CORAF PhD Scholarships 2025

The CORAF PhD Scholarships 2025 offer 4 doctoral thesis (PhD) scholarships as part of the implementation of the Food Systems Resilience Program (PRSA/FSRP) in West Africa. This program aims to strengthen the resilience of food systems in the region through strategic investments in key thematic areas.

📖 About CORAF PhD Scholarship

The Food System Resilience Program (FSRP) is a flagship regional investment program designed to enhance the resilience of food systems in West Africa. The program focuses on three thematic areas:

1. Digital Advisory Services for agriculture and food crisis prevention and management.
2. Sustainability and Adaptability of the productive base of the food system (e.g., sustainable land and watershed management, agroecological approaches).
3. Integration of Regional Food Markets and Trade, including the development of regional staple food value chains.

Participating Countries

The program will contribute to increasing food system resilience in the following phases:

• Phase 1: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Togo.
• Phase 2: Ghana, Chad, and Sierra Leone.
• Phase 3: Senegal.

Program Components

The FSRP is organized into five components:

1. Strengthening digital advisory services for agricultural and food crisis prevention.
2. Sustainability and adaptability of the food system's productive base.
3. Regional food market integration and trade.
4. Emergency response component.
5. Program management.

🎓 Scholarship Details

Research Focus Areas

The scholarships will support research in fields such as:

• Plant production (agronomy, agroforestry, agroecology, pest control, etc.).
• Animal production (breeding, fisheries, aquaculture, animal feed-nutrition, etc.).
• Food quality and safety.
• Agro-industry (processing of plant, animal, and fishery products).
• Agricultural product markets, bioinformatics, and prospective analysis.

Research Collaboration

Research activities will be facilitated by Centers of Specialization to promote collaboration between universities and these centers. Examples include:

• Root and Tuber Crops in Ghana.
• Rainfed, Irrigated, and Deep Submergence Rice in Mali.
• Dry Cereals in Senegal.
• Fruits and Vegetables in Burkina Faso.
• Livestock in Niger, among others.

💰 Benefits of CORAF PhD Scholarship

The scholarship allowance includes:

• Registration and laboratory fees.
• Monthly subsistence allowance.
• Field expenses, including travel, surveys, and research-related costs.
• International travel expenses for conferences and scientific stays.
• Supervision fees.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be a national of one of the CORAF member countries.
• Be at most 40 years old.
• Hold a research Master’s degree related to the chosen field and theme.
• Provide a written and signed agreement from an academic supervisor(s).
• Demonstrate capacity in applied research and willingness to work across disciplines.
• Show a strong interest in agricultural research for development.
• Be fluent in English or French (working knowledge of the other language is an asset).
• Possess excellent communication skills and the ability to work in a multicultural environment.

📝 Application Process

Required Documents

Applicants must submit the following:

• A motivation letter demonstrating suitability and availability.
• Certificates and transcripts of Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees.
• A curriculum vitae (maximum 5 pages).
• Two letters of recommendation (1 from a university supervisor and 1 from a research institute or Center of Specialization).
• A budgeted thesis research proposal aligned with FSRP priority areas.
• A pre-registration form from the doctoral school or university, including the name and address of supervisors.

Submission Instructions

• Submit your application via email to scholarships@coraf.org by July 15, 2025.
• Use the subject line: "PhD Program – CORAF 2025".

Selection Process

• Shortlisted candidates and their supervisory teams will undergo an online interview with the CORAF team.
• Results will be announced by the end of August 2025.
• The program is expected to start in September 2025.

📅 Key Dates

• Date Published: June 20, 2025.
• Application Deadline: July 15, 2025.
• Results Announcement: End of August 2025.
• Program Start Date: September 2025.

📧 Contact Information

For further inquiries, please contact:

• Scholarships Email: scholarships@coraf.org
• Additional Information: k.ganyo@coraf.org

🌐 Learn More and Apply

For more details, visit the official CORAF PhD Scholarship page.

• Registration and laboratory fees.
• A monthly subsistence allowance.
• Field expenses including travel, surveys or labor related to research activities, acquisition of small research equipment and consumables.
• International travel expenses (participation in conferences, scientific stays).
• Supervision fees.