Please read this before submitting your application.

To apply for the Innovation Fellowship Program, you are required to:

• Be a current UNHCR staff member or part of the affiliate workforce*;
• Work for UNHCR through the duration of the Fellowship;
• Have the drive, ambition, and interest to find new ways to solve challenges facing the organization in its service to refugees.

*We would particularly encourage applications from managers who are seeking to create safe spaces for innovation and creativity in their teams to apply for the Innovation Fellowship.

Is the Fellowship about technology?

Absolutely not! Over the course of the year, Fellows address operational challenges using innovation methodologies (such as experimentation and testing) which can involve either high-tech, low tech and even zero tech solutions. The Fellowship teaches us when and how to apply an innovation process to our work; it teaches us that innovation is an approach that that can be accessible to all of us.

Can I apply if I don’t have a contract with UNHCR or if I am on special leave without pay?

Unfortunately not. The Fellowship also has wider UNHCR capacity building aims – it is for the organization rather than a training for individuals per se. This means that we do need people who are working within an operation, and who will then work with that operation on an/several innovation(s). One of the key objectives of the Fellowship is organizational change.

Can I apply if my supervisor doesn’t support my participation in the Fellowship program?

Innovation takes time so you need to have a permission to “innovate”. The operation will benefit from the Fellow, and the training the Fellow receives, and thus, having a Fellow can be a good opportunity for the operation to develop some innovation(s) in the key areas.

Can I send a joint application with a colleague?

Collaboration is a key to innovation so great that you want to work together! However, each applicant need to send their own individual application and each application is reviewed individually. You can tell about your collaboration/joint efforts in the individual applications.

Why am I asked to spend 20% of my time towards innovation work?

Because innovation doesn’t happen without time and dedication. To complete the Innovation Fellowship we need to dedicate time to learning, experimenting, and breaking down silos.

Do I need to dedicate one full day per week to the Fellowship program?

No. We ask Fellows to spend roughly 20% of time towards innovation work throughout the duration of the Fellowship, but time can be allocated in many ways and it doesn’t necessarily need to be one day per week. Allocation of the time can be discussed during the programme.

I want to attend a conference / event. Can the Fellowship fund it?

The Fellowship does not sponsor travel to individual conferences and events. However, all travel related to the Innovation Fellowship workshops will be covered by the Innovation Service and Global Learning and Development Centre.

I have an innovative idea and I need funding to implement it. Can the Fellowship fund it?

It is great that you have ideas to make our work and/or organization better. However, innovation is about so much more than great ideas. Therefore, the Fellowship Program is not about funding ideas, but it’s about Fellows working on operational challenges using innovation methodologies (such as experimenting and testing) together with their respective colleagues.

How can an operation benefit from a staff member’s participation in the Innovation Fellowship?

Having an Innovation Fellow is a great opportunity for any country operation or Division. Fellows go through an intensive innovation training and are prepared to facilitate innovation in their respective offices and take their colleagues, partners and refugees through an innovation process that will lead to innovative solutions and a positive change for the operation involved. Managers play a crucial role in innovation, often by investing in the time and space that their team members need to facilitate creative approaches.

I love workshops! Can I join just them without the requirements of the Fellowship?

No. The core learning of the program lies in the innovation work Fellows conduct in their own operations/divisions. The workshops are there just to support it. By joining the Fellowship, you commit to the program, not just the workshop.