Millennium Fellowship 2027 by UNAI and MCN [Free Leadership Programme; Certificate]: Apply by Oct 31

The United Nations Academic Impact and Millennium Campus Network are inviting undergraduate students worldwide to apply for the Millennium Fellowship Class of 2027. Selected students will develop social-impact projects, receive leadership training and become part of a campus-based cohort at no cost.

Click here to apply for the Millennium Fellowship Class of 2027.

About the Millennium Fellowship

The Millennium Fellowship is a semester-long leadership-development programme jointly presented by the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) and Millennium Campus Network (MCN).

It supports undergraduate students working on projects that advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and UNAI principles.

The programme is conducted through campus-based cohorts. Fellows meet, learn from one another, strengthen their leadership skills and implement measurable social-impact projects in their campuses or communities.

About United Nations Academic Impact

United Nations Academic Impact is a United Nations initiative that connects higher-education institutions with the UN’s work and values.

It encourages colleges and universities to promote human rights, sustainability, global citizenship, educational opportunity and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

About Millennium Campus Network

Millennium Campus Network is a global student network focused on leadership and social impact.

Through leadership programmes and campus communities, MCN supports university students in developing projects that address social, economic and environmental challenges.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must fulfil the following requirements:

Be at least 18 years old.
Be enrolled as an undergraduate student during the programme period.
Remain enrolled at their university between August and November 2027.
Have an interest in social-impact work and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Propose a new social-impact project or present an existing project they are already developing.
Be able to participate in the campus-based Fellowship activities.

The official eligibility page does not prescribe a particular academic discipline, nationality or country of residence.

Campus Eligibility

The Fellowship operates through campus cohorts rather than selecting students entirely independently of their universities.

For a university campus to participate, it must have at least eight selected Millennium Fellows. Competitive campus cohorts generally have 15–20 or more Fellows.

Students are therefore encouraged to share the opportunity with eligible classmates and other undergraduate students at their university. The organisers recommend receiving at least 15 applications from a campus to improve its chances of forming an eligible cohort.

A student can apply individually, but their campus must ultimately have at least eight selected Fellows for the cohort to operate.

Social-Impact Project Requirement

Applicants must propose a time-bound project that can create meaningful and measurable impact during the Fellowship.

The project must advance:

At least one United Nations Sustainable Development Goal; and
At least one United Nations Academic Impact principle.

The proposed initiative may be a new project idea or an existing project on which the applicant is already working.

Examples may include:

A campus or community-awareness campaign
A student-led organisation advancing the SDGs
A social enterprise
An education or health initiative
Environmental or climate action
Student journalism focused on sustainable development
Research that contributes to achieving the UN Goals
A campus-wide or community-wide collective-action project

Applicants should present a project that is practical enough to be developed or implemented during the Fellowship period.

Programme Duration and Format

The Millennium Fellowship is scheduled to take place between August and November 2027.

It is conducted primarily on the selected Fellows’ university campuses. Each campus cohort must convene at least eight times during the programme.

Campus Directors guide Fellows through the MCN Action Toolkit and facilitate peer learning, project development and leadership activities.

What Will Fellows Learn?

Through the Fellowship, participants will work on areas such as:

Empathy, humility and inclusive leadership
Creating achievable project goals
Preparing a project budget
Developing SMART goals
Team management
Project pitching and communication
Peer-to-peer feedback
Collaboration and collective action
Measuring and communicating social impact

Fellows apply these lessons while developing their individual or collective social-impact projects.

Benefits

Selected Millennium Fellows will receive:

A free semester-long leadership-development programme
Access to structured social-impact training
Membership in a campus cohort of student changemakers
Peer learning and collaboration opportunities
Guidance through the MCN Action Toolkit
Opportunities to strengthen and showcase their projects
Connections with an international community of social-impact leaders
Entry into the MCN alumni community after successful completion
A certificate of recognition from United Nations Academic Impact and Millennium Campus Network after completing the graduation requirements

The Fellowship does not advertise a stipend, scholarship payment or direct project grant.

Participation Fee

The Millennium Fellowship is completely free for accepted students and participating universities.

There is no application fee or programme fee.

Participants should nevertheless understand that selection into the Fellowship does not automatically provide funding for implementing their individual projects.

Application Process

The selection process consists of two rounds.

Round 1

The first round focuses on the applicant’s background, motivation and interest in joining the Fellowship.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Candidates are therefore advised to apply as early as possible rather than waiting for the priority deadline.

Round 2

Applicants who successfully clear Round 1 will receive an email invitation to complete Round 2.

Round 2 is expected to ask for:

Details of the applicant’s social-impact project
The applicant’s personal or emotional connection with the issue
One academic or professional recommendation
An optional application to serve as a Campus Director

The project may be an existing initiative or a well-developed idea that the applicant intends to pursue.

Campus Director Opportunity

Applicants may also express interest in becoming a Campus Director through the Fellowship application.

Campus Directors help coordinate their university’s cohort, conduct Fellowship sessions and guide participants through the programme curriculum.

Applying to become a Campus Director is optional and does not appear to be a general eligibility requirement for the Fellowship.

How to Apply?

Interested students may follow these steps:

Visit the official Millennium Fellowship application page.
Review the individual and campus eligibility requirements.
Click the “Apply Now” button.
Complete the Round 1 application with accurate personal and university information.
Explain your motivation for joining the programme.
Submit the application before the priority deadline.
Monitor your registered email address for the Round 1 decision.
If shortlisted, complete Round 2 and provide the required project and recommendation details.
Encourage other eligible undergraduate students from your campus to apply.

Click here to submit your application for the Class of 2027.

Priority Deadline

The next priority application deadline is:

October 31, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. The official page describes October 31 as a priority deadline, not necessarily the final closing date.

However, applicants should not assume that later applications will automatically be accepted. Indian students are advised to submit by October 31 without waiting for any subsequent application round or deadline.