We are pleased to announce that the third round of the CLIFF-GRADS programme is now open!
The Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA) and the CGIAR Research Programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) are pleased to announce that the third round of the CLIFF-GRADS programme is now open!
Thirty-four exciting research opportunities in livestock, soil, rice and agroforestry are available this round.
Students from developing countries currently enrolled in PhD programmes are invited to apply for short-term scientific training and research stays on topics related to the measurement and management of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon storage in agricultural systems.
Selected students will be sponsored from 10,000-12,000 USD for the short-term (4-6 months) research stays advertised in this call. The grants will be used to support living and research costs at the host institution. Grants may not be used for tuition or unrelated personal expenses.
Read More and Apply:
Click here to view the list of available research opportunities and to read more about the application process.
Interested applicants should note the following information:
Eligibility:
1. Applicants must be currently enrolled PhD students in a field related to quantification of greenhouse gas emissions or carbon sequestration in agricultural systems.
2. Applicants must be students from a developing country.
3. Previous CLIFF-GRADS are not eligible to apply.
Submission and process for selection:
1. The deadline for applications is September 30, 2019.
2. Applicants must complete the online CLIFF-GRADS Round 3 Survey, which can be found here.
3. Applicants must email a single PDF document containing their curriculum vitae (CV), motivation letter, and a letter of support from their current supervisor to [email protected]
Selection Criteria:
Applicants will be selected based on the following criteria:
1. Overall research qualifications
2. Relevance of thesis topic or other research experience to the research opportunity to which you are applying
3. Clear description of how the CLIFF-GRADS experience will improve your scientific capacity.
Background:
CLIFF-GRADS is a joint initiative of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) Low Emissions Development Flagship and the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA). CLIFF-GRADS aims to build the capability of early career agricultural students in developing countries to conduct applied research on climate change mitigation in agriculture. Research projects are hosted by CCAFS and GRA members and partners. Funding for CLIFF-GRADS is provided by the Government of New Zealand, USAID and by the CGIAR Trust Fund and bilateral agreements in support of CCAFS.
For any questions regarding the CLIFF-GRADS scholarship programme, please email: [email protected]
Read more about CCAFS
Please note that this call for applications is now closed. Keep an eye on the website for future calls if you missed the deadline for this round of the CLIFF-GRADS scholarship programme.
The 2019 CLIFF-GRADS Programme is currently underway, with awardees travelling to various host institutions to begin their research journeys
CLIFF-GRADS is an international doctorate scholarship programme designed to build the capability of early career agricultural students and graduate students in developing countries to conduct applied research on climate change mitigation in agriculture. It is is a joint initiative of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change (CCAFS) low emissions development research and the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA).
While at their host institutions, the awardees will learn more about various options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, as well how this relates to productivity and food security.
Scholarship recipients will work in a range of research fields including nutrient management, pasture management, soil and rumen microbiology, tropical agriculture, and greenhouse gas measurement. They will be introduced to novel climate change research and research techniques.
Some 212 applicants from more than 50 developing countries applied to this latest round of the programme, as compared to 65 applicants from 23 countries in the first round earlier last year. As such, 27 scholarships have been awarded to students from more than 18 countries in this second round.
Meet the 2019 awardees here.
Read more about CLIFF-GRADS on CGIAR’s website.
Four of last year’s CLIFF-GRADS recipients from Argentina have chosen to share their research stories with the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases.
María De Bernardi, from the National University of the Centre of the Province of Buenos Aires, completed a six-month research stay at the Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, INIA Remehue, Osorno, Chile, where she collaborated on the project “Nitrous oxide emissions from pastures using novel fertilizer formulation.” Florencia Garcia, from the National University of Córdoba, also completed her research stay at INIA Remehue, where she was selected for the project: “Effects of inhibiting rumen methanogenesis on microbial biomass production and composition.”
Banira Lombardi, from the National University of the Centre of the Province of Buenos Aires, studied for four months at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Cali, Colombia, working for the project “Pasture type influence on soil N2O emission from cattle excreta.” Sebastián Vangeli, from the National Institute of Agricultural Technology, was hosted by Rothamsted Research and Bangor University, UK, for the project “Structures and date requirements to develop a higher tier agricultural GHG inventory.”
All four CLIFF-GRADS awardees have emphasised the importance of becoming familiar with new research techniques and the promotion of international bonds as highlights of their time abroad. To read more about the CLIFF-GRADS experiences of the Argentinian awardees, please click here for photos and summaries penned by the students themselves.
CLIFF-GRADS is a joint initiative of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change (CCAFS) low emissions development flagship and the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA). CLIFF-GRADS aims to build the capability of early career agricultural students in developing countries to conduct applied research on climate change mitigation in agriculture. CLIFF-GRADS integrates the GRA’s Development Scholarship and the CCAFS Climate Food and Farming Research Network with the common goal of providing grants to graduate students to expand their knowledge and experience in quantification of agricultural greenhouse gases. Research projects are hosted by CCAFS and GRA members and partners. Funding for CLIFF-GRADS is provided by the Government of New Zealand and by the CGIAR Trust Fund and bilateral agreements in support of CCAFS.
To read more about the CLIFF-GRADS initiative, please click here.
Three of our CLIFF-GRADS winners, Sebastian Vangeli, Banira Lombardi and Ofonime Eyo have now begun research at their host institutions.
Sebastian is from Argentina, and is being hosted by Rothamsted Research and Bangor University, UK for the project “Structures and date requirements to develop a higher-tier agricultural GHG inventory”. (photo credit: Sebastian Vangeli)
Banira is from Argentina, and is being hosted by CIAT, Colombia for the project “Pasture type influence on soil N2O emission from cattle excreta”. (photo credit: Daniel Villegas)
Ofonime is from Nigeria, and is being hosted by CIMMYT, Bangladesh for the project “Identifying greenhouse gas emissions hotspot and mitigation options for the agricultural sector in Bangladesh” (photo credit: Ofonime Eyo)
The CLIFF-GRADS awards are the new annual Global Research Alliance-CGIAR scholarship. Read more about CLIFF-GRADS here
Keep up to date with the awardees by adding us on Twitter @gra_ghg