Apply! IITA Research Fellowships for Young Academics and Professionals

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) received a three-year research grant for “Enhancing capacity to apply research evidence in policy for youth engagement in agribusiness and rural economic activities in Africa” funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The research grant program seeks to contribute to policy development in youth engagement in agribusiness and rural economic activities in Africa. It is designed to provide opportunities to engage youth to improve the availability and use of evidence for youth policies and decisionmaking related to youth participation in agribusiness and rural economic activities by providing them with:
-funding, support, and the expertise of IITA’s scientists;
-skills and competencies in social and economic research;
-and a community of other fellows with whom to exchange ideas.
-Scope
We seek research project fellows for the study of Youth Engagement in Agribusiness and Rural Economic Activities in Africa. This is not a one-time invitation for applications, but rather a continuing call for research on this topic in 2018, 2019, and 2020

Deadline
28th February 2018

Programme
Research, Fellowship

Value
-Awards for Research Grants are up to $10,000 (Proposals with a reasonable higher budget can also be selected depending on the quality of the research proposal).
-Grantees will be supervised by one IITA scientist in close collaboration with their national/university supervisor.
-Grantees will be offered training on research methodology, data management, and scientific writing;
-Grantees will be offered training on production of research evidence for policy-making.

Eligibility
The research will be carried out in the following countries: Benin, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Senegal, and Zambia.
Applicants must not be more than 40 years old at the time of application.
Applicants must be a young scholar at a research institute or university in Africa or a student registered in a PhD or Master’s program in recognized universities in Africa, majoring in agricultural economics, agribusiness, or economics or a related social science, and must have finished their university course work.
The duration of the research should not exceed 6 months.
Selection Criteria: Evaluation criteria will include the importance of the proposed policy issue, the strength of the methodological model, and proposed analysis of the study. Additionally, the review criteria will include: Is the policy issue clearly defined? What is already known on the issue? How does the methodology relate specifically to the policy question? Does the analytical plan fit the question and the data? Is the applicant qualified to carry out the proposed study?

Application
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