The Project

The Project: Achieving Research and Knowledge Translation Capacity for Climate Change Resilience, Food Security and Sustainable Livelihoods in West Africa

Applications were invited from Western University PhD students, postdoctoral fellows and early career researchers to participate in a project addressing climate change resilience, food security and sustainable livelihoods in West Africa.

This international training program was funded by the International Development Research Centre, QES Advanced Scholars West Africa Program and it supported scholar projects to inform progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, with preference given to those that focused on, or clearly integrated, SDG 5 (gender equality).

Two Western PhD candidates were placed with Cape Coast and S.D Dombo universities in Ghana for 6 months. 16 West African scholars were placed at Western University as follows:

▪ 2 PhD and 2 Early Career Scholars from the Université Cheikh Anta Diop in Senegal
▪ 1 Early Career scholar from the University of Liberia
▪ 4 PhD and 1 Early Career scholar from Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Benin
▪ 2 PhD and 1 Early Career scholars from the S.D. Dombo University, Ghana
▪ 1 Early Career scholar from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana
▪ 2 PhD scholars from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria

 

Eligibility criteria

▪ Be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada and be willing to undertake the scholarship in West Africa. You cannot apply for a placement within your own country.
▪ Be registered full-time as a PhD student, postdoctoral/research fellow, or early career researcher at Western University
▪ PhD students must be at the thesis research stage and return to Canada to complete their studies.

Applicants’ research addressed any of these thematic areas:

▪ Climate change resilience
▪ Climate change knowledge creation
▪ Food security and sustainable livelihoods in West Africa
▪ Developing strategies for sustainable agriculture
▪ Inclusive resource governance and community outreach strategies
▪ Using public participatory geographic information systems (PPGIS) for sustainable resource management
▪ Using open-source remote sensing for environmental change monitoring

 

Successful candidates participated in leadership development and community engagement activities in their country of placement and also participated in the WhatsApp network of Queen Elizabeth Scholars.

 

Application Process

Applicants completed the online application form.

1. The following supporting documents were uploaded with the application form:
o Official letter of support from their head of department, which includedconfirmation of current academic status and approval of participation in the project
o Summary of a research project (maximum 1 page) and a work plan
o A statement of their motivation to participate in this project (1,000 words maximum)
o A Curriculum Vitae

Shortlisted applicants were required to provide proof of citizenship (National ID Card or passport) later on in the selection process.

The project was jointly implemented by the following partners:

 

Universitaire d’Abomey-Calavi, Benin

(6) Waliou AMOUSSA HOUNKPATIN | LinkedIn

 

S.D. Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies, Ghana

Millicent Awalie Akateeba

 

University of Liberia

Moses Zinnah

 

Ibadan University, Nigeria

Mutawakilu Tiamiyu

 

Cheikh Anta Diop University, Senegal

Amadou T. Gaye

 

University of Cape Coast, Ghana

Frederick Ato Armah

 

Western University

▪ Isaac Luginaah, Social Science
▪ Isola Ajiferuke, Faculty of Information and Media Studies
▪ Godwin Arku, Social Science
▪ Mel Katsivo, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry & The Africa Institute
▪ Erica Lawson, Social Science/Arts & Humanities
▪ Saverio Stranges, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry & The Africa Institute
▪ Jinfei Wang, Social Science
▪ Ngianga-Bakwin Kandala, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry
▪ Western International
 

All the scholars reported rich experiences at both their academic and non-academic settings, where they gained new and/or enhanced knowledge, skills and insights into the broad area of focus. Many of them developed manuscripts for publication.