Call for Applications: UNHCR Innovation Fellowship 2026

Application Deadline: 2 March 2026

About the Fellowship
The call for applications for the 2026 UNHCR Innovation Fellowship has now been launched. This program focuses on enhancing the innovation capabilities of participants, providing them with the skills to work alongside colleagues, partners, and refugee communities to introduce novel methodologies into their units or field operations. During this learning journey, fellows will acquire and implement innovation tools and frameworks, integrating these new strategies into their regular responsibilities to drive sustainable impact.

Program Focus
A core component of the fellowship involves mastering and applying innovation techniques. Participants will dedicate their efforts to diagnosing problems, generating ideas, and conducting experiments to create actionable solutions for tangible challenges encountered in headquarters or field settings. Fellows are positioned as key advocates for innovation, promoting transformative change within and beyond UNHCR’s structures.

Requirements
Eligibility for the fellowship extends to:

• UNHCR staff members, irrespective of their geographic location, seniority, or assignment (whether at Headquarters or in field operations).
• Personnel from collaborating organizations, which encompass all United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other entities in partnership with UN agencies.

Previous experience in innovation or a specific job title is not a prerequisite. What is essential is an inquisitive mindset, receptiveness to new learning, and a dedication to piloting innovative methods within one’s existing function. Formal endorsement from the applicant’s direct supervisor is a compulsory requirement for joining the program.

Notably, a fully conceived project proposal or solution is not needed at the application stage. Fellows enter the program with a defined challenge or topic of interest, which they will refine and develop as the fellowship progresses.

Challenge Areas
The skills learned are directly applied by fellows to real professional challenges, guiding them through successive innovation phases to formulate effective responses. In previous cycles, fellows have explored innovative responses across domains such as protection, shelter, food security, and cultural preservation.

Example projects from past fellows include:

• Ireland: Tackling adverse perceptions about refugees through the creation of a refugee-led network and platform dedicated to creative storytelling.
• Panama: Formalizing processes to embed refugee voices within UNHCR’s strategic planning, ensuring their insights directly influence operational strategies.
• Chad: Researching community-led, sustainable approaches to provide longer-lasting and environmentally conscious shelter options.

To Apply and for More Information: Visit the Official Webpage of the UNHCR Innovation Fellowship