Fellowships, grants & calls
TWAS – IACS Postgraduate Fellowship Programme 2011
The TWAS-IACS Postgraduate Fellowship Programme enables young scientists from developing countries to pursue research in field of natural sciences. http://twas.ictp.it/prog/exchange/fells/fells-pg/iacs-pg Study Subject: Theoretical physics, Condensed matter physics, Spectroscopy, Materials science, Non-conventional energy, Physical chemistry, Organic chemistry, Inorganic chemistry, Biological chemistry, Polymer science. Employer: The Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science and TWAS Level:Postgraduate Scholarship Description: TWAS-IACS Postgraduate Fellowships are tenable at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) for a period of up to four years for studies leading to a PhD degree. IACS will provide a monthly stipend to cover living costs, food and health insurance. The monthly stipend will not be convertible into foreign currency. The language of instruction is English. Applicants must observe the IACS academic calendar, which starts in April each year, and be ready to start their Fellowship on the first day of classes/ courses. Eligibility Criteria: Applicants for Fellowships must meet the following criteria: -be a maximum age of 30 years on 31 December of the application year; -hold a Master’s degree in a field of natural sciences; -be nationals of a developing country (other than India); -provide an official Acceptance Letter from a department of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS); -provide evidence of proficiency in English. Scholarship Application Deadline: 30 June 2011
7/06/2011
EU-ACP Proposal Writing Training Course with focus on neglected and underutilized species of plants
Dates and venue: August 29th – September 2nd, 2011 in Lilongwe, Malawi Deadline for application: June 3rd, 2011 Download the Call. Download the appllication form. A Partnership of five African and two European organizations1 are implementing the project ’Building human and institutional capacity for enhancing the conservation and use of Neglected and Underutilized Species of crops in West Africa, and Eastern and Southern Africa’. The project is funded by the European Union in cooperation with the ACP Science and Technology Programme during 2009-2012. The objective is to contribute towards poverty reduction and greater food and nutrition security in West Africa, and Eastern and Southern Africa through enhanced conservation and use of neglected and underutilized species (NUS). Overall the project aims to strengthen the ability of young scientists to develop and manage inter-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder research projects on NUS and to publish research results. To achieve this, the course provides training on research proposal writing skills for NUS research. This training course in Proposal Writing for Neglected and Underutilized Species of Plants, is jointly organized by University of Malawi-Bunda College, the International Foundation for Science (IFS), Bioversity International, and the Regional Universities Forum for Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM). The course will be held on 29 August - 2 September 2011, in Lilongwe, Malawi. It specifically targets young scientists from Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Kenya and Uganda.Applicants eligible for this call should: Be a citizen of Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Kenya or Uganda Be a national scientist attached to a university, research institution or a research oriented and not-for-profit NGO, Be under 40 years of age (or up to 45 providing the last higher degree was obtained in the previous 5 years) and at the beginning of their research career Have at least a Master's or equivalent degree. We particularly welcome applications from female scientists.
Monday 29 August 2011 - Friday 02 September 2011
Second call of proposals for the NEPAD/Spanish Fund for African Women's Empowerment
The NEPAD/Spanish Fund announces its second call for proposals. The Fund will provide grants to projects in sub-Saharan Africa aimed at enhancing the empowerment of women and gender equality. The call for proposals will support initiatives under the following themes: improving women’s economic empowerment, civil society strengthening and institutional strengthening. Application Procedure: Information on eligibility and guidelines for applicants is available on the NEPAD Agency website at http://www.nepad.org/crosscuttingissues/knowledge/doc/2162/second-call-proposals-nepadspanish-fund-african-womens-empower There is a specific proposal template/format, which must be adhered to when completing the application. Eligible institutions: Ministries for Women and Gender machineries, African women’s organizations and networks, government ministries and research institutions, RECs, CSOs and CBOs. A complete listing of eligible organizations is available on the NEPAD Agency website. The deadline for submission of proposals is 29th May, 2011 at 12hr midnight GMT. For more information on the NEPAD/Spanish Fund please follow the link below: http://www.nepad.org/crosscuttingissues/knowledge/doc/2162/second-call-proposals-nepadspanish-fund-african-womens-empower
25/05/2011
Competition: Africa College Prize on Impact on Food Security & Human Health
To accompany the conference Africa College is holding a competition to help identify best practice on translating the results of research into impact on food security and human health in sub-Saharan Africa, and to recognise individuals from research and development organisations, civil society and farmer organisations, and the private sector who have helped deliver these impacts. Entrants are asked to answer three questions: (i) what impact was made and who benefitted, (ii) what the author(s) did to help achieve this impact, and (iii) what lessons this has to increase the impact of research on food security and human health in sub-Saharan Africa. A maximum of 1,500 words is allowed. To enter the competition entrants must use the entry form available on the Africa College web site. Entries must be received by 5pm (GMT) on 6th June 2011. Winners will be announced during the Food Security, Health and Impact Knowledge Brokering Conference, 22-24th June 2011 (link). For more details on the competition and entry form please go to http://www.africacollege.leeds.ac.uk/conf2011/prize.php or request these by mail to africacollege@leeds.ac.uk
28/04/2011
ICT4D Masters Bursary from University of Manchester
The University of Manchester's one-year MSc ICTs for Development degree aims to create "ICT4D champions" who combine technical competencies in information systems and project management with an understanding of development context and practice: http://www.sed.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/courses/06237/?code=06237&pg=2 The 2011 Development Leaders Bursary - worth £6,150 - is available for developing country applicants to the MSc ICT4D programme, with a May 27th deadline. Application and eligibility details can be found at: http://www.sed.manchester.ac.uk/idpm/postgraduate/taught/funding/ This page also contains details on other funding sources and on part-time employment opportunities while studying in Manchester.
