The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), a member of CGIAR, is offering MSc and PhD scholarships related to the wheat value chain in sub-Saharan Africa: breeding, seed production, disease and pest management, agronomy, irrigation, socio-economics and related fields.

Wheat production in sub-Saharan Africa faces abiotic stresses (mainly heat and drought), biotic stresses (diseases, insect pests, weeds) and socioeconomic constraints (smallholder, resource-poor farmers, high-cost inputs and machinery, unavailable or difficult access to credit, and unfavorable marketing).

Successful candidate projects will comprise an in-depth study of a topic relevant to the project, ‘Support to agricultural research for development of strategic crops in Africa (SARD-SC)’, funded by the African Development Bank. Research should be located in the project’s target countries: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

For more information on suggested topics, required qualifications and how to apply, please visit: http://www.icarda.org/sites/default/files/TOR-for-SARDSC-wheat-MSc-PhD-students.pdf 

The closing date for applications is 5 Aug 2013.