United Nations University On-the-Job Research Capacity Building for Sustainable Agriculture in Developing Countries (OJCB)

Overview

UNU-ISP is pleased to announce that applications are now available for On-the-Job Research Capacity Building for Sustainable Agriculture in Developing Countries (OJCB). This programme is funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, and coordinated by UNU-ISP.

Outline of the programme

UNU-ISP will support the capacity building programme planned and implemented by leading scientists, which mainly consists of on-the-Job training (OJT) for capacity building for young researchers in developing countries.

The purpose of this programme is to:

1. Develop capacity for agricultural research in developing countries.
2. Disseminate new agricultural technologies that are adaptable to local conditions and to local farmers.
3. Ultimately contribute towards increasing world food production through promotion of sustainable agriculture in developing countries.

Each capacity building programme is planned and implemented by a leading scientist (host scientist) who is engaged in research related to sustainable agriculture in developing countries.

The programme consists of:

1. OJT for young researchers in developing countries (trainees) under a host scientist.
2. Guidance for creation of an action plan to be implemented by the trainee after the OJT.
3. Follow up implementation of the action plan by the trainee.

The OJT, which is the main component of the programme, should be conducted for 1 to 3 months in principle, but it is extendable within the limit of the budget, depending on the proposed programme.

Capacity building programme

1. OJT for the trainees under the host scientist
   The host scientist supervises the trainees to achieve the research target set in the proposal submitted to UNU-ISP. The number of the trainees may be more than one as long as the total cost does not exceed the upper limit of the budget referred to in section 3, and the host scientist ensures an adequate standard of living for the trainees. When the number of trainees is more than one under the same host scientist, the period of training for each trainee may be different. An assistant instructor may assist the OJT if necessary.
2. Guidance for developing the action plan to be implemented by the trainee after the OJT
   The host scientist guides the trainees to develop their action plans during the OJT which will be implemented after the OJT to make use of what they have learned.
3. Follow up of the the implementation of the action plan by the trainee
   The host scientist visits the trainees after the OJT to give advice on implementation of the action plan and to monitor the on-site dissemination of the technologies acquired by the trainees during the training course.

Budgetary limitation for the capacity building programmeme

The upper limit of the budget per capacity building programme is $21,200 USD and it is supported within the upper limit of approximately $3,100 USD per trainee per month according to the duration of the OJT.

Please note that the actual amount of funds will be decided after thorough review of the proposal. For example, in the case of 3 months of OJT, the total amount of the budget which can be received by a host scientist who trains 2 trainees for 3 months is:
a) $3,100 x 3 x 2 = $18,600
b) $2,600 x 1 = $2,600
Total = $21,200

Timeline

Call for applications	8 August, 2011
Deadline for submissions of applications	10 October, 2011
Notification of selection results to the host institutions and applicants*1	31 October, 2011
Launch and implementation of capacity building programmes including follow-up visit by host scientist	From November 2011
Submission of the final report by host scientist to UNU-ISP	15 June, 2012

OJT for the trainee under the host scientist and following-up the implementation of the action plan by the trainee must be started after November 2011 and be completed by 30 May, 2012.

*1 The capacity building funds are remitted by bank transfer upon entering into the Institutional Contractual Agreements with the host institutions.

Eligibility requirements

The application can be accepted only from a host scientist who shows an intention to offer capacity building. A letter of support signed by the head of the proposed host institution must be attached to the application.

a) The host scientist/applicant must:

1. Be a scientist belonging to a research organization.
2. Be stationed at a research organization under CGIAR or UNU, or an agricultural research organization in a developing country .
3. Undertake capacity building with the full consent of the host institution (Institutional Contractual Agreements between the host institution and UNU is necessary).
4. Be presently conducting research related to sustainable agriculture in developing countries, and able to train trainees based on current research.
5. Be planning to stay at the host institution throughout the OJT period. If an assistant instructor employed by the host institute is assigned to the OJT, the host scientist can be away from the host institution for up to half of the duration of the OJT.
6. Show evidence of the consent of selected trainee(s).
7. Obtain consent from the assistant instructor where applicable.
8. Be able to write his/her application form and reports in English.
9. Make trainees recognize the challenges of sustainable agriculture in their own country, guide trainees to develop their action plans and assist the trainees to start research activity based on their action plans after the OJT.

