2021 Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship, Fall Release | USDA FAS 10777 0700 10 21 0002

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FAS 10777 0700 10 21 0002

The 2021 Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship (Fall Release) is a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service opportunity that funds U.S. higher-education institutions to host mid-career agricultural professionals from eligible countries for intensive, research-focused fellowships. Congress has supported the Borlaug Fellowship Program since 2004 to strengthen USDA agricultural research goals by building practical, long-term collaboration among international agricultural professionals, U.S. researchers, and institutions engaged in agricultural science and technology. The program is designed to improve food security and economic growth in partner countries by training a new generation of agricultural scientists, expanding applied scientific knowledge, and ensuring that research outcomes can be transferred to farmers, industry, and other market actors.

USDA selects the international participants (fellows) based on country-specific technical topics that matter to agricultural development and international agricultural trade, then places those participants with U.S. research institutions for hands-on programs lasting about 10 to 12 weeks. The intent is for fellows to work in real research environments where they can advance a focused agenda with direct relevance to productivity, animal or plant health, biotechnology, or value-chain performance in emerging economies. A key expectation is that the relationship does not end when the fellow leaves the United States. Host institutions are encouraged to integrate lessons learned into their teaching and extension activities and to maintain professional ties that support continued collaboration, follow-on research, and wider adoption of improved practices and technologies.

The scope of work for the selected U.S. host institution is to design and deliver a training and research program that aligns as closely as possible with each fellow's stated objectives. In addition to technical training, the host must incorporate leadership and communication components so the fellow can more effectively explain research findings to policymakers back home and support science-based agricultural policy. The announcement lists specific fellow topics to be supported under this release, including Algeria (leishmaniasis risk assessment), Tunisia (conservation of Tunisian olives), Bangladesh (highly pathogenic avian influenza bioinformatics and a Newcastle disease vaccine topic), Mongolia (animal health), Vietnam (tilapia aquaculture and soybean biotechnology), Turkey (apomixis at the gene level), and Guatemala (Mediterranean fruit fly gene editing). These topics signal that the program spans plant health, animal health, aquaculture, genetics, biotechnology, and pest management, with an emphasis on practical applications that can be scaled after the fellow returns home.

The primary place of performance is the applicant's U.S. campus research facility, where the fellow will conduct the bulk of the training and research. In addition, the fellow is expected to spend two to three days at USDA in Washington, DC both at the beginning and at the end of the fellowship for briefing and debriefing with USDA officials. The host mentor or principal investigator is responsible for making the necessary travel arrangements and accompanying the fellow for both DC trips. The program also requires reciprocity: the U.S. mentor is expected to conduct a return visit of up to two weeks to the fellow's home institution, which may be located in a developing country, to reinforce collaboration, understand local constraints, and help translate fellowship outcomes into on-the-ground impact.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary USDA opportunity (CFDA 10.777) with an "Other" funding instrument type. Eligible applicants are U.S. public/state-controlled and private institutions of higher education. The funding opportunity number is USDA FAS 10777 0700 10 21 0002. The posting date is November 20, 2020, with an application deadline of February 1, 2021 at 11:59 PM Eastern. The expected number of awards is nine, and the maximum award amount (ceiling) is $60,000. Overall, the grant supports U.S. institutions that can provide targeted technical mentorship, structured training, and durable institutional partnerships that advance applied agricultural research capacity and policy-relevant communication in the participating countries.

• The Department of Agriculture, Norman E. Borlaug Intl Ag Science and Tech 10.777 in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2021 Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship, Fall Release" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.777.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 20, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 01, 2021 February 1, 2021 at 1159PM EST. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $60,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 9 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for USDA FAS 10777 0700 10 21 0002

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