Deadline: October 30, 2026
Applications are open for the WIPO Global Innovation Index Fellowship 2026/2027. Fellowships aim to provide fellows with experience to strengthen their knowledge and professional competence, which they can apply in their professional field once they have completed their fellowship with WIPO. Fellowships are awarded for specific activities, which provide the fellows training, within the approved workplan of the employing office.
The fellowship position is located in the Department for Economics and Data Analytics (DEDA), IP and Innovation Ecosystems Sector (IES). The Composite Indicator Research Section in DEDA coordinates the publication of WIPO’s flagship Global Innovation Index (GII) used by Member States and innovation actors to improve innovation outcomes and national innovation metrics, policies or strategies. It explores new data sources for better measuring innovation and creativity, in view of improving national innovation ecosystems.
Responsibilities
The GII Fellow will perform the following principal duties:
- Collecting, analyzing, auditing, and processing innovation-related data, while ensuring data quality, including assessing new data sources related to the GII iLens Innovation Lab.
- Developing and delivering the Global Innovation Tracker, while updating the existing metrics and incorporating related novel metrics.
- Providing substantive input into the development of the annual GII report, including the analysis of country performance based on innovation indicators.
- Supporting the day-to-day project management tasks of the GII, including correspondence management, content for social media and the WIPO website, and the finalization of report elements.
- Providing support for GII-related dissemination activities, including producing data visualizations and drafting talking points and related briefing documents.
Benefits
- Stipend: is set in accordance with the level of qualifications and experience of the Fellow (stipend starts from monthly 3,300 CHF up to a maximum 6,000 CHF).
- Travel expenses: WIPO shall contribute towards the cost of the fellow’s travel on engagement and separation from service. If necessary, WIPO may provide assistance in obtaining an entry visa to Switzerland.
- WIPO contributes towards medical insurance and provides accident insurance coverage during the course of the fellowship.
Eligibility
- Advanced university degree (master’s level) in economics, statistics, data science or any related field.
- Relevant experience in economics (or similar) and be very comfortable with data ingestion and database handling large data sets and indicator development.
- Have a background or interest in innovation studies and policy.
- Excellent written and spoken knowledge of English. Knowledge of any other official UN languages would be an advantage.
Specific skills and competencies (Essential)
- Proficiency in using specialized software and programming languages for data science, database management and statistical/econometric analysis (in particular R and/or Python).
- Demonstrated ability to use code hosting platforms such as GitHub and data storage tools, including AWS and MySQL.
- Experience working with large cross-country datasets and/or development of composite indicators.
- Demonstrated ability to build and maintain data visualization dashboards or tools for public-facing publications.
- Experience in producing public-facing content for social media and web use.
- Knowledge of/experience with applied economics and/or innovation economics.
- Strong drafting and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate technical findings to non-technical audiences.
- Good time management skills, with a demonstrated ability to work autonomously and manage competing deadlines.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to maintain effective working relations in a multi-cultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.
Application
For more information, visit WIPO Global Innovation Index Fellowship.