Applicants should submit a capacity building plan which includes title, purpose, contents, duration, budget, candidates of trainees, problems to solve and curricula vitae of the host scientist, assistant instructor and trainees.

b) The trainee must:

1. Be less than forty-five years of age and be a national of a developing country (in principle in the DAC list of ODA recipients). However, trainees who are less than forty years of age will be given priority in the selection.
2. Belong to a national or public agricultural research institute, university, etc. in a developing country and return to his/her institute after the OJT.
3. Hold at least a bachelor’s degree from a university or be recognized by the selection committee as possessing equivalent academic qualifications.
4. Obtain consent on participating in the programme for the training from his/her institute.
5. Not be the recipient of any funds from other sources for similar programmes.
6. Be able to communicate in the same language with the host scientist.
7. Recognize the challenges of sustainable agriculture in his/her own country, develop an action plan and be willing to implement research activity based on their action plan immediately after the OJT.

c) The assistant instructor must:

1. Be currently conducting research together with the host scientist or under his/her supervision on research related to sustainable agriculture in developing countries.
2. Be qualified to train trainees based on his/her research background. A post-doctoral fellow can be considered as an assistant instructor.

Responsibilities of the applicant

1. Ensure a successful capacity building programme by liaising with the administrative staff of the host institution and the assistant instructor.
2. Ensure development of the action plan by the trainees and its implementation through on-site visit of work place of the trainees.
3. Submit a final report to UNU-ISP upon completion of the capacity building programme. The report must include: capacity building results, an accounting report and a completed questionnaire from the trainees and host institutions.
4. Manage the allocated funds in a diligent and responsible manner.

Costs covered by the programme

The programme will cover costs for the following items:

a) OJT for the trainee under the host scientist and guidance for action plan development to be implemented by the trainee after the OJT

1. A discounted round-trip economy class air ticket and related travel expenses for the trainee from his/her institute to the host institution where the OJT will take place.
2. Subsistence allowance for the trainee to cover accommodation and other living expenses during OJT period.
3. Allowance to cover basic medical and accident insurance for the trainee during OJT period.
4. Research and capacity building funds including supplies. Durable equipment (scientific equipment, computer, camera, projector, microscope, etc.) of which the acquisition cost higher than one hundred thousand yen per item cannot be purchased.
5. The assistant instructor’s remuneration paid on an as-needed basis.
6. Indirect costs charged by the host institution.

b) Follow up the implementation of the action plan by the trainee.

1. Travel allowance for the host scientist.
2. Office supplies necessary for guidance.
3. Communication expenses (telephone calls, post, etc.).

Please note the following:

• Funds will be remitted by bank transfer to the bank accounts of host institutions.
• The funds in sections a. 1-3 and b. 1-3 will be calculated based on the policies in place at the host institutions.
• The funds in section a.2 will be paid directly to the trainee, and the other funds will be paid to the institute to be used for implementation of OJT, follow-up visit, etc. under the supervision of the host institute.

Application Procedure

Applicants (host scientists) must submit their application documents listed below via e-mail to UNU-ISP by 10 October, 2011 to: ojcb@unu.edu.

Application Documents

Form 1. Application form cover	Word file (29KB)
Form 2. Curriculum vitae for applicant, host scientist	Word file (23KB)
Form 3. Curriculum vitae for trainee	Word file (61KB)
Form 4. Curriculum vitae for assistant instructor	Word file (19KB)
Form 5. Capacity building and research plan/ Budget plan	Word file (25KB)
Letter of recommendation by host institute	Free format
Checklist (revised on 2011/9/9)	Word file (18KB)

» Download all files (zip, 92KB)

Selection and notification of results

Selection Committee
All applications will be reviewed by an independent and experienced selection committee. The committee will examine and select those best qualified for the programme.

Priority for APEC developing economies
Since this project qualifies as a contribution to APEC, priority is placed on programmes which receive trainees from APEC developing countries.

Evaluation criteria for selection

1. Thorough understanding of the purpose of the programme.
2. Suitability of capacity building.
   - Relevance of the research programme proposed by the host scientist (applicant).
   - Relevance of the research achievements of the host scientist to the programme.
   - Relevance of the research activities of the trainees to the capacity building programme.
   - Suitability of the capacity building plan, including the concept of the action plan and planning of follow-up visit.
   - Adequacy of the budget plan e.g., air ticket, subsistence allowance, research and capacity building funds, the overheads, etc.
   - Sustainability and potential to expand capacity building results.

