Deadline: June 20, 2025
Applications are open for the United Nations African Policy Innovation Fellowship 2025. The fellowship programme aims to support fellows identify the interlinkages between different areas of sustainable development and peace to help activate a multiplier effect, transforming their policy proposals into triggers of sustainable development and durable peace.
Upon completion of the fellowship, participants are expected to have applied the knowledge and skills acquired to design a policy intervention that tackles development challenges in their area of work. UN entities will support fellows in advancing the implementation of their proposals under the coordination of the UN RC system.
Benefits
- Subject to satisfactory completion of the initial phase of the Fellowship and the issuance of an appropriate visa by the host country, an in-person component at UN Headquarters in New York is foreseen. During this phase, Fellows will be supported with a return air ticket, a monthly stipend, and medical cover, subject to UN regulations.
- Note that the stipend is intended to support fellows in covering the costs of lodging, board and other essentials and is not intended as a salary or honorarium, or to support fellows’ expenses in their home countries.
- Payment of the final monthly stipend is subject to the submission of all required documents for this phase of the fellowship.
Eligibility
- Applicants are expected to be current junior to mid-level civil servants in their home countries engaged in key ministries such as finance and planning, energy, agriculture, education, and homeland security.
- Applicants must have demonstrated work experience in research/analytical work in socio-economic and political development, trade and investment, natural resource management/law, regional integration, infrastructure development, including transportation, logistics, energy, governance, peace, and related areas in the context of Africa.
- The fellowship programme is focused on policy research and analysis. Thus, applicants are expected to have strong analytical, research, data, communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Applicants must have an advanced university degree (Master’s or doctorate, or their equivalents) linked to the area of specialization contained in their project proposals. A first-level university degree in combination with two years of relevant work experience may be considered in lieu of an advanced degree.
- The maximum age limit is 40 years at the time of application.
- Applicants must submit a supervisor’s endorsement letter confirming support and releasing the fellow for the in-person phase (see the sample letter on this page).
- English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in either language is required for the fellowship, and working knowledge of the other is an advantage.
Application
Submit your application, consisting of the following documents via the application form:
- A one-page resume (curriculum vitae)
- The signed supervisor’s endorsement letter
- Your completed project proposal
For more information, visit United Nations African Policy Innovation Fellowship.
