNHCR. Although the programme involves plenty of workshops and opportunities for Fellows to interact, we unfortunately do not have any in-person modalities at present.

Innovation doesn’t happen without time and dedication. We ask Fellows to spend roughly 20% of their work week on innovation throughout the duration of the Fellowship. This time can be allocated in many ways – whether you set aside one day per week or an hour or so each day. Time management can be discussed during the programme.

Absolutely not! Fellows learn how to address operational challenges using an array of innovation methodologies (such as experimentation and testing). These methodologies can involve high-tech, low-tech, and even zero-tech solutions. Innovation is an approach and a mindset that is accessible to everyone, regardless of the technology available to you.

Every year we accept a number of participants from selected UN agencies and/or partner organizations. If you do not currently work for UNHCR, you can only apply for the programme if your organization has been invited to nominate applicants.

Unfortunately not. Because the core work of the Fellowship is to embed your learnings into a work project, it is important that Fellows are currently at work. Moreover, one of the Fellowship’s overarching goals is to boost broader innovation capacity. Engaging and collaborating with colleagues on your innovation project is an important part of the programme.

Having an Innovation Fellow on board is an awesome opportunity for any country operation or division. Fellows go through intensive innovation training, and they’re supported to facilitate innovation with their colleagues, partners, and displaced communities. The skills and mindsets they bring to the wider team will lead to innovative solutions and positive change. Managers play a crucial role in innovation, by investing in their team and enabling them to take the time and space they need to facilitate creative approaches.

Innovation takes time! It’s very challenging to make that time if you don’t have permission to innovate in your daily work. So, it’s important to get buy-in from your supervisor, and to ensure they understand that the operation as a whole will benefit from your participation.

 Additionally, together with colleagues from GLDC’s MLES, we are happy to speak with your supervisor and provide them with information to help them help you. We will also host information sessions during the application process, to which you can invite your supervisor.

Collaboration is key to innovation, so it’s wonderful that you want to work together! However, each applicant must submit an independent application, and each application will be reviewed individually. You can, however, let us know about your plans to collaborate in your application.

So great to hear that you already have a fully fledged idea! Innovation is about so much more than great ideas, though – and the Fellowship is designed to help colleagues learn how to tackle operational challenges using innovation methodologies.

However, you should check out the four Innovation Funds run by the Innovation Service. They are: the Digital Inclusion Fund; the Refugee-led Innovation Fund; the Innovation, Environment and Resilience Fund; and the Data Innovation Impact Fund. Each of these will be launching a new call for expressions of interest later in 2023.

The Fellowship does not sponsor travel to individual conferences and events. 

We love your enthusiasm for learning – but unfortunately non-Fellows aren’t able to join Fellowship workshops. And, if you do join the Fellowship, you are committing to the entire programme of learning, not just the workshops. The core learning opportunities that the Fellowship offers lie in the independent innovation work that Fellows conduct in their own operations/divisions. The workshops are conducted to support that work. 

If you’re excited about innovation and learning but aren’t able to join the Fellowship, we have good news for you: we’re working on an open innovation webinar series! Be the first to hear about upcoming events by leaving us your email address here.