fellowships and awards

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.

A great opportunity for funding in 2020 is now available from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Call for Applications for Funding in 2020

Are you working on…

• the productivity, sustainability and resilience of agricultural production or food systems?

• new genetic technologies, big data, AI, block chain and the digital economy in agriculture, fisheries, forestry and food systems? Or policy instruments to encourage their take up?

• the future of livestock and meat production? Or the sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture, including their economic and social dimensions?

• changing biodiversity and ecosystem services supporting the productivity of agricultural ecosystems?

• the impacts of invasive species and climate change on global food production and trade?

Would you like to…

• Visit a lab in another country to establish new collaborative links?

• Expand your research through a short stay in a foreign country?

• Start an international research network?

Or

• Are you organising an international conference or workshop?

Need some financial help?

How about applying for an OECD Co-operative Research Programme (CRP) fellowship award or international conference sponsorship?

Please click here for more information, including how to apply

Please click here for an overview of the OECD Co-operative Research Programme

Applications are invited for a PhD fellowship the Graduate School of Science and Technology, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Animal Science programme. The position is available from 1 August 2019 or later.

Title:
Feeding Strategies to Reducing Enteric Methane from Dairy Cows

Research area and project description:
Enteric fermentation in ruminants results in a significant production of methane which not only constitutes a significant part of the carbon footprint of dairy and beef production, but also represents a significant loss of energy. The ruminant sector thereby contributes substantially to the total agricultural greenhouse gas emission in Denmark. This calls for not only the development of mitigation strategies to reduce enteric methane, but also a deeper understanding of the fundamental mechanisms in the rumen related to methane production. This project will focus on quantifying enteric methane using respiration chambers, identifying mitigation strategies primarily related to feeding, and quantifying animal variation in response to a given feeding strategy aiming at reducing enteric methane. The project will include digestibility trails using rumen and intestinally cannulated dairy cows and statistical analysis of data from different types of experiments.

This project will have an important impact not only in the scientific community but also among farmers and consumers, as reducing the carbon footprint of dairy production is essential for numerous private and public stakeholders.

Qualifications and specific competences:
Required:

• Relevant Master’s degree
• Excellent verbal and writing skills in English with very good communication skills
• Experience in dairy cow nutrition and physiology

Preferred:

• Experience with some of the following techniques: measuring enteric methane emission from ruminants, quantification of digestion of nutrients using marker techniques, feed evaluation, digestibility and balance trials
• Experience in statistical analysis of animal experiments
• Hands-on ruminant feeding trials
• Demonstration of research activities (conference or journal papers)

Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is at the Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University-Foulum, Blichers Alle 20 , DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark.

Please note all applications must be received no later than 1 May 2019 (Danish time).

Applying: to read more about the fellowship and to apply please click here to visit the website of Aarhus University .

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a PhD Graduate Fellow to investigate GHG emissions from rangelands by focusing on enteric methane emissions of rangeland-based beef production systems in Kenya.

Responsibilities of the fellow

• To study enteric methane emissions from beef cattle kept on different rangelands in Kenya;
• To test and compare different methodologies for measuring and/or calculating enteric methane emissions (e.g., respiration chamber, SF₆ tracer technique, IPCC’s Tier 2 approach for calculating emission factors);
• To collect data on animal performance, activity, intake, diet composition, rangeland species composition and basal cover etc.;
• To test possible interventions and their effects on methane emissions and animal performance;
• To upscale the results on a regional basis for different rangeland systems using a partial life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach;
• To closely work together, cooperate and participate in supervision of MSc students and field research staff;
• To statistically analyze the data, write scientific papers and prepare conference/workshop presentations;
• To cooperate and share results with an interdisciplinary team of researchers with different backgrounds (animal nutrition, biogeochemistry, social sciences, gender studies, rangeland ecology etc.)

Requirements for the ideal candidate

• MSc in Agricultural Sciences (preferably Animal Nutrition with a focus on ruminants), Environmental Sciences, Rangeland Ecology, or another relevant discipline;
• Experience in greenhouse gas measurements at different scales, i.e. respiration chambers or SF₆ tracer technique would be an advantage;
• Experience in upscaling field data by modelling or LCA approaches would be an additional asset;
• Knowledge of grassland/rangeland-based production systems in developing and/or developed countries are an advantage;
• Experience in handling of diverse datasets, data processing and statistical software such as R, SPSS, Matlab or python;
• Careful and correct mode of work, especially about field data collection and data analysis, demonstrated skills in writing scientific papers;
• Experience of living or working in the context of developing countries, especially East Africa, would be beneficial;
• Willingness to perform field work in rural conditions and ability to work independently and solution-oriented;
• Ability to cooperate with students and field assistants, farmers and other stakeholder groups, and partly supervise MSc students;
• Ability to jointly work in a multinational team of scientists, technicians and students from other disciplines (biogeochemistry, agricultural sciences, environmental sciences, ecology, social sciences etc.);

Location: ILRI, Kenya, Mazingira Centre

Duration: 3 years

Closing Date: 30 April 2019

Apply: to read more about the fellowship and to apply, please click here to access the ILRI webesite.

The second round of successful candidates of the GRA and CGIAR Research Programme on Climate Change (CCAFS) joint CLIFF-GRADS initiative for 2019 have been announced.

CLIFF-GRADS is an international doctorate scholarship programme designed to support budding agricultural scientists.

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 this year.

