UNESCO has launched a new funded opportunity specifically for women researchers and innovators in the Caribbean. The WINGS Caribbean Fellowship 2026, officially launched by the UNESCO Office for the Caribbean on September 7, 2026, will provide two fellowships worth US$10,000 each to support projects addressing important development challenges across the Caribbean.
Programme: WINGS Caribbean – Women Inspiring New Generations in Science
Host: UNESCO Office for the Caribbean
Partner institutions: The University of the West Indies, Mona, Faculty of Science and Technology, and the Caribbean Academy of Sciences
Funding: US$10,000 per fellow
Number of fellowships: Two
Streams: STEM and Social Impact
Project duration: Up to 12 months
Deadline: September 30, 2026
Time: 11:59 p.m. Jamaica time (UTC−5).
WINGS stands for Women Inspiring New Generations in Science. Under the theme “Advancing Science. Advancing Women. Transforming the Caribbean,” the initiative is designed for mid-career and advanced-career women who are ready to move promising research and innovation toward practical societal impact.
What Is the UNESCO WINGS Caribbean Fellowship?
WINGS Caribbean is a new fellowship initiative of the UNESCO Office for the Caribbean. It is being implemented in technical collaboration with The University of the West Indies, Mona’s Faculty of Science and Technology, and the Caribbean Academy of Sciences.
The fellowship responds to an important challenge: talented women researchers may already have strong ideas, evidence and technical expertise but still need resources, visibility and institutional support to translate that work into solutions with measurable public benefit. WINGS Caribbean is therefore targeted specifically at women who have moved beyond the earliest stages of their careers and are ready to advance research or innovation with regional relevance.
How Much Funding Is Available?
UNESCO will award two fellowships of US$10,000 each.
The awards are divided into two streams:
- STEM Fellowship
- Social Impact Fellowship
Each successful fellow will receive US$10,000 to develop a project over a period of up to 12 months.
This means the programme is making a total of US$20,000 available across the two fellowship awards. Applicants should note that this is project-focused fellowship support. The objective is to help fellows develop projects capable of producing practical and measurable societal benefits rather than simply providing an unrestricted personal award.
Who Can Apply?
This opportunity is specifically for women. Applications are open to eligible women nationals of UNESCO Member States and Associate Members in the English-speaking and Dutch-speaking Caribbean.
The programme is aimed at mid-career and advanced-career women researchers and innovators. That distinction is important.
WINGS Caribbean is not positioned as a student scholarship or undergraduate programme. It is intended for women who have already developed meaningful research, scientific, innovation or social-impact experience and are ready to take their work further. Applicants should consult the official call linked by UNESCO before submission to confirm the full eligibility and documentation requirements applicable to their proposed fellowship stream.
What Types of Projects Can Be Supported?
UNESCO has identified several areas that reflect pressing Caribbean development priorities.
Projects may address:
- Climate and environmental resilience This could include research or innovation related to climate adaptation, environmental sustainability, ecosystems or strengthening communities facing environmental risks.
- Disaster risk reduction Projects may explore practical approaches to preparedness, resilience and reducing the impact of natural hazards.
- Digital innovation Women developing technology or applying digital tools to significant Caribbean problems may find opportunities within this area.
- Applied scientific research The programme welcomes research capable of moving scientific knowledge toward practical applications and societal benefit.
- Social development Projects addressing important social challenges and improving community outcomes may fit within the Social Impact stream.
- Governance Research and innovation that strengthen institutions, public participation or evidence-based decision-making may also be relevant.
- Social entrepreneurship Applicants using innovative enterprise models to tackle societal challenges can be considered.
- Community-based research The programme also recognises research rooted in communities and designed around real local needs.
Why WINGS Caribbean Matters
The fellowship arrives at an important point in the conversation about women in science. Increasing the number of girls entering STEM is important, but representation cannot stop at university admission. Women also need opportunities at the stages where research agendas are defined, innovations are funded and scientific expertise begins influencing public decisions.
WINGS Caribbean specifically addresses that later career stage. UNESCO says the initiative is intended to increase women’s visibility and leadership in research and innovation, while developing a regional network of women contributing to a more resilient, innovative and sustainable Caribbean.
The fellowship therefore combines two objectives: advancing women’s scientific leadership and helping research deliver practical benefits to Caribbean societies.
What Does UNESCO Expect From the Projects?
A strong proposal should not stop at identifying an interesting research question. UNESCO states that fellows will have up to 12 months to develop projects capable of delivering practical and measurable societal benefits.
Applicants should therefore think carefully about impact.
- What specific Caribbean challenge does the project address?
- Who could benefit?
- What would change if the project succeeds?
- Can progress be demonstrated within 12 months?
Those questions can help applicants move from a broad idea toward a focused project proposal.
Application Requirements
UNESCO provides the formal WINGS Caribbean Call for Applications and an online application form through its official announcement.
Because detailed documentation and stream-specific requirements are contained in the official call/application materials, candidates should review those documents directly rather than relying on third-party scholarship summaries. That is particularly important for confirming nationality eligibility and determining whether a project belongs under the STEM or Social Impact fellowship stream.
Tips Before Applying
First, decide which fellowship stream best matches your work.
Second, connect your project clearly to a Caribbean development challenge rather than presenting a generic research proposal.
Third, explain the practical outcome. A technically impressive project will be stronger when the application also makes clear who benefits and how that benefit could be measured.
Finally, do not wait until September 30. Review the official call now so that any supporting information required by the application can be prepared properly.
How to Apply
UNESCO has provided both the official Call for Applications and online application form through its September 7 announcement:
Official UNESCO WINGS Caribbean Fellowship Announcement and Application Links
WINGS Caribbean Call for Applications
WINGS Caribbean Online Application Form
For further information, please contact the UNESCO Office for the Caribbean at kingston@unesco.org
This is one of the freshest women-specific research opportunities currently available: it was announced only on September 7, 2026. If you are an eligible Caribbean woman researcher or innovator with a project capable of producing practical impact, review the official call, determine your fellowship stream and prepare your application before September 30, 2026.
And if you know a Caribbean woman whose research deserves resources and visibility, send this opportunities for women content to her today.
