Deadline: April 15, 2019.

On the eve of International Women’s Day, the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and CGIAR Research Program on Wheatlaunched a call for applications for the first edition of the Arab Women Leaders in Agriculture (Awla) fellowship program for women researchers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The Awla fellowship program aims to help women researchers in agriculture to secure leadership roles by encouraging gender-responsive working cultures and creating platforms to showcase their intellect, capability and contribution. Awla’s first cohort will help establish the first R&D forum in the MENA to address pressing regional agricultural challenges and take part in the region’s first networking platform for women researchers across agricultural disciplines.

 

ELIGIBILITY

• Arab women researchers from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia,
• Available to travel and in possession of a passport valid at least 6 months beyond December 2020,
• Passionate about innovation and R&D in agriculture, food security and nutrition,
• Commitment to making positive change in their local communities and beyond, preferably with a good track record in research and development work,
• Respect for diversity,
• Personal motivation, initiative, and ability to work in teams,
• Strong academic record, holders of master’s and/or Ph.D. degrees,
• In their mid-career; preferably more than 10 years of professional experience,
• English language proficiency; to understand and participate in all aspects of the fellowship.

 

BENEFITS

As an Awla Fellow you will

• Boost your skills and knowledge through various channels of structured and applied learning: spot-on leadership and research and development training, coaching and mentoring to guide your career development and learning.
• Work on team-based capstone projects to initiate collaborative solutions for driving positive change in agriculture.
• Access information and tools needed to acquire funding for applied research projects.
• Experience different cultures through learning to work with others across boundaries of place and culture.
• Expand your knowledge on relevant research and development topics in different parts of the MENA region.
• Raise awareness about organizational gender dynamics, shift attitudes around gender perceptions and take part in the transformation of a gender responsive culture and inclusive and enabling environment.
• Join in the establishment of the first regional R&D forum to address the region’s pressing challenges in R&D, and the first network platform of Arab Women Researchers within and across disciplines.

 

SELECTION CRITERIA

Candidates meeting all the eligibility criteria will have their application reviewed by  Awla Steering Committee composed of Awla Fellowship team, and ICBA scientists’ and researchers. The Steering Committee will be looking for candidates with demonstrable interest in national, international and global agricultural challenges. To be selected, candidates are requested to submit a Concept Note for an initial proposition, fortified with researched and evidenced rationale on any of the following topics:

1. On an applied research concept/idea in agriculture.
2. On enhancing coordination among research & development organizations to utilize current resources in the agriculture field.
3. On centralizing data and information of research projects, scientific findings and all related information to agriculture.

The Steering Committee will also make sure that the final selection is limited to four candidates per country covering (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia).

 

APPLICATION

Please submit your complete application no later than Monday April 15th, 2019.

• Only fill in the application form if you meet all the eligibility criteria mentioned above.
• The application is to be completed in English only
• The application is to be completed truthfully and, in its entirety,
• Make sure to attach all the documents required
• CV must be in English
• Do not attach anything else but the documents required

Only complete applications meeting the eligibility criteria and submitted before the deadline will be considered.

 

OFFICIAL LINK

 

Awla Fellow