Applications are now open for the 2026 UNHCR Innovation Fellowship, a professional development programme designed to strengthen innovation skills and competencies among humanitarian practitioners.
The Fellowship supports participants to work closely with colleagues, partners, and refugees to introduce innovative approaches into their teams, operations, or divisions—whether in the field or at headquarters.
Over the course of the learning journey, Innovation Fellows learn and apply practical innovation methods and tools, embedding them into their everyday work. Fellows focus on problem-solving, ideation, experimentation, and testing, developing solutions to real-world challenges faced in humanitarian contexts.
Innovation Fellows also serve as ambassadors for innovation and positive change, both within UNHCR and across the broader humanitarian ecosystem.
Who Can Apply?
The UNHCR Innovation Fellowship is open to:
- UNHCR staff members (based at Headquarters or in Operations, across all regions and levels)
- Members of partner organisations, including:
- All UN agencies
- NGOs and partner organisations working with UN agencies
The programme is designed for professionals who are curious, open to learning, and motivated to explore new ways of making progress in their work. You do not need to be an “innovator” by title or have prior experience with innovation methodologies.
Note: Applicants must obtain formal approval from their manager to participate in the Fellowship.
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No Fully Formed Idea Required
Applicants are not required to apply with a fully developed innovation project or solution.
Instead, Fellows bring a challenge, problem, or area of curiosity from their current work and develop it progressively throughout the Fellowship using structured innovation tools and guidance.
Fellowship Focus Areas
Participants apply newly acquired innovation skills to real challenges they encounter in their roles, moving through different stages of the innovation process.
Recent Fellowship cohorts (2023–2024) explored solutions across diverse areas, including:
- Protection and shelter
- Food security
- Cultural heritage
- Community engagement
Examples of Past Projects
- Countering negative narratives about refugees in Ireland through a refugee-led creative storytelling network
- Systematising refugee participation in UNHCR Panama’s strategic planning processes
- Exploring sustainable and community-driven shelter solutions in Chad
Why Apply?
The UNHCR Innovation Fellowship offers participants:
- Practical innovation skills applicable to humanitarian and development work
- Hands-on experience solving real operational challenges
- Opportunities to collaborate across teams, organisations, and regions
- A platform to drive lasting, positive change within and beyond UNHCR
Application Deadline
The deadline to apply for the 2026 UNHCR Innovation Fellowship is March 2, 2026.
Apply for the UNHCR Innovation Fellowship
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