The MScCCAFS is a 1-year, full-time course delivered in English within the Plant and AgriBioscience Research Centre (PABC) of the NUI Galway Ryan Institute, in close collaboration with the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).
The MScCCAFS begins each September and is open to any candidate with a degree in a relevant subject; applications may be made at any time.
You can read more about this program and the application process here
The Department of Animal Science at Pennsylvania State University are seeking a self-motivated candidate. The candidate will lead research related to investigating the effects of nutritional strategies on animal physiology and health, productivity, and environmental emissions of ruminants, with emphasis on lactating dairy cows.
Candidates are required to have a PhD in Animal/Dairy Science or equivalent doctorate in an appropriate field and be able to provide evidence that all requirements have been met for completion of the PhD prior to the effective date of hire.
The term of the position is 12 months.
To read more and to apply, click here
The Pastoralism and Drylands in West Africa (PPZS) are offering four Internship/Thesis opportunities based in Senegal.
Please click on the titles below to read more:
- Impact of management practices and water regime on the herbaceous dynamics of a Sahelian ecosystem: case of Dahra Djoloff
- Evaluation of the contribution of different woody species to carbon storage
- Mapping of crop production and calculation of the fodder balance from Earth Observation data in Senegal’s pastoral ecosystems
- Spatialized modeling and neural networks for the analysis of the dynamics of herd mobility in the Sahel
Eligibility:
- You must be from one of the member countries of CILSS – Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal, Togo, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Chad and Cape Verde.
- You must have a master’s degree in the relevant area.
- You must have a very good level in French (written and oral).
Applications close between 15 – 28 February 2020 (11:59 p.m. GMT)
Please note that this call for applications is now closed.
The Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions is delighted to launch the new NZ-GRADS programme.
If you are from a developing country and are ready to complete your PhD in science, apply here to do it in New Zealand for free.
What is it?
The NZ-GRADS Scholarship covers the following for a total of three years (36 months):
- New Zealand University annual tuition fees and associated student levies up to a total of $10,000 NZD per year
- An annual living stipend of $28,000 NZD per year (tax free)
- Medical insurance cover up to $700 NZD per year
- Visa application costs to a maximum of $1,000
- Return flights to New Zealand up to a maximum of $6,000
- Book and thesis preparation allowance of up to $1,500 (one-off)
What are the benefits?
- You can bring your family to live in New Zealand with you:
- Your partner or spouse will be able to apply for an open work visa for the duration of your studies.
- You will be able to enrol your children as domestic students in New Zealand’s free state schools.
- You will be studying at a top New Zealand University or Research Institute.
- You will be actively supported through various extension and networking events hosted in New Zealand.
- You may be able to work alongside your studies, as PhD students studying in New Zealand usually have unlimited work rights.
- You will be supported when you arrive, as New Zealand is a very welcoming country and there are systems in place to help you and your family settle in. Read more about how NZ communities will support you here.
- You get to live in New Zealand! NZ is famous for its relaxed pace of life, unbeatable outdoor lifestyle and excellent work/life balance. We work hard but make time for family, friends and enjoying our beautiful environment.
Are you eligible?
To apply you must:
- Be from a developing country, and
- Your PhD research topic must be related to greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural systems.
Apply here – Applications close 1 August 2020, so apply now to ensure you don’t miss out.
What is it?
This is an exciting opportunity for a 3 year academic appointment in Sustainable Livestock Production in Future Landscapes.
The successful candidate will work within the Nancy Roma Paech group in Sustainable Animal Production at the Camden Campus. They will contribute to the teaching and learning efforts within the School of Life and Environmental Sciences / Faculty of Science while working with the support and guidance of Professor Luciano A. González (Nancy Roma Paech Chair in Sustainable Animal Production), the School and the broader community at The University of Sydney. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to develop their own research profile and career in tertiary education.
Where is it?
School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Camden Campus, Sydney, Australia
Are you eligible?
Candidates with a strong background in modelling of livestock production systems, precision livestock production, and training or work experience in the relevant disciplines are suitable for this position.
Applications close 11:30pm, Monday 27 January 2020 (Sydney time)
Click here for more information and to apply.
One of the 2019 CLIFF-GRADS awardees, Kofi Boateng is in the news talking about how he is finding the move from Ghana to the USA, what life is like in Pendleton and the aims of his research.
Click here to read the full article.
Thirty-six CLIFF-GRADS alumni from twenty different countries attended a workshop in Indonesia in October 2019 alongside the annual meeting of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA) Council.
The workshop was the first opportunity for the CLIFF-GRADS alumni to meet one another, given that they all come from different countries and study in host institutions around the world. It established a network of young professionals, and provided networking opportunities with leading scientists and country representatives in the students’ respective fields.
The primary goal of the workshop was to build on existing emission quantification and estimation capabilities of CLIFF-GRADS alumni through lessons presented by experts in their fields, and some hands-on technical training.