28/04/2011
Call for application: 5 fully-funded MSc fellowships in GM crop risk assessment
The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) is an international, intergovernmental organisation conceived as a centre of excellence for research and training in genetic engineering and biotechnology with special regard to the needs of the developing world, and implements a comprehensive programme on biosafety centred on capacity building and dissemination of scientific information. The ICGEB is currently offering five biosafety fellowships in the framework of a capacity building initiative focused on sub-Saharan Africa. Downlaod and read the call here. The prime objective of this initiative is to strengthen the ability of developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa to fully integrate into the worldwide effort to assure full and balanced consideration of biosafety issues in pursuing the appropriate uses of modern biotechnology in agriculture. A key activity is the provision of support to local and regional regulatory systems overseeing the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and as such, the ICGEB will fund five fellowships for a one-year MSc course “Managing the Environment” (specifically the Risk Assessment of GM Crops pathway) offered by the world renowned Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, UK (http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/ibers/) commencing on 26 Sept 2011. Eligibility requirements:The ideal applicants will: be nationals from a sub-Saharan African country (not necessarily currently based in Africa); hold a university degree (in a biotechnology- or environment-related field) with an equivalency to or higher than a UK lower 2nd class honours (see the table of equivalency with other EU http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/postgrad/howtoapply/entryrequirements/comparability/euqualifications/ and non-EU Higher Education qualifications http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/postgrad/howtoapply/entryrequirements/comparability/noneuquals/ ) and have at least three years of experience in a field of direct relevance to GMO biosafety; hold an English Language Proficiency Certificate with a minimal proficiency as outlined for “Biological Sciences (MSc Managing the Environment)” found at http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/postgrad/howtoapply/entryrequirements/ (in the "Courses from List Two" column). See lower table on the same webpage for those applicants for whom their scholastic education was conducted in English; preferably be directly involved in international, national or local GMO regulatory processes in government, industry, academia or NGOs, for example regulators, officers and scientists working in National Competent Authorities, Scientific Advisory Committees, institutional biosafety committees, and phytosanitary services, or be people who are regularly called upon to advise such entities in a biosafety capacity; be able to travel as needs dictate preferably be below the age of 40. Fellowship application forms can only be found here and must be submitted to the indicated address on or before 27 May 2011 (early submissions will be given higher priority). Applications endorsed by a Member of the respective National Biosafety Authority or Committee will take precedence in the selection process.
28/04/2011
CCAFS Competitive call: Proposals on gender and climate change by female scientists
The CGIAR Program on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS) is seeking proposals on gender and climate change by female scientists who are citizens of and are affiliated with a university or research institute in a CCAFS country, which includes Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Bangladesh, India, or Nepal. The research grant amounts to $35,000. Please circulate the information to potential candidates. Grant application should be submitted by 1 May 2011 via email. Download the full guideline for applicants here and the application form here. For more information, visit CCAFS : http://www.ccafs.cgiar.org
11/04/2011
JAFSCD Call for papers - Food System Planning Theory and Practice
Manuscripts are due 20 April 2011. Visit the JAFSCD Call page. Get the Call flyer and the Query form. The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD: ISSN 2152-0801) is an online international, peer-reviewed publication focused on the practice and applied research interests of agriculture and food systems development professionals and scholars. Food Systems Planning is a nascent field in the planning profession. Bolstered by growing societal concerns about the equity and environmental sustainability of the global food system, planners are becoming more engaged in local efforts to analyze and address food system challenges and opportunities. Food system planning is increasingly practiced not just by planning professionals, but also by architects, landscape architects, and staff at NGOs and public agencies. In this special topic focus, we encourage practicing planners and others engaged in food system planning — as well as planning scholars and students — to submit applied research-based papers. As there is little attention paid to their work in the literature, rural planners are especially encouraged to submit papers. Examples of topics include: food deserts, swamps, and oases; siting of community and public gardens, and farmers' and mobile markets; innovations in emergency food assistance; regional planning and economic development related to farm and agribusiness retention and expansion; retail access; mapping of food distribution systems; farmland protection; metropolitan agriculture; food policy councils; and integrating food policy into state and federal agencies.
