Applications Invited for Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals

About the Organization:

Global Innovation Exchange (GIE) is a global development technology platform for innovations, funding and insights. GIE's mission is to help scale the most promising global development innovations by utilizing its ever-growing database of information to serve as a reliable fundraising resource for social entrepreneurs in low-and-middle-income countries, as well as a source of credible innovation data for the international development community including funders, scaling partners and other ecosystem players.

STI Forum 2020:

The first annual Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum) took place on June 6 and 7, 2016, at the United Nations Headquarters, New York. The 2016 STI Forum addressed the topic "realizing the potential of science, technology and innovation for all to achieve the sustainable development goals."

As part of the Technology Facilitation Mechanism mandated by the 2030 Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (agreed in the Financing for Development Conference, 2015), the annual STI Forum provided "a venue for facilitating interaction, matchmaking and the establishment of networks between relevant stakeholders and multi-stakeholder partnerships in order to identify and examine technology needs and gaps, including with regard to scientific cooperation, innovation and capacity-building, and also in order to help facilitate development, transfer and dissemination of relevant technologies for the sustainable development goals."

As their name indicates, the STI Forum involves a discussion and networking platform for all actors in the field of science, technology and innovation and is open to member States, UN organizations, civil society, academia, industry and private sector, as well as accredited individuals.

Criteria for Consideration:

The STI Forum 2020 Call for Innovations is initiated by the United Nations in collaboration with Global Innovation Exchange (GIE). The Call will be open and accepting applications till Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Innovations will be submitted to the Call using GIE's innovation profiles and will be publicly featured in GIE’s searchable Innovation Directory here.

Following are the criteria for consideration for the STI Forum 2020:

Criterion #1: You haven't already submitted an innovation for consideration for the STI Forum 2020. Only one innovation should be submitted per person.

Criterion #2: Your innovation has not been showcased at past STI Forum events. See the list here. If your innovation has already been featured at past events, it will not be selected again this year.

Criterion #3: Your innovation is aligned with one or more of the six “entry points” identified in the Global Sustainable Development Report:

• Strengthening human well-being and capabilities
• Shifting towards sustainable and just economies
• Building sustainable food systems and healthy nutrition patterns
• Achieving energy decarbonization and universal access to energy
• Promoting sustainable urban and peri-urban development
• Securing the global environmental commons

Criterion #4: Innovations should embody “systems thinking” in the context of one or more of the entry points listed above.

The above 6 entry points represent systems where strategic interventions can help address some of the trade-offs or tensions among goals that could hinder progress in achieving the 2030 Agenda. For example, increasing food security without undermining terrestrial biodiversity will require policies and actions that work across sectors and constituencies. Considering food and nutrition as a system can help lead toward these solutions.

Criterion #5: The innovations should emphasize concrete action and transformative results.

Criterion #6: Innovations should also be especially targeted at assisting the poorest, most vulnerable and marginalized.

Criterion #7: Innovations are encouraged from diverse backgrounds, including women, youth, indigenous peoples, entrepreneurs from developing countries, and open collaborative networks.

Important:

• Reviewers will only do additional research to validate the facts presented in your application. Hence, your innovation profile must demonstrate that it meets the above criteria.
• Review the list of actions and tips for each criterion on the Application Instructions page.

The Call will be open and accepting applications until Tuesday, March 3, 2020.

Selected innovations will be invited to take part in an exhibition at the STI Forum in New York 12-13 May 2020.

For more information please check the Link