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Call for Applications - United States Department of Agriculture Borlaug Fellowship Program

March 1, 2013
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in cooperation with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced the 2012 Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program (Borlaug Fellowship Program) for Bangladesh, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. These Fellowships are offered as part of the US government’s Feed the Future 21st Century Borlaug Leadership Program. They are intended to increase the number of women in leadership positions in agriculture and, as such, only female applicants will be selected.

Candidates must be citizens of the countries covered by the programme, with a good working knowledge of English and a Masters degree with two years work experience, or a Bachelors degree with five years work experience. They must be currently employed full time at a university, government, non-profit, research institution, and/or other institution with the intent to continue working in their home country for a minimum of two years following their return from the United States.

Applications are to be submitted to the relevant country contact persons by the 6th April 2012. The duly filled application form, downloadable below, must be submitted together with program proposal (one to two pages) and research action plan (one to two pages); signed approval of the applicant's home institution; signed conditions of training; two letters of recommendation; official copy of transcript of college degrees; copy of passport identification page; and one passport sized photo.

The Borlaug Fellowship Program promotes food security and economic growth by increasing scientific knowledge, advancing the transfer of new agricultural technology, and encouraging collaborative research to improve agricultural productivity.

The objectives of the programme are to provide early to mid-career female agricultural economists, research scientists, faculty, and policymakers with one-on-one training opportunities in the field of agricultural entrepreneurship; provide practical experience and exposure to new perspectives and/or technologies that can be applied upon completion of the program in their home institutions; foster increased collaboration and networking to improve agricultural productivity and trade; facilitate the transfer of new scientific and agricultural technologies to strengthen agricultural practices; and to address obstacles to the adoption of technology such as ineffectual policies and regulations.

The research areas targeted by the programme include post harvest technologies and post harvest loss management; value-added product creation and improved processing technologies; improved access to and nutritional value of foods; improved natural resource management ; and enhanced agricultural productivity .

Competitively selected Fellows work one-on-one with a U.S. mentor at a U.S. host institution that coordinates the Fellow’s training. After completion of the six- to 12-week Fellowship, the mentor visits the Fellow's home institution for up to 10 days to continue collaboration on the research topic. Fellowships are six to twelve weeks in length, and program proposals should include goals that will be achievable within that timeframe.

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