The STI Forum 2021 Call for Innovations is initiated by the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs in collaboration with Global Innovation Exchange at Results for Development. The call will open from Wednesday, March 3, 2021 and accept applications until Friday, March 26, 2021. Learn more about this event and opportunity here.

The Call seeks innovations developed or adapted to address COVID-19-associated disruptions that will remain relevant beyond the pandemic to help accelerate progress towards one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Selected innovators will be invited to participate at the UN’s Virtual STI Forum 2021 taking place on May 4th and 5th. See the benefits for innovators here.

When referring to "COVID-19-associated disruptions" we mean that we are looking for innovations that fit into one of the below categories: 

1. Innovations that focus on essential nutrition and healthcare services, particularly HIV, tuberculosis, and maternal, newborn, and child healthcare services. (SDG 2 & SDG 3)
2. Education innovations to reduce the inequalities COVID-19 has placed on students from low socioeconomic households. (SDG 4)
3. Innovations that respond or prevent gender based violence or intimate partner violence (SDG 5).
4. Innovations that focus on vulnerable and marginalized populations that have been hit hardest by the pandemic including: older persons, persons with disabilities, children, women, migrants and refugees, and indigenous populations (SDG 1, SDG 10). 

Additionally, innovations must be locally-led, and have a concrete vision and plan to scale their innovation's impact beyond the pandemic. Learn more about the criteria here.

The call is open to innovators, scientists, entrepreneurs and sustainability change agents worldwide.