Call for Application: 2023 CORAF Food System Resilience Scholarship For African Students

CORAF is offering 8 Ph.D scholarships in the framework of the implementation of the Food Systems Resilience Program (FSRP) in West Africa.

The Food System Resilience Program (FSRP) is a flagship regional investment program of more than US$1 billion that aims to build food system resilience in West Africa through a strategic regional approach. The program will fund investments in three mutually reinforcing thematic areas: (1) Digital advisory services for the prevention and management of agricultural and food crises; (2) Sustainability and resilience of the food system’s productive base (sustainable land and watershed management, agro-ecological approaches); and (3) Market integration and trade (regional staple food value chain development). Each area will be led by a mandated regional institution (AGRHYMET, CORAF, ECOWAS) to ensure coordination and build sustainable capacity.

Eligibility: To be eligible for this program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

Be a national of one of the CORAF member countries;

Be no more than 40 years old;
Have a Master’s degree in research related to the chosen field and theme;
Have already identified a thesis supervisor;
Have a demonstrated capacity for applied research, a willingness to learn and think across disciplines and professions;
Have a demonstrated interest in agricultural research for development;
Ability to speak and write French or English fluently; a good working knowledge of the other language would be an asset;
Ability to work in a multicultural environment;
Excellent communication skills.

Type: Ph.D.

Eligible Countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome et Principe Togo

Value of Award: The fellowship stipend will include:

registration and bench fees;
a monthly living allowance;
field expenses including travel, surveys, or labor related to the research activities, acquisition of small research equipment and consumables;
international travel expenses (conference attendance, scientific visits);
and supervision expenses.

Number of Awards: 8

Method of Application: To apply for this program, the application must include:

A letter of motivation demonstrating the applicant’s suitability and motivation and specifying his/her availability;
Diplomas and transcripts (Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees);
A curriculum vitae (Maximum 5 pages);
Two letters of recommendation from supervisors with their addresses;
A letter of commitment from each identified supervisor (university and research center)
A budgeted thesis research proposal on one of the research topics covering one of CORAF’s priority areas (proposals attached). The research proposal must specify the doctoral school or university of registration, the name and full address of the supervisors (Co-Directors of the thesis). Please submit your application by email to recrutement.etudiants@coraf.org with a copy to n.lamien@coraf.org, no later than May 17, 2023. The subject line of the email should clearly state “Doctoral Program – CORAF 2023”. Shortlisted students will be interviewed online. Results will be announced in July with a likely start date of September 2023.
A budgeted thesis research proposal on one of the research topics covering one of CORAF’s priority areas (proposals attached). The research proposal must specify the doctoral school or university of registration, the name and full address of the supervisors (Co-Directors of the thesis). Please submit your application by email to recrutement.etudiants@coraf.org with a copy to n.lamien@coraf.org, no later than May 17, 2023. The subject line of the email should clearly state “Doctoral Program – CORAF 2023”. Shortlisted students will be interviewed online. Results will be announced in July with a likely start date of September 2023.