OPPORTUNITIES
Our capacity strengthening activities include regional and national training courses, on-the-job training, individual degree and non-degree scholarships, and internships. Each promotes the use of proven agricultural tools and technologies that connect innovations in agricultural research to smallholder farmers.
Training opportunities targeting national agricultural research systems
ICARDA's training activities strive to improve the capabilities of scientists and technicians at national agricultural research systems (NARS) so they can conduct independent and cooperative research focused on the needs of their countries. Training assists NARS researchers by increasing their technical knowledge and skills so they can identify and overcome constraints that limit food production and farm income in their countries. It also helps them understand the process of technology transfer and the complexity of farmers' decisions in adopting or rejecting new technologies.
Regional and Sub Regional Group Courses
Concept: one to four-week intensive courses focusing on specialized problems or topics of interest to national programs. Short-term training courses can be regional or sub-regional.
Center Level Courses year 2015 – year 2014 – year 2013 – download
Course registration fees:
1 week: 1,500 USD
2 weeks: 2,500 USD
3 weeks: 3,500 USD
Costs not included: international travel, accommodation, per diem, insurance.
Application: either through ICARDA Invitation or self-application
Admission: based on ICARDA Selection committee.
In-country courses
Concept: These are group courses held in a given country at the request of a NARS. Topics vary but are such that the training is intensive (on to three weeks) and are related to the conditions and research problems prevalent within the country.
Course fees: either upon demand or covered under restricted projects
Application: either through ICARDA Invitation or by self-application
Admission: based on ICARDA Selection committee.
Training opportunities targeting individual researchers
Research fellows program
Concept: This program is designed for researchers from national programs, who typically have an MSc or BSc degree and several years of experience. They work at an ICARDA research location with ICARDA scientists for a few weeks to a few months on non-degree research and/or receive specialized training.
Course fees: upon demand as normally covered under restricted projects.
Application: either under ICARDA Invitation or by self-application.
Admission: based on ICARDA Selection committee.
ICARDA selects a limited number of research fellows per year on a competitive basis.
Individual Degree Training - Scholarships
Concept: A candidate registered for an MSc or PhD degree at a university can jointly conduct his/her thesis research work with ICARDA. The research topic must relate to ICARDA's mandated research and have direct relevance to the candidate's national program research plans. Graduate research at ICARDA is generally supervised by one or more senior scientists who act as members of the candidate's advisory committee.
Registration fees: Self-funded or covered under restricted projects.
Application: Under an ICARDA Scholarship calls or self-application.
Admission: based on ICARDA Selection Committee.
ICARDA awards a limited number of scholarships and fellowships to candidates on a competitive basis.
Individual Non-Degree Training
Concept: This non-degree training program is offered to junior or mid-career researchers. The program is tailored to meet individual needs and may range from a period of one week to one year.
Course fees: upon demand as normally covered under restricted projects.
Application: either under ICARDA Invitation or by self-application.
Admission: based on ICARDA Selection committee.
ICARDA selects a limited number of non-degree candidates per year on a competitive basis.
Internships
Concept: Internships provide real world experience to those looking to explore or gain the knowledge and skills required to enter into a particular career field. Internships are relatively short term in nature, with the primary focus of getting on-the-job training and applying what’s learned in the classroom to the real world.
Internship fees: self-funded, or on restricted projects, interns provide ICARDA $500 per month for hosting fees.
Application: either under ICARDA invitation or by self-application.
Admission: based on ICARDA Selection committee.
ICARDA selects a limited number of interns per year on a competitive basis.
Training opportunities targeting farmers and extension agencies
The effective extension of new technologies to farmers plays a critical role in the development process. ICARDA applies its expertise and supports two main forms of extension to ensure farmers get access to the innovations they need: farmer field schools and on-the-job training field days.
Farmer Field Schools
Concept: Farmer field schools (FFS) are a participatory approach to extension, whereby farmers are given the opportunity to make a choice in the methods of production through a discovery-based approach.
A Field School is a Group Extension Method based on adult education methods. It is a “school without walls” that teaches basic agro-ecology and management skills that make farmers experts on their own farms. It is composed of groups of farmers who meet regularly during the course of the growing seasons to experiment with new production options. After the training period, farmers continue to meet and share information, with progressively less contact with extension workers.
FFS aims to increase the capacity of groups of farmers to test new technologies in their own fields and assess results and the relevance of the research to their particular circumstances. They interact on a more demand-driven basis, approaching researchers and extension workers when they are unable to solve a specific problem amongst themselves.
Registration fees: upon demand and normally covered under restricted projects.
Application: either under ICARDA invitation or by self-application.
Admission: based on ICARDA Selection Committee.
On the job training field day(s)
Concept: Field day(s) help farmers and extension workers to consider, for example, the state of a farmer’s crops, and to discuss them together. This process should be repeated throughout the season.
Registration fees: upon demand and normally covered under restricted projects.
Application: either by ICARDA Invitation or self-application.