Deadline: 15 January 2019
The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) has announced the 2018/2019 Call for proposals for the Community Action Research Programme (CARP+) that aims to encourage universities to develop and invest in more comprehensive and sustained action research into a particular geographical area or in a selected commodity along the full value chain. The CARP+ is defined by inclusion of the TVET as part of the CARP engagement that has hitherto not been a focus in earlier approved CARP Projects. This CARP+ Call thus seeks to support projects that innovatively enhance university-led action research and impact by engaging and working with technical/ vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions. All successful proposals must include at least one TVET institution as a partner, and demonstrate how the project will respond to TVET needs.
The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation is implementing an eight year programme “Transforming African Agricultural Universities to meaningfully contribute to Africa’s growth and development (TAGDev)”. The TAGDev Programme seeks to transform African agricultural universities and their graduates to better respond to developmental challenges through enhanced application of science, technology, business and innovation for rural agricultural transformation.
This specific Call seeks to extend university activities to work more closely with rural communities through multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional partnerships involving key stakeholders such as research, extension and development agencies, policy-makers, the private sector and TVET institutions as a must. The Call will support proposals focusing on crops and livestock sector value chains of strategic importance in Kenya and Uganda and other African countries that provide opportunity for sustainably moving a significant number of smallholder farmers out of poverty and food insecurity.
Grant Information
RUFORUM has allocated money for three CARP+ projects totalling to US$900,000 with each CARP+ project value at US$300,000 running for a period of 3-4 years.
CARP+ Objectives
The Community Action Research Programme PLUS (CARP+ ) is an innovative initiative to increase deepening of university engagement with rural communities, private sector and TVET institutions as well as policy and decision leaders. It thus supports enhancing impact of university activities on small holder farmers, strengthen university community outreach, supports value chains development and capacity and experiential learning within universities. The CARP+ specifically seeks to:
- Support collaborative action research led by universities with participation of graduate students that addresses critical agricultural production and marketing constraints facing smallholder farmers in Africa;
- Provide opportunity for creation of multi-stakeholder ‘platforms’ that support value chain development for the benefit of small-holder farmers and to enhance the impact of university activities;
- Provide action research platforms and opportunities for greater student engagement and experiential learning in supporting smallholder farm development through agribusiness and ensure that lessons are used to facilitate university reflection and learning;
- Support strengthening of TVET institutions through engagement and joint action between universities and TVET institutions to enhance the impact of knowledge on small-holder farms;
How to Apply
Applicants must download the application form via given website.
Eligible Countries: Zambia, South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana and Namibia.
For more information, visit http://www.ruforum.org/MCF/call-proposal