The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and its partners AfricaRice and the International Center for Agricultural Research for the Dry Areas (ICARDA) have received a grant of about US$ 64 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to finance the project Support to Agricultural Research for development of Strategic Crops in Africa (SARD-SC). The strategic crops within the context of the project are cassava, maize, rice and wheat. The overall objective of SARD-SC is to enhance food and nutrition and contribute to poverty reduction in AfDBs low-income member Countries (RMCs). Its specific objective is to enhance the productivity and income of four CAADPs priority value chains (cassava, maize, rice and wheat) on a sustainable basis.
Under this project, AfDB has made a contribution to AfricaRice to implement a 5-year project, which aims to upgrade the rice value chain in Africa through the (i) generation of agricultural technologies and innovations; (ii) sustainable dissemination and adoption of agricultural technologies and innovations across the value chain; and (iii) sustainable capacity strengthening of project stakeholders.
Background
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and its partners AfricaRice and the International Center for Agricultural Research for the Dry Areas (ICARDA) have received a grant of about US$ 64 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to finance the project Support to Agricultural Research for development of Strategic Crops in Africa (SARD-SC). The strategic crops within the context of the project are cassava, maize, rice and wheat. The overall objective of SARD-SC is to enhance food and nutrition and contribute to poverty reduction in AfDBs low-income member Countries (RMCs). Its specific objective is to enhance the productivity and income of four CAADPs priority value chains (cassava, maize, rice and wheat) on a sustainable basis.
Under this project, AfDB has made a contribution to AfricaRice to implement a 5-year project, which aims to upgrade the rice value chain in Africa through the (i) generation of agricultural technologies and innovations; (ii) sustainable dissemination and adoption of agricultural technologies and innovations across the value chain; and (iii) sustainable capacity strengthening of project stakeholders.
As part of its human capacity building component, the project is offering up to ten (10) PhD scholarships at African universities from 2013 onwards. Scholarships will be comprehensive and include stipend, research costs, tuition, travel and insurance.
Areas of research
AfricaRice is offering scholarships related to the rice value chain, in the field of agronomy; mechanization; gender; agribusiness; marketing; or any other related field. The research will comprise in-depth research conducted in a specific hub(s) in one of the member countries of AfricaRice. Suggested topics are Agronomy, Mechanization, Knowledge mangement, Gender, Valu chain/Agribusiness, and Marketing, although the recruitment panel invites other topics related to the rice value chain.
Qualifications
- Candidates must satisfy the target universitys admission requirements for PhD studies.
- Candidates must have identified a supervisory Professor at a reputable African University, who must have agreed to the research proposal written by the applicant.
- Strong preference is given to PhD candidates already enrolled in a University, and which have finished all or most of the coursework requirements.
Eligibility
- The scholarships are open to nationals from any country.
- Enrolment can be in any reputable African university.
Application procedure
Application details are here.
Candidates will be required to send the following to Mrs. Adandedjan (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.):
- application form;
- coverletter;
- curriculum vitae;
- a brief proposal of the research (one-page maximum);
- endorsement letter of a supervisory Professor;
- BSc diploma;
- MSc diploma;
- if applicable, proof of enrolment in a PhD program at a reputable University;
- if applicable, transcripts of PhD coursework at a reputable University.
Closing date: 31 July 2013