Ideas for Action is a knowledge platform of the World Bank Group and the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research at the Wharton School. The annual Ideas for Action competition seeks innovative ideas and actionable projects to support the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Past winners include water solutions for better fish farm yields, women-led business models to improve sustainable access to energy, web based solutions for agriculture processes, and many more. Teams must consist of two to six members and may be formed across different schools, institutions, companies, or countries. Students and young professionals between the ages of 18-35 years from around the world are invited to participate. The winners of the competition present their ideas at the annual meeting of the World Bank Group, receive support from a project incubator and coaching. The deadline for submissions is 29 February 2020. Ideas for Action
agriculture
Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture — Faculty and Student Mobility Grant
The SEARCA Faculty and Student Mobility Grant enables grantees to conduct their research work or take courses at selected Southeast Asian universities. The Faculty Mobility Grant is intended for regular employees of academic or research institutions, or government agencies. The Student Mobility Grant is open to ongoing graduate students at Southeast Asian universities. The applicant’s areas of specialization must be in the field of sustainable agricultural and rural development. Eligibility extends to nationals from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, or Vietnam. The scholarship provides roundtrip airfare, stipend for food, lodging, and incidental expenses. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. More about this scholarship
Earthwatch Institute — Earthwatch Shulman Awards 2019/20
The Earthwatch Shulman Awards provide research and training grants to early-career environmental scientists. The grant offers support to conduct scientific research, join and present at conferences and implement environmental research in the focus areas sustainable agricultural land management, urban green spaces (including gardens and parks), and reducing water pollution. Two selected projects will receive a grant of £4 thousand and four runners up will receive a grant of £500 to spend on conservation-based training. All applicants will need to be nominated for the award. The deadline for applications is 26 November 2019. More information
COLEACP — Strengthening Sanitary and Phytosanitary Systems of the ACP Horticultural Sector
COLEACP is a non-profit association whose main purpose is to support the development of sustainable and competitive agriculture and agribusiness in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. COLEACP seeks expressions of interest for “Analytical and technical information support services in crop production and crop protection to facilitate compliance of the ACP horticultural industry with the requirements of domestic and international markets.” The selected applicant will be required to cover laboratory and analytical support, and the provision of technical information and advice in crop production and crop protection in ACP horticulture. The maximum value for this service is €600 thousand. The deadline to submit Expressions of Interest is 02 December 2019. Find the call for EOIs
UK Arts and Humanities Research Council — Cultures, Behaviours and Histories of Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition (2nd call)
The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) calls for proposals to support international, interdisciplinary, research partnerships. International Co-Investigators from Lower and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) are invited to apply to the call named ‘Cultures, Behaviours and Histories of Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition.’ Funding of up to £200 thousand per project is available. The duration of projects can be between 12 and 24 months. The deadline for submissions is 09 January 2020. Find the call
Swiss Forum for International Agricultural Research — Bridging Grants for Research Collaboration with East and Southeast Asia
The Swiss Forum for International Agricultural Research provides bridging grants to Swiss researchers for the extension of small cooperation projects (exchange grant, workshop, seed funding) with Asian partners. The call is open to all scientific disciplines and fields of research. The Fund provides a maximum of CHF 25 thousand for the preparation of a joint project proposal. The Swiss scientist is the main applicant. Collaborators must be scientists affiliated with a university or a public research institute from China, Japan, South Korea, or ASEAN member states (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam). The applications deadline is 12 January 2020. Details here
U.S. National Academy of Sciences — Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research, Cycle 9
PEER invites scientists in developing countries to work with U.S. collaborators in research and capacity building on priority topics that include environmental contaminants, agricultural productivity and food security, biodiversity conservation, water security, low-carbon development, fisheries assessments, and others. The priorities are different for each PEER focus area (i.e., varying by regions and countries). Projects are anticipated to run for one to three years. Awards involving support for only one institution (single institution awards) range from US$40-80 thousand per year. Awards involving support for more than one institution (multiple institution awards) may receive up to US$100 thousand per year. Applicants must be based at academic institutions, non-profit organizations, or government-managed research laboratories, centers, or institutes in the eligible countries. Applicants need to have at least one research partner in the U.S. that has grant funding from the U.S. government. The deadline for pre-proposals is 10 February 2020. Click here
Famae — Food For Good Challenge
The company Famae seeks innovative and concrete solutions from field to fork to deliver fair, sustainable & healthy food worldwide to everyone. Solutions should be pragmatic, efficient, durable, and money-saving to make life easier for urban citizens while reducing their environmental footprint. Individuals, teams, businesses, government entities, universities and organizations are eligible to apply. The maximum award is €2 million which may be allocated to a single exceptional project to cover the production of a prototype. Applications will be accepted until 14 February 2020. Find the terms and conditions
University of Queensland in Australia — Undergraduate and Postgraduate Scholarships 2020
The University of Queensland in Australia invites applications for its Science International Scholarships. Study subject areas include Agriculture and Environment, among others. The scholarship amount is AUD3 thousand. Any international students, other than Australian citizens and permanent residents, are eligible to apply. The 2020 application deadlines are 15 January for a Semester 1 (February) commencement and 30 June for a Semester 2 (July) commencement. Link
2SCALE — Digital Innovation for Climate Smart Agriculture
2SCALE invites entrepreneurs, startups and SMEs with digital innovations to apply to the innovation challenge to boost climate smart agriculture. Innovation should promote food and nutrition security, climate-smart (eco-efficient) agriculture, and the inclusion of women and youth. Furthermore, the innovation should primarily focus on smallholder farmers. Projects have to be implemented in Kenya, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, or Niger. The winners will receive scaling opportunities, technical support, and research support. The application has to be submitted by 15 November 2019. More