The International Foundation for Science (IFS), Bioversity International, RUFORUM, and the Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Ghana, will conduct a training workshop on Research Design and Data Analysis with focus on underutilized crops research. The course will be held in Accra, Ghana on 25-29th July, 2011.
Young scientists from Benin, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal are hereby invited to submit a Research Note and apply for participation in this training course.
Applicants eligible for this call should:

• Be citizens of Benin, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria or Senegal
• Be national scientists attached to a university, research institution or a research oriented and not-for-profit NGO
• Be under 40 years of age
• Have at least a Master’s or equivalent degree
• Be involved in research on regional priority NUS species
• We particularly welcome applications from female scientists

Read the detailed document, including information on the priority research themes and species for NUS research and the application form, on the IFS website:

Detailed document:

http://www.ifs.se/Programme/Call_NUS_ResearchDesign_Ghana2011.pdf

Application form:

http://www.ifs.se/Programme/ApplicationForm_NUS_ResearchDesign_Ghana2011.doc

Your Application must contain:

• the completed Application Form
• a full CV

Send your Application by email to:
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Deadline:          27th May, 2011

The Economic and Social Research Council

The UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) are partnering in a new programme on economic growth in developing countries. The DFID/ESRC Growth Programme will fund scientific research on issues relating to inclusive economic growth in Low Income Countries (LICs), with high potential for impact on policy and practice.

There are three themes under the call, of which the first  is most relevant to the community of researchers of neglected and under-utilised species: Theme 1: Agriculture and Growth. This theme will focus on developing understanding of the relationship between agricultural development and broader economic growth, and on the impact of policies on agricultural productivity. It is widely observed that agriculture is a key sector of many low income countries, and there is broad consensus that policies that stimulate agricultural output and productivity will deliver wider economic benefits, for example via lower food prices, increased food security, improved nutrition and health outcomes, and higher domestic demand for manufactured goods and services.

The Deadline for applications is 26 May 2011. The programme is allocating £8.91M for research projects under this call for proposals.  Minimum proposal value is  £100,000, and it is expected that up to 30 research projects with an average size of £370k will be funded. Proposals need to be submitted  via the UK Research Council’s Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system. For further details about applications, see this articles.

FAO and Bioversity International have developed two nutrition indicators for biodiversity useful to measure biodiversity-related food composition and food consumption of underutilized species (www.fao.org/infoods/biodiversity/index_en.stm).

More information can be found in the document “Specific definition of underutilized species for human consumption”

While reporting upon these indicators, difficulties were encountered in defining underutilized foods. Therefore, FAO and Crops for the Future have developed specific criteria in order to establish the reference list for underutilized foods counting for the nutritional indicators for biodiversity:

Of the following criteria, the first one is compulsory, and several of the others should be met for a species to be included in this list:

• The food was/is/could be used for human consumption.
• May have great potential for contributing to food security and nutrition.
• Mainly local and traditional crops/animals (including insects, amphibians and reptiles) whose distribution, biology, cultivation and uses are poorly documented.
• Receive little attention from research, farmers, policy and decision makers, technology providers and consumers.
• Have weak or no formal seed/animal germplasm supply systems.
• Farmed, reared, gathered or caught in small scale.
• The species must be grown/raised in the country/region where it is underutilized.
  Species that are imported do not count as underutilized in that region.

Furthermore, information on country/region of origin should be given.

These criteria, only intended to be used to report on the two nutrition indicators for biodiversity, should not replace the broad criteria that has been defined for categorizing underutilized species as such (www.underutilized-species.org/spotlight/what_are_underutilized_species.asp).

The integration of these specific criteria and the reference list of underutilized foods counting for food biodiversity will be uploaded on the websites of the Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species at www.underutilized-species.org/species/about_species.asp and of the INFOODS at www.fao.org/infoods/biodiversity/index_en.stm.

We would appreciate receiving your comments by email (email hidden; JavaScript is required) within the 20^th March 2010 on both the criteria and the list before publishing them on the websites.

We look forward and thank you!

The Louis Malassis International Scientific Prize for Agriculture and Food aims to recognize individuals, or a group of individuals, for their exemplary and promising contribution in pro-moting innovation through research, development and capacity building in the North, South or in the Mediterranean in order to improve food and agricultural systems sustainability as well as contribute to addressing food security and poverty reduction.

The Prize consists of two categories:

Louis Malassis Distinguished Scientist Prize is conferred to an outstanding scientist, or a group of scientists, with a PhD degree, with at least 15 years of professional experience and who has made significant contribution in the field covered by the Prize through his/her (or their collective) work. The awardee will receive € 20 000 and a trophy.

Louis Malassis Young Promising Scientist Prize is given to a young individual, or a group of young scientists, who has carried out original and promising work in the field covered by the Prize. The awardee should be no more than 40 years old by 01 January 2010, have a PhD degree and should have at least five years of professional experience in the field covered by the Prize. The winner will receive € 20 000 and a trophy.

DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS : 20 JANUARY 2010, 14:00 GMT

Awarding Ceremony will be held during the 1st Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD) on 28-31 March 2010 in Montpellier, France.

This Prize complements the Louis Malassis Literary Prize given by the “Association Paroles de paysans du monde”.

For more information visit: www.agropolis-fondation.fr/Malassis-Prize.html Contact: email hidden; JavaScript is required

Bioversity International is pleased to announce the 2010 Call for Research Proposals for the Vavilov-Frankel Fellowship. You can find all the relevant information (announcement, application form and guidelines) here.

The Vavilov-Frankel Fellowships Fund aims to encourage the conservation and use of plant genetic resources in developing countries by awarding Fellowships to outstanding young researchers to carry out relevant innovative research at an advanced research institute outside their own country for a period of three months to one year.