ILRI-DAAD PhD Scholarship, CRP 3.7 – Smallholder Pig Value Chains Development Project, Uganda

Reference Number: PHDEO/DAAD/05/2013
CRP 3.7 – Smallholder Pig Value Chains Development Project
Location: Uganda
Duration: 1 year from September 2013 renewable for up to 3 years subject to performance

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) works to enhance the roles livestock play in pathways out of poverty in developing countries. ILRI is a member of the CGIAR Consortium, a global research partnership of 15 centres working with many partners for a food-secure future. ILRI has two main campuses in East Africa and other hubs in East, West and southern Africa and South, Southeast and East Asia. www.ilri.org.

CGIAR is a global agricultural research partnership for a food-secure future. Its science is carried out by 15 research centres that are members of the CGIAR Consortium in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations. www.cgiar.org.

DAAD is a German Academic Exchange service which is a publicly funded, self-governing organization of the institutions of higher education in Germany. DAAD promotes international academic exchange as well as educational co-operation with developing countries through a variety of funding and scholarship programs.

ILRI Research Project: Smallholder Pig Value Chains Development Project

This projects falls within the CGIAR research program (CRP) titled More Meat, Milk and Fish By and For the Poor. Its fits in well with the projects and CRP’s objective of improving access by the poor, especially women to Animal Source Foods (ASFs) and focuses on the pig value chain, the focus value chain for the program in Uganda. Improving poor consumers’ access to nutrient-rich diets in gender equitable ways is a critical pathway to achieving food and nutrition security. The proposed study will examine the demand for animal source foods (ASF) in the diets of the poor in urban and rural pig production systems of Uganda. In addition, the study will quantify the linkages between intensification of pig systems, intra-household allocation of income from pig enterprise and expenditure on food, non-food items and livestock and agricultural inputs. These results will be used to engage value chain actors in strategizing how to re-orient ASFs value chains to deliver to the poor, as well as to identify how to encourage more equitable allocations within households.

Graduate Fellowship Project Title:  Household demand for animal source foods (ASFs) and economic impacts of market-led production in peri-urban pig production systems of Uganda

Position: The Fellow will be part of ILRI’s Smallholder Pig Value Chains Development (SPVCD) project team in Uganda working on smallholder pig systems and will be based at the ILRI office in Kampala. S/he will report to the project’s Agricultural Economist. The position will also involve close collaboration with the Livestock and Fish CRP team.

Responsibilities:

• Work with a team of scientists to examine the demand for animal source foods (ASF) in the diets of the poor in urban and rural pig production systems of Uganda, and analyze the linkages between intensification of the pig systems, intra-household allocation of income from pig enterprise and expenditure on food (ASF and plant proteins), non-food items and livestock and agricultural inputs;
• Conduct household surveys and collect gender-disaggregated data in the target sites;
• Identify options that encourage more equitable resource allocations within households;
• Use data to write his/her PhD thesis and publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals.

Essential Skills and Qualifications will include:

• Hold a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree with at least an upper second class in Agricultural Economics or related discipline from a highly recognised university;
• Practical experiences in field surveys design and collecting household data and willingness to travel extensively within Uganda;
• Familiarity with handling of large datasets and knowledge of econometric and qualitative tools for the analysis of household data using relevant statistical software (e.g. STATA);
• Good writing skills demonstrated through research reports and journal publications;
• An effective and energetic team player with the ability to work in a multidisciplinary and multi-cultural environment;
• Excellent oral communication and writing skills in English;
• Ability to work independently, multi-task and work and meet tight deadlines;
• Be a staff member of a university (or candidate considered for teaching or research staff recruitment) or from the public sector aiming at a PhD degree;
• Have completed their last degree less than 6 years ago at the time of application;
• Must be nationals of a Sub-Saharan African Country. Please note that it is not possible to apply for studies in your home country.

Terms of appointment: ILRI will offer a competitive stipend to cover living expenses in the project location(s). The successful candidate will be supervised jointly by an ILRI scientist and the university supervisor.

How to apply: Interested applicants should address should submit the following documents;

• A cover letter explaining your interest in the position, what you can bring to the job and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about your professional qualifications and work experience;
• Curriculum Vitae without photograph; please use the europass CV template athttp://europass.cedefop.europa.eu;
• Recommendation letter by the affiliate university head of department;
• Certified copies of all university degree certificates;
• Certified copies of all university transcripts;
• At least temporary admission letter from the host institution;
• Detailed and precise description of the research project (incl. working plan and time schedule until graduation). The proposal has to be in line with the above outlined ILRI’s research projects;
• Declaration of acceptance from academic/university supervisor;
• Proof of employment with certification that you receive an unpaid leave (if applicable).

Email your application to CapDev.recruitment@cgiar.org  on or before 31 May 2013. The position title and reference number should be clearly marked on the subject line of the online application.