25/03/2011
TWAS Fellowships: 2011 Call for applications
TWAS Fellowships: 2011 Call for Applications Postgraduate, postdoctoral, visiting scholar and advanced research fellowships available to scientists from developing countries.TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world, is now accepting applications for its postgraduate, postdoctoral, visiting scholars and advanced research fellowship programmes. The fellowships are offered to scientists from developing countries and are tenable at centres of excellence in various countries in the South, including Brazil, China, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan and Thailand. Eligible fields include: agricultural and biological sciences, medical and health sciences, chemistry, engineering, astronomy, space and earth sciences, mathematics and physics. Please see http://www.twas.org > Programmes > Exchange > Fellowships for the latest information regarding all these programmes, including eligibility criteria, deadlines, etc, and to download the application forms and guidelines. Women scientists are especially encouraged to apply.
24/03/2011
Global Rice Science Scholarship 2011
Deadline: 30 April 2011 The 2011 GRiSS offers young agricultural scientists the opportunity to be experts in a scientific discipline and to have a broader understanding of the global issues that affect rice science for development. This is an opportunity for scientists early in their career who are working in a national agricultural research and extension system in developing countries.
22/03/2011
The Norman E. Borlaug Leadership Enhancement in Agriculture Program (LEAP)
Deadline: 18 May 2011 The Norman E. Borlaug Leadership Enhancement in Agriculture Program (Borlaug LEAP) is a fellowship program, funded by the USAID, to enhance the quality of thesis research of graduate students from developing countries who show strong promise as leaders in the field of agriculture and related disciplines. Awards are made on a competitive basis to students who show strong scientific and leadership potential, have a well coordinated proposal between their home university, a US university mentor, and the CGIAR mentor, and whose research is related to a strong research and support project within the host country. Emphasis is placed on work that has relevance to the national development of the student's home country. Currently there are two limited release Request for Applications (RFAs): Applications are requested for sub-Saharan African students conducting research on topics related to USAID's global hunger and food security initiative. The focus region is sub-Saharan Africa. All topics related to agriculture and food security are admissible. Due date for applications is May 18, 2011. Applications are requested for developing country students conducting research in partnership with CRSPs (Collaborative Research Support Programs). The focus region is global. All topics related to agriculture and CRSP priorities are admissible. Due date for applications is May 18, 2011.
22/03/2011
ICGEB Research Grants : Call for application 2011
Deadline: 30 April 2011The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology provides a scientific and educational environment of the highest standard and conducts innovative research in life sciences for the benefit of developing countries. It strengthens the research capability of its Members through training and funding programmes and advisory services and represents a comprehensive approach to promoting biotechnology internationally. Funding opportunities are made available through the Collaborative Research Programme (CRP) - ICGEB Research Grants, which is a unique source of funding aimed at financing those projects addressing original scientific questions that show a potential contribution of particular relevance for the applicant's country. The call for 2011 is now available: get the full information here.
22/03/2011
SEARCA MSc and PhD Research Scholarships 2011
This graduate scholarship was initiated in academic year 1968-69 and aims to ensure the relevance and responsiveness of Southeast Asia's agricultural scientists and professionals to global sustainable development issues. The program provides support for advanced studies leading to the MS and PhD degrees in agriculture, forestry, and related fields. SEARCA aims to prepare highly qualified professionals working in agricultural and rural development for positions of leadership in SEAMEO member countries.The deadline for submitting application is: 30 July 2011.
18/03/2011
African Centre for Crop Improvement (ACCI) offering PhD Scholarship in Plant Breeding
Deadline fo application: 31 October 2011 ACCI, University of KwaZulu - Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa The African Centre for Crop Improvement (ACCI) at the University of KwaZulu - Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa offers this prestigious scholarship to young African scientists who are keen to make Plant Breeding their career. The aim of the ACCI is to train African plant breeders, in Africa, on African crops. This involves 2 years of academic studies at the University of KwaZulu - Natal and 3 years of field research in the student home countries, at their home institution. The crop students breed are food security crop: Cereals, roots and tubers and legumes. Successful candidates would be eligible to begin their studies in January 2012.
