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Project

Developing Capacity for Agricultural Research for Development in Sub-Saharan Africa
 

Project ID
107855
Total Funding
CAD 622,000.00
IDRC Officer
Innocent Butare
Project Status
Completed
End Date
Duration
42 months

Programs and partnerships

Agriculture and Food Security
Foundations for Innovation

Lead institution(s)

Project leader:
Ms. Julienne Kuiseu
Senegal

Summary

This project will train a new group of agricultural research leaders in Francophone West and Central Africa. The number of agricultural scientists in the region has fallen at a time when high-quality research is needed to improve food security and livelihoods.Read more

This project will train a new group of agricultural research leaders in Francophone West and Central Africa. The number of agricultural scientists in the region has fallen at a time when high-quality research is needed to improve food security and livelihoods. Training and research opportunities A total of 20 training and research scholarships will be awarded to master's and doctoral students from countries with critical food security needs: Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, and Togo. The West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD) has overall responsibility for the project and will ensure that the training aligns with national agricultural research priorities. Students will receive training in research methods, teaching, and mentoring in Ibadan, Nigeria, at the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture's (IITA) world-class facilities. IITA is implementing the project. Students will then undertake applied research on issues of sustainable intensification and post-harvest innovation systems at various IITA research hubs. Experienced scientists will supervise their work. Enhancing research involvement and quality Women will be awarded 50% of the scholarships as a way to strengthen their involvement in agricultural research and outreach in their countries. The project will: -rebuild agricultural research capacity in the region -increase collaboration between CORAF/WECARD, IITA, national agricultural research centres, and universities -help students generate useful research data that will meet the needs of smallholder farmers and other food chain actors -share results through these and other publications Students will receive support to undertake six to 12 months of laboratory and field research at the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture. They will develop scientific and research expertise, and finalize theses and dissertations under the mentorship of scientists. Students will also develop their skills in research, teaching, and mentoring through short courses at IITA in Ibadan.

Research outputs

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Report
Language:

English

Summary

The project works to strengthen the institutional capacity of the National Agricultural Research Systems in four targeted countries: Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone and Togo. Emerging agricultural science graduates and leaders in agricultural research have been targeted for support, towards studies that generate research outputs to meet the needs of smallholder farmers. The main activities and current findings are outlined in this report. Twenty-eight Masters in Science students are part of this programme. There are some delays in thesis completion due to external problems. Student networking set up through the program is considered a key asset.

Author(s)
Kuiseu, Julienne
Report
Language:

English

Summary

The Project is for three years and its objective will be achieved through four expected outputs: (i) research, communication and leadership capacities, and skills of students to undertake quality AR4D sustainably strengthened; (ii) delivery of research outputs in line with national priority research areas supported; (iii) capacities and skills of women scientists strengthened for a better representation in AR4D; and (iv) collaboration and networking among National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS), CORAF, and IITA increased. Specifically, the Project aimed at supporting, at least, 20 MSc and PhD candidates, through a competitive process during the three years. Each country should receive five scholarships (3 MSc and 2 PhD).

C4R4D is mainly a coaching program. It provided support to the awardees when they had completed their course work and were preparing the dissertation proposal. In preparation for this critical task, IITA scientists and the national supervisors coached the students to help them to achieve their professional goals. The coaching focused on developing research knowledge and skills that complement the material provided by their respective university’s programs while supporting their research objectives. This involved bringing students to IITA hubs to work on their research projects and develop their skills and competency. This establishes them as scholars in their fields.

Author(s)
Bamba, Zoumana
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