The number of programme to be selected

Approximately 13 programmes (in the case of 2 trainees per programme) will be selected. The amount of funds provided to each institute may be adjusted based on the total funds. A host scientist may submit two or more applications, but only one will be selected.

Implementation of capacity building

UNU-ISP will enter into an Institutional Contractual Agreement with each selected host institution as early as possible after the notification of selection results and before the beginning of the capacity building. The selected applicants must provide UNU-ISP with the required bank account information to facilitate UNU-ISP to remit the funds through bank transfer at its earliest convenience.

Final Report of capacity building results

The final report will contain three separate sections as follows:

1. Section by trainee: Each trainee must write his/her section in English and submit it to the trainer.
2. Section by host institution: Each host institution must write an evaluation and achievement report of the capacity building, and submit it to the host scientist.
3. Section by host scientist: Each host scientist must submit to UNU-ISP the final report comprising the capacity building result (including the action plan by the trainee) and accounting report attached along with a summary after completion of the capacity building by 15 June, 2012 together with 1 and 2.

Correspondence

Please address your correspondence to:

United Nations University Institute for Sustainability and Peace
5-53-70 Jingumae. Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8925 JAPAN

TEL: +81-3-5467-1242 FAX: +81-3-3406-7347
E-mail: ojcb@unu.edu

Application Deadline:
10 October 2011

Contact:
ojcb@unu.edu

Application Guidelines

http://isp.unu.edu/news/2011/ojcb-application-guidelines.html

Mizutani Foundation for Glycoscience Grant, Japan

The Mizutani Foundation for Glycoscience invites grant applications for basic studies in the field of glycoscience.

Eligibility: An applicant must (a) have a doctor’s degree or its equivalent, (b) have a documented capability of performing independent studies and (c) be a member of a research institute where he or she can carry out the proposed project. Previous grant recipients who were awarded prior to 2007 are eligible.

Grant: As much as 7,000,000 yen may be requested. In principle, a grant will be approved for one year, however, if desired, the period can be extended up to one year with the approval of the foundation. The total budget for grants is 70,000,000 yen per annum. No more than 10% of the grant may be used for indirect costs (overheads), and no part of the grant may be used for stipends of the principal and/or collaborative investigators.

Selection:The applications will be reviewed by the selection committee, consisting of specialists appointed by the Foundation, based on 1) glycoscience field, 2) originality, 3) scientific merit and 4) feasibility. One or two projects will be selected in the newly established category “exploratory glycoscience” (see guidelines for further detail).Application: Applicant must 1) make online registration from here, and also 2) submit a set of application documents by post. Please obtain application guidelines and form in your preferred format.

Deadlines: All the applications should arrive at the Foundation between July 1 and September 1, 2011 (Tokyo Time). Decision letters will be airmailed no later than February 20, 2012, and the successful proposals will be funded in March, 2012.

Please download the application form in your preferred format.

Mail:

Marunouchi Center Building 10F,
1-6-1 Marunouchi,
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
100-0005, Japan
Phone: 81-3-5220-8977
Fax: 81-3-5220-8978
E-mail: info@mizutanifdn.or.jp

http://www.mizutanifdn.or.jp/grant/apply.html

Fuji Xerox Setsutaro Kobayashi Memorial Fund

Development of international understanding and cooperation is all the more important to achieve a peaceful and harmonious global society, which is the long-term goal of humanity in the 21st century.

Although Japan has dramatically elevated her position in the world in the decades following World War II, it is also true that Japan has not yet fully lived up to the role expected of her. In particular, Japan does not seem to have the best relations with her Asia-Pacific neighbors in terms of politics, economics and culture despite their geographic proximity and long history of cultural interchanges with Japan. In this respect, further mutual understanding and reliance on continued efforts to foster friendship through interchanges among nations have great significance in today’s world.

In its Mission Statement, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. asserts that it will contribute to the advancement of the global community by continuously fostering mutual trust and enriching diverse culture. Based on this precept and the above-mentioned perception of the current status of Japan, the research grant program was initiated to support young researchers from Asia-Pacific countries/regions who are studying in Japan. The grant is allocated from the Setsutaro Kobayashi Memorial Fund, which was established to commemorate the achievements of the late Setsutaro Kobayashi, who was the first president of Fuji Xerox.

Fuji Xerox hopes that the research grant program contributes to the promotion of mutual understanding of people and harmonious development of the nations or areas in the Asia-Pacific regions.

