Every year, International Organizations submit proposals for Fellowship positions to the UN/DESA Office and the Government of Italy. These proposals are subsequently reviewed in order to identify which will be sponsored, taking into account factors such as development and geographical priorities, previous Fellows’ placements and current security situation in each country. The Programme does not fund Fellowships in countries with UN Security Levels above 3 (moderate).

Applications to the Italian Fellowships Programme can only be submitted online through a dedicated electronic system. Every year, usually in June, an announcement is published on this website. This provides information on the application dates and deadline, as well as instructions how to apply.

The following graph shows the number of applications for the editions between 2000 and 2023:

The average age of selected candidates: 27 years

The number of fellowships awarded under the Programme varies each year depending on the level of funds made available by the donor Government. The following table shows the number of fellowships awarded between 2000 and 2023:

Candidates holding a Laurea/Laurea Triennale degree are not eligible for the Programme. They must also hold a Laurea Magistrale/Specialistica or a Master’s Degree which has been issued by a University before the application deadline.

The Programme has run on a regular basis since 1999. However, its implementation is subject to availability of funds by the donor Government on a year-to-year basis.

The on-the-job training in the assigned duty station lasts 12 months and is preceded by a mandatory orientation workshop, which forms an integral part of the Fellowship.

The workshop provides training on topics such as security issues, project management, communication skills, team work and negotiation skills. It also deals with specific development topics relating to the current international context and gives Fellows the opportunity to further their knowledge of both the UN Common System and the Italian Development Cooperation, as well as establish a network of professional contacts. All attendance-related expenditures are borne directly by UN DESA.

For further details about the Programme, please contact the UN/DESA Office in Rome as follows: Tel. (+39) 06 5705 4638 E-mail: fellowshipinfo[at]undesa.it