Deadline: November 5, 2017

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the 2018 Borlaug Global Cocoa Initiative Fellowships. The program offers training opportunities in specific topics focused on cocoa breeding, integrated pest management, and post-harvest management.

Fellows will work with a mentor at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service or a U.S. university for up to 12 weeks on research related to improving cocoa production and quality. The U.S. mentor will later visit the fellow’s home institution to continue collaboration.

The program aims to:

• Provide practical experience and exposure to new perspectives and/or technologies
• Foster increased collaboration and networking to improve agricultural productivity and trade
• Facilitate the transfer of new scientific and agricultural technologies to strengthen agricultural practices
• Address obstacles to the adoption of technology such as ineffectual policies and regulations

Eligibility

Eligible Countries and Priority Areas

• Africa – Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia
  • Agroforestry
  • Diseases: plant pathology and control methods for swollen shoot virus and black pod rot
  • Genomics, genetics and breeding
  • Pests: entomology and control methods for cocoa mirids
  • Plant propagation methods
  • Resilient Agriculture: sustainable agriculture practices
  • Soil fertility and plant nutrition
• Asia – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam
  • Diseases:  plant pathology, control methods – particularly for vascular streak dieback and black pod
  • Genomics, genetics and breeding
  • Pests: entomology and control methods for cocoa pod borer and mirids
  • Plant propagation methods
  • Soil fertility and plant nutrition
• Latin America and the Caribbean – Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago
• • Diseases:  plant pathology and control methods for witches’ broom and frosty pod
  • Genomics, genetics and breeding
  • Plant propagation methods
  • Soil fertility and plant nutrition

To be considered for the Borlaug Fellowship Program, candidates must:

• Be citizens of an eligible country
• Be fluent in English
• Have completed a Master’s or higher degree
• Be in the early or middle stage of their career, with at least two (but not more than 10) years of practical experience
• Be employed by a university, government agency or research entity in their home country
• Demonstrate their intention to continue working in their home country after completing the fellowship

USDA selects candidates based on their academic and professional research interests and achievements, level of scientific competence, aptitude for scientific research, leadership potential, likelihood of bringing back new ideas to their home institution, and flexibility and aptitude for success in a cross-cultural environment. Consideration is also given to the relevance of the applicant’s research area to the research topics highlighted in the application announcement and to global food security and trade.

Application

Candidates must apply via the online application system (link below). The following information will be required:

• Completed application form
• 2-3 page program proposal and action plan
• Signed approval from applicant’s home institution
• Two letters of recommendation
• Official copy of transcript for college/university degree(s) received
• Copy of passport identification page

For more information, visit Borlaug Global Fellowship Program.