Research Field

Grants shall be conferred for individual research (not group research) in the field of Humanities (Cultural Science) or Social Sciences, with special emphasis on themes that help deepen the researcher’s understanding and awareness of Japanese or Asian/Oceanian society and culture and enhance international interchanges among them in the future.

Qualifications for Applicants

Applicants shall meet all of the following requirements on the date of both the application deadline and grant subsidization.

1.Foreign students or researchers from an Asia-Pacific country/area listed below who are currently staying in Japan. East Asia: Korea, China, Taiwan, Mongolia
Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor, Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos
South Asia: India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives
Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, Island countries in Oceanian region

2.Students or researchers who are presently enrolled in a doctorate program (not in a master program) of Japanese universities. Those who already received or will receive doctorate degrees before the issuance date of the grant are not allowed to apply.
3.Students or researchers who are recommended by their supervising professors or mentors

Grant Particulars

The Kobayashi Fund will provide each grantee with a research grant to be used for expenses (transportation/accommodation for travel, purchase of reference books/archives, etc.) pertaining to the research activities in Japan and Asia-Pacific countries/regions.

3.1 Amount of grant
Maximum 1,200,000 yen per grantee will be available to approximately 40 grantees. An amount from 430,000 to 1,200,000 yen per grantee was provided to 41 grantees for the 2007 program. (Depending upon the results of the Grantee Screening Committee’s assessment, the actual amount for some grantees could be less than the originally requested amount.

3.2 Duration of grant
The duration of the grant shall be for one year from the date of the grant.

3.3 Re-grant
Anyone who has received the grant before may apply again. Such applicants should describe the reason for the re-grant with the outline of the research previously granted. A re-grant is available for existing grantees or ex-grantees only once.

3.4 Responsibilities of grantee
1.The grantee shall conduct research according to the research schedule submitted. Within three months after the end of the grant period, the grantee shall submit a research report (approximately 30 pages in A4 size format) and a copy of the account book (summarized version is acceptable) to the fund office via the supervising professor.
2.Depending on the research contents, Fuji Xerox shall reserve the right to open the results of the research to the public and the right to request the grantee lecture on the research at a seminar arranged by Fuji Xerox.
3.In case the grantee has to reschedule the research or leave Japan before completion of the research or change his/her contact address or telephone number in Japan, such grantee shall promptly inform the fund office of the situation in writing.
3.5 Other support for grantee
The fund shall print research report(s) submitted by the grantee in accordance with the above 3.4 (1), and present 30 copies to the grantee. The fund will also donate those reports to the universities and research institutes in Japan and overseas. Some copies shall be sent to the grantee alumni members on their request.

Selection criteria

Selection shall focus on evaluation of the following three aspects:

1.Originality: While the research theme and method should be based on an applicant’s original concept or unique idea, such method should be attainable.
2.Social value: The theme should have strong potential for promotion of mutual understanding among people and nations/regions in Japan and Asia-Pacific.
3.The results of the research shall be reflected in the thesis submitted for a doctorate and shall have strong potential for obtaining the doctoral degree in the near future.

Due date of application

Saturday, February 28, 2011

An application arriving at the fund office after the due date is valid only if envelope (registered mail) was postmarked in Japan on February 28, 2011

Address for application and inquiries

Application documents and all questions regarding this program shall be directed to the following fund office:
The Setsutaro Kobayashi Memorial Fund
c/o Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
9-7-3, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-0052
Telephone: (03) 6271-4368
http://www.fujixerox.com/eng/company/social/prog.html

ITTO Fellowship Programme

ITTO offers fellowships through the Freezailah Fellowship Fund to promote human resource development and to strengthen professional expertise in member countries in tropical forestry and related disciplines. The goal is to promote the sustainable management of tropical forests, the efficient use and processing of tropical timber, and better economic information about the international trade in tropical timber.

As of December 2010, the Programme, which began in 1989, has enabled more than 1000 young and mid-career people from over 40 countries working for government, research institutions, civil society and the private sector to pursue their professional development and improve their career prospects. The total value of fellowships awarded to date amounts to about US$6.3 million. Funding has been provided through the generous voluntary contributions from Japan (75%), U.S.A (13%), the Netherlands (7%), Australia (4%) and others (1%) including Sweden, U.K. and Bali Partnership Fund-B. The Programme supports mainly short-term activities, such as participation in international conferences, training courses and study tours, but also helps people to prepare manuals and monographs and provides small grants for post-graduate study.

