Application Deadline: March 3, 2026.
The PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) Translation Division of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) organizes a Fellowship Program for assistant terminologists, translators, post-editors, translation technologists, and technical specialists, with the aim of providing training and on-the-job experience at an international organization.
There are five types of Fellowship position:
- Terminology fellows will be trained in the creation of terminology entries for the PCT Termbase and subsequent publication in WIPO Pearl.
- Translation fellows will be trained in the translation of patent abstracts and patent examination documents.
- Post-Editing fellows will be trained in the post-editing of machine translation (PEMT) of patent abstracts and patent examination documents.
- Translation Technology fellows will be trained in the use and support of translation and terminology management systems and machine translation systems.
- Technical Specialist fellows have prior experience in industry or as a researcher in a specific technical discipline and share their knowledge with PCT translators, and will be trained on the PCT system and the role of translation under the PCT.
Benefits
- Fellows are given a monthly stipend of 5,000 Swiss francs (taxable) and are provided with medical cover.
- Additionally, WIPO will assist with travel and visa arrangements. Fellowships cannot be carried out remotely.
Requirements
For the Terminology Fellowship
Candidates should be currently pursuing or be a recent graduate of an advanced degree program (Master’s, Doctorate or an equivalent level degree) in terminology, translation, a related linguistic discipline, or in a technical field provided they have strong linguistic ability. Prior experience in applied terminology would be considered an advantage but is not a requirement, and applicants are expected to work in their native language.
In 2026, applications are invited from native speakers of Arabic, Chinese, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish, who also have excellent knowledge of English.
For the Translation Fellowship
Candidates should be currently pursuing or be a recent graduate of an advanced degree program (Master’s, Doctorate or an equivalent level degree) in translation, terminology, a related linguistic discipline, or in a technical field provided they have strong linguistic ability. Prior experience in technical translation would be considered an advantage but is not a requirement, and applicants are expected to translate into their native language.
In 2026, applications are requested from candidates working in the following language combinations only:
- Japanese to English
- Korean to English
For the Post-Editing Fellowship
Candidates should be currently pursuing or be a recent graduate of an advanced degree program (Master’s, Doctorate or an equivalent level degree) in translation/post-editing, terminology, a related linguistic discipline, or in a technical field provided they have strong linguistic ability. Prior experience in technical translation/post-editing would be considered an advantage but is not a requirement, and applicants are expected to post-edit in their native language (target language).
In 2026, applications are requested from candidates working in the following language combinations only:
- Chinese to English
- English to French
For the Translation Technology Fellowship
Candidates should be currently pursuing or be a recent graduate of an advanced degree program (Master’s, Doctorate or an equivalent level degree) in translation technology, translation or a related linguistic discipline including a translation technology component, or in a technical field such as computational linguistics, information technology, or artificial intelligence. Prior experience in translation technology would be considered an advantage but is not a requirement, and applicants are expected to work in English or French.
For the Technical Specialist Fellowship
Candidates should have at least a first degree (Bachelor’s level) in a technical or scientific field (priorities include engineering, textiles, mining and telecommunications) and have demonstrated experience in industry or as a researcher, as well as a high level of linguistic ability in English and a second language that is preferably Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, or Spanish.
How to Apply
- Persons interested in applying for one of these Fellowship positions should submit their application by accessing the relevant Fellowship vacancy announcement.
Note: Candidates may apply to more than one type of Fellowship position if they meet the requirements. In such cases, a separate application must be submitted for each type of Fellowship position applied for.
- Following initial screening, shortlisted candidates will be requested to take a terminology test, a translation test, a post-editing test, and/or an aptitude test.
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