Topics that were covered in the workshop included:
- The future of mitigation: new technologies and emerging solutions
- Modelling greenhouse gas emissions for carbon sequestration
- Developing greenhouse gas inventories and emission Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV)
- Connecting science to outcomes and impact
The workshop provided a platform for these early-career CLIFF-GRADS scientists to present their research, and to discuss and refine methodologies relating to their PhD theses and CLIFF-GRADS research stays.
Finally, the group also attended the 5th Global Science Conference on Climate-Smart Agriculture, focused on ‘Transforming food systems under a changing climate’. The CLIFF-GRADS alumni learnt about agriculture’s vital role in both global food security and the emission reductions needed to meet international obligations to limit warming under the Paris Agreement.
The CLIFF-GRADS alumni are each contributing to international research in low emission agriculture. Their work is vital as agricultural systems will need to change significantly over the next decade to achieve global food security and to build the resilience of agricultural systems to climate change.
We also wish to acknowledge the workshop facilitators: Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA), the Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) flagship of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and Wageningen University & Research (WUR).
Click here to read more about CLIFF-GRADS, including when the next round of applications open in early 2020.
The International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM ) have two advanced courses in Greenhouse Gas Assessment and Mitigation in Agriculture at the Instituto Agronómico Mediterráneo de Zaragoza (IAMZ) in Spain from 30 March – 3 April:
1. Evaluation and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture: Simulation concepts, methods and tools,
2. Greenhouse gas assessment and mitigation in agriculture: concepts, methods and simulation tools
Please click on the course above that you are interested in for more information and to register.
The second newsletter for the Inventories and Nationally Determined Contributions Support Network of the GRA is available now.
In this edition, you will find:
- a feature article focusing on opportunities for reducing GHG emissions from cattle production systems: Agricultural innovation for the development of low-emissions cattle value chains in Latin America
- an article from one of our co-leads partaking in a UNFCCC expert review team reviewing Annex I countries National Inventories
- summaries of the recent GRA Council meeting and the GRA PhD programme, CLIFF-GRADS
- an article on some recent African low emissions livestock development regional workshops
- training opportunities
Thirty-one early-career scientists from 14 developing countries will each receive research scholarships to boost their scientific capability.
The scholarships are being provided by the Climate, Food and Farming Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Development Scholarships programme, or CLIFF-GRADS.
The successful scholarship recipients for 2020 are being announced to coincide with the latest United Nations Climate Change Conference in Madrid. The full list of awardees and their topics of research can be found here.
CLIFF-GRADS is a joint initiative between the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA) and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security.
The CLIFF-GRADS programme forms part of New Zealand’s international contribution towards building scientific capability in developing countries. Other funders include the CGIAR Trust Fund donors and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Hayden Montgomery, the special representative of the GRA who is based at MPI, says CLIFF-GRADS enables early-career scientists to undertake research exchanges of up to 6 months at institutions and research centres run by GRA members and partners.
“Through CLIFF-GRADS, the successful students will be hosted by 20 research institutions in 15 countries,” says Mr Montgomery.
“CLIFF-GRADS is becoming more and more competitive, with applications from nearly 300 students from 42 countries.
“The diversity in both the applicants and host supervisors is also growing, which clearly shows the value people are seeing in the programme towards boosting research expertise internationally.”
CLIFF-GRADS gives scientists the opportunity to gain technical skills in agricultural greenhouse gas emissions management and opens the door to an international network of experts that are working toward reducing greenhouse gases from food production.
“Through CLIFF-GRADS, the scientists will research rumen microbiology, rice production, soil science, rangeland management, and other topics,” says Mr Montgomery.
“They’ll gain important hands-on experience with scientific equipment they would not normally have access to, and form global connections with valuable career-long mentors.
“We’d especially like to acknowledge the support of fellow GRA country members and international partners, particularly CCAFS, for supporting these technical training opportunities for students.
“CLIFF-GRADS is a valuable way of boosting scientific expertise around the world and helping in global efforts to drive action to address climate change.”
This is a position associated with New Mexico State University, Agricultural Science Centre (ASC) Clovis. The focus is on increasing efficiency and profitability of agricultural systems while improving environmental quality and agricultural sustainability. The candidate will assist with field and laboratory works in tillage, cropping system intensification, and forage systems research evaluating soil organic carbon and nutrient dynamics and associated biogeochemical processes.
To read more and to apply click here.
A Soil Health postdoctoral researcher position is available that will coordinate a project to identify differences in soil health status across various land uses (agriculture cropped, hay and pastureland, forest, and urban/suburban ecosystems) in Connecticut, and to determine the resistance and resiliency of these soils when subjected to abiotic stress.
The position is funded for 2 years. Salary at US$50,000/yr.
You can read more about the position here.