Applications are now open for the Fully-funded 2026 United Nations-Nippon Foundation Fellowship

Ednah Carrick July 10, 2025

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Closing Date: 14 September 2025

Applications are now open for the Fully-funded 2026 United Nations-Nippon Foundation Fellowship

Objectives

The objective of the United Nations-Nippon Foundation Fellowship (UNNF Fellowship) on Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea is to provide mid-level Government officials and other mid-level professionals from developing States dealing directly with ocean affairs and/or the law of the sea with funded advanced training in the field of ocean affairs and the law of the sea, or related disciplines including marine science in support of management frameworks.

The aim of the United Nations-Nippon Foundation Fellowship is for participants to acquire the necessary skills to support their States in the implementation of the legal framework set out in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and related instruments, while also enabling them to formulate comprehensive ocean management regimes, including within the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Structure:

The UNNF Fellowship is structured as a 9-month Programme, divided into two phases:

Phase Two: A six-month research stay at an academic Host Institution participating in the UNNF Programmes, selected for its expertise in the Fellow’s field of research (from July to December 2026).

Phase One: A three-month training phase with OLA/DOALOS at United Nations Headquarters
in New York (from approximately mid-March to June 2026).

Criteria

To qualify, nominated candidates must meet all the following criteria:

Must be between the ages of 25 and 45;
Must have successfully completed a first-level university degree or equivalent;
Demonstrate an ability to undertake advanced academic research and studies;
Be from a developing State;
Be a mid-level government official or mid-level professional dealing directly with ocean affairs and/or the law of the sea such as, but not limited to, the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and related instruments, and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly SDG-14, including in relation to the establishment of maritime zones and the delimitation of maritime boundaries, sustainable development of oceans and seas, national and/or regional ocean policy, coastal zone management, conservation and management of marine living resources, maritime transport and shipping, maritime security, the protection and preservation of the marine environment, and marine sciences.
Must be free of all non-Fellowship obligations during this entire period unless otherwise authorized by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs.

Instructions:

1. To apply, download the form and fill in all the fields electronically in addition to the online form. Kindly use the Sentence case for filling in the data (e.g. John Smith), do not use all capital letters to write your answers (e.g. JOHN SMITH). Apply your electronic or handwritten signature and use the “Save” option to save your changes. Kindly return the form as Word or PDF document.

2. Each question must be answered clearly and completely in order to ensure that the application will be processed. While completing the form, candidates should pay particular attention to sections 18, 19 and 20. If necessary, candidates may attach no more than one additional page of the same size.

3. The Application package consists of three documents and an online form:

The signed Personal History and Proposed Research Application Form;
The signed and stamped Nomination and Recommendation Form – to be signed and stamped by the Official nominating the candidate;
The online form; and
A copy of the applicant’s national passport biodata page.

The forms listed under points 1. and 2. above may be returned in either Word or PDF format