EWB Global Innovation Fellowship

The EWB Global Innovation Fellowship is a prestigious, 16-week program that brings together top Engineers Without Borders (EWB) chapter members in Canada with their peers in Africa to design community-centred solutions to the world’s most complex development
challenges.

Running from May to August 2026, this selective Fellowship equips emerging engineers with the skills, mindset, and global networks needed to create long-term impact — while working on real problems that matter. Applications open February 2026.

What Is the Global Innovation Fellowship?

The EWB Global Innovation Fellowship is a four-month, cohort-based innovation experience for exceptional undergraduate engineering students who want to move beyond classroom learning and apply their skills in real-world, global contexts.

Fellows work in small, cross-continental teams, pairing EWB chapter members in Canada with engineering students in Africa to investigate pressing development challenges and engineer solutions grounded in community realities, systems thinking, and ethical innovation. The Fellowship builds on EWB Canada’s two-decade legacy of developing globally minded engineers and leaders, and the proven success of earlier virtual innovation fellowships that launched student-led ventures and lifelong professional networks.

Who It’s For

This Fellowship is designed for students who are ready to challenge themselves and lead change. Ideal applicants are active EWB chapter members, undergraduate engineering or STEM students, curious about global development and systems change, motivated, collaborative, and comfortable working across cultures.

For the 2026 Canadian cohort, 12 participants will be selected — forming four teams of three EWB Canada chapter members. Each team will be paired with a team of peers in Africa, creating highly selective, cross-continental collaborations that maximize impact and learning.

What You’ll Work On

Each cohort focuses on one thematic challenge area, aligned with EWB Canada’s priority sectors and real needs identified by partner communities. Past and potential challenge areas include rural electrification and energy access, sustainable water systems, agricultural value chains, and community-scale infrastructure. Depending on the challenge, teams may focus their innovations in a Canadian context, such as remote or Indigenous communities, or in an African context, such as rural communities. This is not a case study or simulation — it is applied, systems-level problem solving rooted in real constraints and opportunities.

How the Fellowship Works

The Fellowship follows a structured innovation journey that moves teams from problem understanding to tested solution concepts over 16 weeks. The first four weeks focus on onboarding, team formation, and defining the challenge. Weeks five through nine center on systems thinking, research, and ideation to identify viable solution pathways. Weeks ten through thirteen are dedicated to prototyping, feasibility testing, and developing a Business Model Canvas and Theory of Change with mentor support. The final weeks involve pitch development and a regional semifinal showcase, where top teams present their work to expert judges.

The top two performing teams each year receive additional financial support to continue developing their solutions and attend the final pitch at EWB’s annual national xChange conference, with African participants traveling to pitch alongside their Canadian teammates. The winning team is awarded a final financial prize and the opportunity for an in-person exchange, allowing Canadian participants to travel to an African partner country for 1–3 months of hands-on collaboration.

Team & Mentorship Model

Collaboration and mentorship are central to the Fellowship experience. Teams consist of six students, three from Canada and three from Africa, deliberately designed to foster cross-cultural and multidisciplinary collaboration. Each team is supported by a dedicated mentor from EWB’s alumni network, industry, academia, or global partners. Mentors provide guidance on technical feasibility, systems thinking, and professional development, meeting with teams at key milestones throughout the program.

What You’ll Gain

Fellows gain practical experience applying systems thinking to real development challenges, building solutions through human-centered design and ethical innovation principles. Participants strengthen leadership, collaboration, and communication skills while developing cross-cultural networks with mentors and peers. Many past fellows credit the experience with shaping their professional paths, increasing their confidence, and expanding their opportunities for impact in global engineering contexts.

Time Commitment & Accessibility

The Fellowship requires an estimated 5–10 hours per week and is delivered fully virtually through live workshops and asynchronous collaboration, making it compatible with summer academic and work schedules across time zones. Reliable internet access is necessary to participate.

Key Dates

Applications open in February 2026. The program runs from May through August 2026, with a final showcase taking place at EWB Canada’s national xChange Conference in January 2027.