About the opportunity
What this programme is offering
The African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) has opened applications for the second cohort of its Women in Agriculture Leadership Program Fellowship.
This is a two-year, non-residential fellowship designed to strengthen the capability, confidence and influence of African women scientists so they can take on leadership roles and contribute to climate-responsive agricultural research and agrifood systems.
The programme is implemented by AWARD under the Africa-Australia Partnership for Climate Responsive Agriculture, with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
🌍 Eligible Countries
The 2027 Cohort 2 fellowship is specifically targeting women agricultural scientists from:
🇪🇬 Egypt
🇲🇦 Morocco
🇬🇭 Ghana
🇳🇬 Nigeria
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone
🇸🇳 Senegal
Applicants must be working in agriculture-related roles in national agricultural research institutions, government ministries, universities or international research organizations.
👩🔬 Who Can Apply?
Applicants must:
Be an African woman scientist
Hold at least a master's degree in a relevant discipline
Have a minimum of seven years of professional experience in agriculture and agrifood systems
Be actively working in agriculture-related research, policy, programming or a related field
Demonstrate leadership potential and commitment to advancing climate-responsive agriculture and agrifood systems
Experience may include work involving gender in agriculture research and programming.
🎓 What Does the Fellowship Offer?
Selected fellows will participate in a two-year professional development programme featuring:
Leadership Development
Participants will strengthen their ability to lead teams, institutions and initiatives within agricultural research and development.
Mentoring
Fellows will participate in a structured mentoring programme, including opportunities to work with mentors and mentees.
Negotiation Skills
The programme provides training designed to strengthen participants' ability to negotiate effectively and influence decisions.
Gender Integration
Participants will explore how gender can be integrated into climate adaptation and agricultural research.
Science Communication
Fellows will develop their ability to communicate scientific knowledge and research findings to different audiences.
Research Proposal Development
Participants will strengthen their skills in developing competitive research proposals and positioning their work for funding and collaboration.
🌱 Fellowship Focus
The programme seeks to develop women leaders who can contribute to:
Climate-responsive agriculture
Agricultural research
Agrifood systems transformation
Gender-responsive agricultural development
Research and innovation
Policy and decision-making
Sustainable food systems
The broader objective is to strengthen women's leadership and influence in Africa's agricultural research and development landscape.
📅 Application Deadline
November 6, 2026
How to apply