18/03/2011
International Fellowship in Graduate Research for the Adapting Livestock Systems to Climate Change Collaborative Research Support Program
If you are a student from Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Senegal, Nepal, or Tajikistan, this fellowship opportunity might interest you. The Fellowship is intended to provide opportunities for graduate education that prepare students for interdisciplinary careers within the vision and objectives of the Livestock-Climate Change CRSP (see LCC CRSP Research Strategy, download below). The Fellows will be expected to become specialists who can contribute to research regarding the adaptation of livestock systems to climate change in the LCC CRSP countries of focus (Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Senegal, Nepal, and Tajikistan). Selected fellows must propose to conduct research in one or more of the focus countries. Proposals are due 31 March 2011. All relevant information are in the downloadable document found below.
18/03/2011
ASARECA Call for concept notes, Pearl Millet ( Staple Crops Programme)
Ref. ASARECA_RC11_Staples-01 // Deadline: 24 March 2011. This Research Call, Ref. ASARECA_RC11_Staples-01, invites the submission of Concept Notes (CNs) towards the competitive award of a research grant for undertaking a research project to be funded under the ASARECA Research Grant Fund. The Research Call addresses certain themes for research and development which are relevant to livelihood advancement and sustainable economic development in the Eastern and Central African sub-region (ECA). Requirement 1: The research must be undertaken in ASARECA member countries. Requirement 2: The research must be undertaken by at least four NARS organizations, variously located in the member countries (for compliance with Requirement 1), that agree to work in partnership on the proposed research.
15/03/2011
TEEAL Graduate Student Research Paper Competition 2011
TEEAL invites MSc and PhD students to submit research papers in food production, food security, agricultural and food policy, and rural development. Registration deadline is 31 May 2011.
18/02/2011
2011 Call announcement from the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund
IDRC has announced the next open, competitive Call for Concept Notes as part of the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF). The deadline for submission of concept notes is March 23, 2011.Project budgets under this call will be in the range of CA$1 million to CA$5 million. Notable changes from the 2010 CIFSRF Call for Concept notes include: increased eligibility for international organizations; restrictions on the allowable number of applications in which researchers can be involved; shorter project duration, which must not exceed 30 months, including field research and final reporting. The CIFSRF is a 5-year, CA$62 million fund that supports research partnerships between Canadian and developing-country research organizations for applied research to find lasting solutions to fight hunger and food insecurity in the developing world. The Fund is a core element of CIDA’s Food Security Strategy and of IDRC’s food security programming priorities. The online application will be available on this page starting 9 February 2011 and closing 23 March 2011. The website gives instructions for filling out the online application, and lists the eligible countries. (Deadline: 23 March 2011)
17/02/2011
Joint call for collaborative projects: ‘Sustainable Crop Production Research for International Development’ (SCPRID)
This is a joint call for collaborative projects under the Sustainable Crop Production Research for International Development (SCPRID) initiative. Up to £20 million is available through the initiative, funded by: BBSRC; Department for International Development; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Department of Biotechnology of India's Ministry of Science and Technology, Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Outline application deadline: 31 March 2011, 4pm BST (3pm GMT). The focus of the programme is on research to understand and counter the effects of abiotic (drought, temperature, salinity, nutrient deficiency etc) and biotic stresses (pathogens, pests, weeds) - including combinations of stresses - that constrain food crop production in developing countries of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Research supported through this programme must be of excellent scientific quality and demonstrate clear development relevance. Projects are also required to provide the basis for forging mutually-beneficial scientific partnerships between the UK and developing countries.
17/02/2011
Intra-ACP academic mobility scheme - Call for Proposals EACEA/35/10
The intra-ACP academic mobility scheme promotes cooperation between higher education institutions (HEIs) and supports mobility in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) regions. The Programme aims to increase access to quality education that will encourage and enable ACP students to undertake postgraduate studies, and to promote student retention in the region along with mobility of staff (academic and administrative). In doing so, the Intra-ACP Programme is expected to increase the competitiveness and attractiveness of the institutions themselves. This programme builds on the African Union’s Mwalimu Nyerere programme for Africa, granting additional funding, and setting up a similar scheme for the Caribbean and Pacific regions. It is funded through the European Development Fund (EDF). (Deadline 1st Call: 6 May 2011)
17/02/2011
E-mail Newsletter
- Blog post: Capturing the rural young minds with ICTs lies the future of Agriculture in Africa! (23/11/2011)
- Blog post: To What End Is Research? (25/10/2011)
- Blog post: On extension and advisory services in Zimbabwe (31/08/2011)
- Blog post: Re-inventing the wheel: Principles in Scientific Research (07/07/2011)
- Blog post: Dossier on phosphorus quite informative (17/06/2011)
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