The CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Cereals (Dryland Cereals) through its newly launched Dryland Cereals Scholarship Program provides support and a platform for motivated, young scientists from developing countries in Africa and Asia to pursue agricultural research to end food, nutrition and environmental insecurity.

The program will partially and fully (as the case may be) support their PhD, MSc degree training, research internships and research fellowships focusing on any one of the dryland cereal crops (barley, finger millet, pearl millet and sorghum) in the disciplines of agriculture economics, food science, nutrition, molecular genetics, plant breeding, integrated crop management, environmental physiology, entomology, plant pathology and gender studies.

The scholarship intends to develop a new cadre of scientists with core competencies, knowledge and experience in advanced science and technologies for dryland cereals that address the persisting need for productivity and quality enhancements, post-harvest value and policy interventions.

Aimed at fostering stronger collaboration between African and Asian regional agricultural fora, National Agricultural Research Institutions (NARIs) and the Dryland Cereals program, the scholarship is implemented in partnership with regional organizations including the Asia Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutes (APAARI), the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), and the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI).

To encourage and develop excellence in fundamental and practical research capabilities in women and early-career scientists in developing nations, priority will be given to university faculty, those employed in NARIs, and to women applicants.

Eligibility: Interested students must demonstrate high academic potential; be a citizen of a strategic developing country in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, North Africa or Central and Western Asia or a country where constraints to the dryland cereal crops, barley, finger millet, pearl millet and sorghum exist.

Students must be nominated by and have a strong recommendation from a scientist from a CGIAR center, APAARI, RUFORUM, WACCI, or National Agricultural Research System (NARS).

Application Process: The scholarship program begins from February 2015 and will be managed in two tracks – Track A and Track B. Track A will be administered primarily through the established processes of APAARI, RUFORUM and WACCI.  Track B will be managed directly by the Dryland Cereals office. For detailed eligibility criteria and timelines from the respective Track implementers, go to http://drylandcereals.cgiar.org/scholarship-2/.