Are you an economist or data scientist with a master’s degree who loves working with big datasets? The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a United Nations agency, is recruiting a Global Innovation Index (GII) Fellow to join its economics team in Geneva, Switzerland. The fellowship pays a monthly stipend of CHF 3,300 to CHF 6,000, starts in January 2027 and can last up to three years. Applications close on 30 October 2026.
Fellowship at a Glance
- Organiser: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
- Team: Composite Indicator Research Section, Department for Economics and Data Analytics
- Vacancy number: 26307-FEL
- Location: WIPO headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland (in person, not remote)
- Expected start: 4 January 2027
- Length: Up to 12 months, renewable up to a maximum of three years
- Stipend: CHF 3,300 to CHF 6,000 a month, depending on qualifications and experience
- Deadline: 30 October 2026 (in your own local time)
About the Global Innovation Index
The Global Innovation Index is WIPO’s flagship annual ranking of how innovative countries are. Governments around the world, including many in Africa, use it to measure progress and shape innovation policy. The GII team also looks for new data sources to measure innovation and creativity better.
The fellow works under the Senior Economist of the Composite Indicator Research Section, helping produce the index and related tools.
What the Fellow Does
- Collect, analyse, audit and process innovation data, including assessing new data sources for the GII’s “iLens Innovation Lab”
- Develop and deliver the Global Innovation Tracker, updating existing metrics and adding new ones
- Contribute to the annual GII report, including analysis of country performance
- Support day-to-day project management, such as correspondence, social media and web content, and finalising report elements
- Produce data visualisations, talking points and briefing documents
Benefits
- Monthly stipend of CHF 3,300 to CHF 6,000
- Travel contribution at the start and end of the fellowship
- Visa assistance for Switzerland if needed
- Medical insurance contribution and accident insurance
- A “carte de légitimation”, a Swiss residence and work permit requested by WIPO for the fellow
- Hands-on experience on one of the world’s best-known innovation rankings
- A UN network in Geneva and a strong CV boost for careers in economics, data and policy
Things to know:
- Family members aren’t eligible for the residence permit.
- Fellows handle their own taxes and social security.
- The fellowship isn’t a staff job and doesn’t lead to employment rights.
Eligibility
Essential:
- A master’s degree in economics, statistics, data science or a related field, from a university listed in the World Higher Education Database (WHED)
- Relevant experience in economics, and confidence handling large datasets, databases and indicator development
- Excellent English, written and spoken
- Programming skills in R and/or Python
- Experience with GitHub and data tools such as AWS and MySQL
- Experience with large cross-country datasets and/or composite indicators
- Ability to build data visualisation dashboards for public audiences
- Experience producing content for social media and websites
- Knowledge of applied or innovation economics
- Strong writing and presentation skills, including explaining technical findings to non-experts
- Good time management and the ability to work independently
Desirable:
- A background or interest in innovation studies and policy
- Another UN official language, such as French or Arabic
The vacancy has no nationality or age limit. WIPO especially welcomes applicants from unrepresented member states and under-represented regions, which includes many African countries, as well as people with disabilities.
Tips for a Strong Application
- Show your data skills with evidence. Link to GitHub projects, dashboards or published analysis using R or Python.
- Highlight indicator work. If you’ve built indexes, scorecards or used datasets like the World Development Indicators, say so.
- Show you can communicate. Mention blogs, policy briefs, presentations or social media content you’ve produced.
- Connect to innovation policy. Experience with ministries, innovation agencies, startup ecosystems or tech policy in your country is valuable.
- Check your degree is in WHED. WIPO only accepts qualifications from institutions listed there.
- Prepare documents. Shortlisted candidates must send scanned ID and degree certificates, and may face a test or interview.
How to Apply
- Open vacancy 26307-FEL on WIPO’s careers portal.
- Create a candidate profile, then complete the online application.
- Submit by 30 October 2026. WIPO says the deadline applies in your own local time zone.
Apply for the WIPO Global Innovation Index Fellowship