CLIFF-GRADS Call: Greenhouse gas emission and emission reduction from reduced food loss and waste

These awards included funding from the New Zealand government and via support to CCAFS from CGIAR Trust Fund Donors and through bilateral funding agreements. The United States government, through the USAID Sustainable Landscapes program, also funds and supports food loss and waste research.For information regarding the last round of CLIFF-GRAD recipients -click here. Alternatively, click here for more information about the CLIFF-GRADS programme. 

The United States is pleased to continue providing fellowship opportunities through the “Global Research Alliance” special program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program. The 2019 application window is open now through December 31, 2018.

Click here for the 2019 GRA Special Program announcement: 

• Eligible Countries include: Colombia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Ghana, Honduras, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam

Additional information on the Borlaug Fellowship Program can be found here.

Announcing an exciting new opportunity in the CCAFS’ Climate Food and Farming Research Network – Global Research Alliance Development Scholarship (CLIFF-GRADS) program.  With support from USAID, we are offering CLIFF-GRADS scholarships for short-term scientific training and research stays on mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from reduced food loss and waste.  Visit the CCAFS website to learn more.

Background on CLIFF-GRADS: CLIFF-GRADS provides approximately US$10,000 for 3 to 6 month fellowships for graduate students from developing countries to work with a host research institution on projects related to quantification of agricultural GHGs and mitigation potentials. The grants can also be used for students already working with CCAFS or other host-institution researchers. Examples of recent awardees can be found here: https://globalresearchalliance.org/n/cliff-grads-awardees-2018/. A 2019 general call for quantification of GHGs in agricultural systems is already underway. The call described here is a new opportunity, focused on food loss and waste, for research to be conducted in 2019. 

Opportunity: CCAFS will fund up to 10 developing country students with $10,000 each for research on the quantification of GHG mitigation in supply chains due to reduced FLW.  The research must take place in 2019. Student applications are due by 30 September 2018 and students will be informed of decisions by 30 November 2018.

https://ccafs.cgiar.org/about/careers-and-calls/cliff-grads-scholarships-short-term-scientific-training-and-research-stays

We are pleased to announce that the second round of the CLIFF-GRADS program is now open!

Students from developing countries currently enrolled in PhD programs 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.

Applicants should have a background in agriculture and climate change research and be pursuing graduate research related to agricultural greenhouse gas quantification.

Selected students will be sponsored in the amount of 10,000-12,000 USD for short-term (4-6 month) scientific training and research stays to collaborate with projects associated with CCAFS and GRA. Specific topics will depend on student and host institution scientist interests. A list of projects seeking to host students is included on the CCAFS CLIFF-GRADS webpage.

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.

Background

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 new 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.

• Deadline for applications: September 30, 2018.
• To view the list of available research opportunities and to apply for this research scholarship visit https://ccafs.cgiar.org/about/careers-and-calls/cliff-grads-scholarships-short-term-scientific-training-and-research-stays

Teagasc is pleased to launch Research Leaders 2025, an innovative fellowship scheme focused on developing the next generation of research leaders in the agri-food domain.

We seek applications from experienced researchers (with PhD or four years full time research experience) in combination with host organisations worldwide (research, industry or civil society organisations/NGOs).

Join us for a live-streamed  webinar on YouTube on Wednesday 25^th July at 2 pm Dublin Local Time.  Further details at www.teagasc.ie/rl2025

Features:

• Fellowships will have a duration of 36 months, including 18 months outside of Ireland, followed by a “return phase” to Teagasc in Ireland for a further 18 months.
• The fellowships will be researcher-led, so the applicant will be free to choose the research topic, the outgoing host organisation and the supervisor in Teagasc for the return phase.
• There will be a strong focus on career development, with dedicated career mentors for each fellow; a management training course; annual retreats with career presentations from leaders in academia, industry and civil society organisations; and transferable skills training.
• There will also be the option to undertake a secondment to the non-academic sector (e.g., industry or civil society organisations/NGOs).
• There will be a gross annual salary of €51,717 (in absence of family allowance) or €56,306 (if family allowance is paid).  Research expenses will also be available.
• The programme aims to address the ‘leaky pipeline’ whereby the higher levels of research shows a gender imbalance.  Review cohorts will be gender balanced, applicants that have taken a career break will not be disadvantaged, female fellows will be facilitated in finding female career mentors and paid maternity leave (with extensions to the fellowships) will be available.

Important dates:

• Deadline for receipt of Expression of interest: 1st October 2018, 13:00 Dublin Local Time
• Deadline for receipt of Full Application: 20th November 2018, 13:00 Dublin Local Time
• Information webinar: Wednesday, 25th July 2018, 2 pm Dublin Local Time

Eligibility conditions apply.  See www.teagasc.ie/rl2025 for details.

Teagasc is the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority. The Teagasc annual research portfolio comprises some 300 research projects, carried out by 500 scientific and technical staff in seven research centres throughout Ireland.  Research is organised into four programme areas:

• Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation
• Crops, Environment and Land Use
• Food
• Rural Economy and Development.

Teagasc researchers produced 2305 peer-reviewed publications between 2013 and 2017, ranking amongst the top European institutions in terms of number of publications and citations in the areas of food and agriculture.  Teagasc researchers enjoy access to state-of-the art laboratories, over 2300 hectares of experimental farm land and two food pilot plant facilities.

See https://www.teagasc.ie/ for details.