The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi (ILRI), and the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA) have announced the second call for applications for the Global Research Alliance Graduate Research Grants (GRA-GRG). The grants are intended to train PhD students in Africa to conduct advanced applied research on livestock greenhouse gases.
With one-third of the global livestock population and providing about 40% of the agricultural GDP in Africa, livestock is crucial to the continent's economy. As the demand for animal-source food is projected to increase due to population growth, increased incomes, and urbanization, livestock will become even more critical to sub-Saharan Africa's future. However, the agricultural sector, particularly livestock, is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG) in Africa, making it a key sector for achieving reductions in GHG emissions intensity.
The GRA-GRG is funded by the Government of New Zealand through the Ministry for Primary Industries, in support of the GRA. This call for applications seeks to extend university activities to work more closely with rural communities, especially agro-pastoral and pastoral, through multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional partnerships involving key stakeholders such as research, extension and development agencies, policymakers, and the private sector.
The initiative aims to support PhD students in Africa to undertake research that addresses the challenges of reducing GHG emissions in the livestock sector while also promoting sustainable livelihoods for rural communities. Successful applicants will receive funding to conduct research that aligns with the objectives of the GRA and RUFORUM.
This opportunity is open to RUFORUM member universities and will enable PhD students to gain valuable experience and skills in advanced applied research, while also contributing to the development of sustainable solutions for the livestock sector in Africa.
Applications for the GRA-GRG are now open, and interested candidates are invited to apply. This initiative is a significant step towards achieving the goals outlined in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that nearly every African country committed to after the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aimed to reduce GHG emissions from livestock production.
Photo by Stijn te Strake on Unsplash
Article by RB Reporter
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