The Borlaug Higher Education Agricultural Research and Development (BHEARD) program aims to increase the agricultural research capacity in specific institutions in the target countries by training staff members for either M.S. or PhD degrees. Training is usually in the U.S., but may also be offered in the home country or a third country. All research projects must be undertaken in the trainees home country. For the 2013-14 academic year, we have placed 30 graduate students in 12 U.S. universities.
In addition to providing all expenses for the trainee, the BHEARD program also provides doctoral students with a pre-dissertation trip to their home country. The academic advisor of each student (both MS and PhD) is provided with a trip to the students country during the research period in order to assist the student and to make contacts with the students home institution.
The target institutions identified by the USAID mission in each country are:
- BANGLADESH: Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institution (BARI), Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI), Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), and the faculties from Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, and Khulna University. Priority will be given to applicants who desire training in the following subject areas: (i) molecular biology and bioinformatics, particularly as related to adaptation to climate change; (ii) fisheries; and (iii) post-harvest technology.
- GHANA: University for Development Studies; University of Ghana, Legon; Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and University of Cape Coast. Applications are invited from prospective students who desire training in the following subject areas: agricultural, biological and social sciences as they pertain to the development needs of their current organizations.
- MALAWI: Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), particularly Bunda College of Agriculture, and the Department of Agricultural Research Services (DARS). Priority will be given to applicants who desire training in the following subject areas: For DARS: biometrics and crop and soil science. For LUANAR: human nutrition, animal, crop and soil sciences.
- MOZAMBIQUE: National Institute of Agricultural Research (IIAM); Ministry of Health, Directorate of Public Health Promotion (DNSP), including the Nutrition Division and the Division for Health Promotion; SETSAN-MINAG; Eduardo Mondlane University; and Lúrio University in Nampula. Priority will be given to applicants who desire training in the following subject areas: nutrition, food technology, and food safety.
The program is now recruiting qualified applicants from these countries to begin graduate studies in Fall 2014. If you have any contacts in these countries, we would be very grateful if you would share this announcement with them. All application materials are found on our website. Click on Countries and you will be directed to the specific announcement for each country except Mali, which is currently being translated into French.