The maximum amount for a fellowship grant is US$10,000. Only nationals of ITTO member countries are eligible to apply, and fellowships are awarded mainly to nationals of developing member countries. Click here for further information including eligibility, appraisal and selection criteria.

Time-line of Fellowship Selection Procedure for Spring 2011

Upcoming deadline

Deadline for receipt of the completed applications is:

•25 March 2011 for fellowship activities that will start after 1 September 2011.
•Results of the Selection Panel will be posted on http://www.itto.int by the middle of July 2011.
Applicants are advised that fellowship activities should begin no sooner than 1 September 2011.

Forms

• [en]Application form【WORD】
• [fr]Application form【WORD】
• [es]Application form【WORD】
• [en]Notes & instructions【PDF】
• [fr]Notes & instructions【PDF】
• [es]Notes & instructions【PDF】

Contact us

International Tropical Timber Organization
International Organizations Center, 5th Floor
Pacifico-Yokohama 1-1-1, Minato-Mirai,
Nishi-ku, Yokohama, 220-0012 Japan

Tel : +81-45-223-1110
Fax : +81-45-223-1111
Email : itto@itto.int
http://www.itto.int/

KWEF Research Grant Program for Overseas Research

The KWEF is nonprofit organization founded in March 1997 by Kurita Water Industries Ltd. and its affiliates. The KWEF contributes to the betterment of society by developing new technologies of water conservation and environmental protection.

The KWEF supports scientists in ASEAN countries, China and Korea who are conducting research in their own countries on the conservation and restoration of water resources, which are defined as oceans, surface water, and soil and underground water as well as the areas of land adjacent to them.

The KWEF support is primarily financial, in the form of research grants.

Notes: These grants are intended to support academic research. Programs aimed primarily at generating business profit are not eligible.

Criteria for the KWEF Research Grant

1.Applicant

1) The applicant must be a citizen of the country in which he or she resides.
2) The applicant must conduct research at a national or public university, college, or associated institute.
3) The applicant is preferably under 40.
4) The applicant must have a Japanese advisor who resides either in Japan or the applicant’s country.

2.Areas of Research Supported

Research Grant

Any research subject in the field of water resources is acceptable, provided that the water area studied is located in the researcher’s home country. Examples of appropriate research subjects are:

- Physical and chemical properties of water
- New technologies for conservation and restoration of water resources. (River, Lake, Pond, Discharge etc.)
- New technologies for water measurement and assessment

3.Application

The applicant must submit a project proposal outlining the plan and budget of his or her research program by E-mail (f-kurita@kwef.or.jp) with WORD Form　,along with a letter of recommendation from the applicant’s Japanese advisor, to the foundation.

The annual application period is from 1st of April to the 20th of May.

4.Selection

The grantee will be selected by the foundation’s Board of Directors, based on the advice of the Selection Committee. The chief director will inform each applicant in writing of the board’s decision.

5.Amount and Duration of the Grant

1) Amount of Grant
Research Grant: A maximum of 500,000yen per project per year

2) Duration of Grant
The grant period will be one year, from October to September following year.

6.Use of the Grant

The KWEF Research Grant should be used for the basic expenses of the research program, such as the purchase of equipment and supplies, travel costs, and other expenses associated with fieldwork.
7.Obligations of the Grantee

Reports

Recipients of research grants must submit a preliminary report on the results of their research to the chief director of the foundation by the end of the grant period (September 30).

This report should consist of a one- or two-page (A4 size) description of the results gathered to date, along with a Japanese translation and any necessary supplementary materials.

The researcher must also submit an expense report, separate from the preliminary report described above, by the end of the grant period. This should consist of an itemized list of expenses paid for with the grant money. Whenever possible, the researcher should attach copies of receipts.

8.Announcement of Results

To help spread awareness of the foundation’s activities, researchers are asked to mention in their papers that their research was supported by a KWEF grant. The researcher must also submit copies of these papers to the KWEF. These materials will then become the property of the KWEF.

Application form can be downloaded here

Kurita Water and Environment Foundation

Secretary General : Kenji Tawara

Address : 3-4-7 Nishi-Shinjyuku, Shinjuku-ku,Tokyo 160-8383Japan
Tel. : +81-3-3347-3121
Fax. : +81-3-3347-3977
E-mail : f-kurita@kwef.or.jp

http://www.kwef.or.jp/e-index.html