Please review the following information carefully before submitting your application at the bottom of the page.

Fellowship Overview

We are excited to announce the Canada-Africa Innovation Fellowship (CAIF) program 2023 Uganda cohort applications.
The Canada Africa Innovation Fellowship is an Innovation Accelerator providing an opportunity for students to work on innovative solutions to real world problems.

In its third year, and for the first time being in person. EWB-Canada is offering a fellowship for both Canadian and Uganda based university students to come together and co-create solutions for the 21st century. This fellowship will bring together eight young leaders from Canada and eight young female leaders from Uganda to learn, create, and accelerate ideas, as a way to build a long-term sustainable and inclusive future.  The program will be a catalyst for young leaders to inspire themselves to create innovative scalable solutions to global problems.

Unlike previous years, this 2023 Uganda cohort will purely consist of female students mostly drawn from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programs. This is in an effort to help build the female innovators community in Uganda and to leverage on science, technology and engineering as tools for international development.  

The fellowship connects young leaders from Canada and Africa, offering them a platform through which to share cultural, academic and professional knowledge, design solutions together and apply a gender lens to their work. The fellows will have an opportunity to spend some time in Kampala (Uganda’s capital) and in a rural setting in Eastern Uganda during the course of the fellowship. The platform also builds capacity and experience for Canadian and Ugandan leaders in the areas of technology and innovation. 
 

CAIF 2023 will build skills student’s need to be leaders at work and in their communities with the ability to navigate and solve complex challenges. This program will feature:

• an emphasis on Fellows professional, leadership, entrepreneurial and innovation capacity development through an accelerator-type training series, professional mentorship and coaching 

• the opportunity and ability to engage youth in an innovation design challenge to create solutions for complex global problems
   

Note: Unlike previous cohorts. The African cohort of 2023 there won't be a compensation element to this fellowship, but field costs will be covered by EWB Canada.

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To apply for the Innovation Fellowship, Candidates must:

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• be above the age of 18 prior to the time of application; 

• EITHER be a full-time undergraduate student enrolled in their final-year of study or above at the time of application, OR be a recent graduate who graduated in 2022;

• be based in Uganda as a citizen, permanent resident, temporary resident on a valid student or work visa, or holder of a Protected Persons status (e.g. refugee);

• have an interest in entrepreneurship, innovation and climate change; 

• have the drive, ambition, and interest to find new ways to solve complex challenges;

• have the capacity to gather comprehensive information on complex problems or situations, and the ability to evaluate and analyze information accurately in order to identify key issues and offer viable solutions;

• exhibit budding entrepreneurial spirit and have an interest in co-founding an initiative with the potential to positively impact millions of people across Canada and the world;

• have the drive to build international linkages and collaborate across perspectives with others from different regions in Canada and sub-Saharan Africa;

• have access to a laptop and internet;

• be available and willing to dedicate 4 months from May 2023 to August 2023, committing 35 to 40 hours per week on hands-on workshops, activities and some online sessions;

• be willing to work on your innovation post the fellowship;

• be comfortable with using English as a main language of communication.

Our Commitment to Invest in our Fellows:

People bring powerful ideas to life. At EWB, we identify, encourage and equip talented leaders to lift the collective prospects of our planet. We spot potential and invest in people who turn big ideas into big impact. As a 2023 Canada-Africa Innovation Fellow, you have a unique opportunity to:

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• participate in several learning labs facilitated by experts with real-life experience in the social innovation ecosystem;

• receive mentorship and coaching from experienced industry experts drawn from around the world; 

• network, collaborate and benefit from several peer-to-peer learning opportunities and with like minded individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds;

• have the opportunity to co-found an initiative that can impact millions of lives across the world;

• attend a graduation ceremony where certificates will be awarded to fellows and be recognized as an EWB Canada fellow / alumni of the Canada-Africa Innovation Fellowship Program, unlocking further networks and opportunities for your professional, leadership and entrepreneurial growth.

Important Dates (Uganda-based Applications Only):

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• Applications Open: 16 January 2023

• Application Deadline: Applications will be reviewed and considered on a rolling basis. Candidates are encouraged to submit applications at their earliest convenience, as space in the program is limited. Applications past 17th of February 2023 will not be considered.

• Application Results: By week of the 6th of March 2023

• Program Start: May 2023.