9 April 2020
The call for applications for the second OPFP cohort, which closed on March 31, 2020, attracted 903 applications from 14 African countries (Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo and Zambia). 546 requests are originated from the six English-speaking countries, while 357 are originated from the eight French-speaking countries targeted by the program.
As the world continues to struggle with COVID-19, the economic repercussions of the pandemic are increasingly tangible, with major sectors like agriculture facing serious challenges. Yet while considerable attention has been paid to health and health systems (including research and development), agricultural value chains and food systems require increased attention.
There is an urgent need to invest in strengthening local research and development capacities, in order to enable countries to meet the challenges of their food systems, including aspects related to production, transport, storage and nutrition, all of which have an impact on health systems. Efforts must therefore be intensified to support agricultural value chains that are under increased pressure from climate change.
One Planet Fellowship invests in promoting research partnerships and networks and will connect African scientists with European scientists to provide valuable exposure for the contextualization of climate change research in Africa. The selection process identified 45 "fellows" among the 903 applicants, they now form the second cohort of the One Planet scholarship. To meet them, click here.
Selected candidates will participate in an intensive three-year, non-residential career acceleration process aimed at fostering the acquisition of leadership skills, strengthening scientific research skills, including mainstreaming gender in their research, and fostering partnerships and research networks. Applicants who complete the three-year process will become One Planet Award laureates.
