Call for research proposals to develop climate-resilient and sustainable interventions in crop, livestock and fisheries value chains
1.0 Background
The Government of Uganda, through its Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and partners, is implementing the world bank – funded Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation (UCSAT) Project (ID Number P173296). The project seeks to transform the agricultural sector by promoting climate-smart agricultural practices, enhancing productivity, and improving resilience to climate change. The project contributes to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1 (ending poverty), SDG 2 (ending hunger, achieving food security, and promoting sustainable agriculture), and SDG 13 (taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts). The project development objective (PDO) is to increase productivity, market access, and resilience of selected value chains in the project area and to respond promptly and effectively to an eligible crisis or emergency.
Through her mandate of coordinating agricultural research in the country across the NARS, National Agricultural Research (NARO) is coordinating component one of the UCSAT project that seeks to Strengthen Climate Smart Agricultural Research, Seed, and Agro-Climatic Information Systems. Subcomponent 1.1 of component 1 seeks to support climate smart agricultural research innovations through awarding Competitive Research Grants (CRG) to constitute Cohort 7 of the competitive grant scheme. The scheme shall finance adaptive and applied research interventions aimed at contributing to the PDO. The call targets all stakeholders in Uganda’s National Agricultural Research System (NARS) including Public Agricultural Research Institutes (PARIs), Academia, Private sector, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and individuals with proven capacities to use science, to generate solutions to problems and/or exploit opportunities in the national economy.
2.0 Objective of the call
The Competitive Research Grant scheme seeks to support research interventions aimed at boosting farm production and productivity; marketability of agricultural products; and resilience of Uganda’s food systems to climatic changes; hence contributing to attainment of the project development goal.
3.0 Scope of the CRG scheme
The CRG scheme will support a total of thirty-five (35) projects including 10 projects under crop value chains, 10 under livestock value chains, 10 projects under fisheries value chain, and 5 projects under cross cutting and integrated food systems. Each project shall be implemented for a duration not exceeding 3 years.
The total cost for each project shall not exceed USD. 250,000.
4.0 Funding Windows
Financing of the Competitive Research Grants will be provided through two windows (Window 1 & 2).
- Window 1 will support adaptation, promotion and commercialization of climate-resilient technologies, products and services.
- Window 2 will support applied research aimed at development of game -changing and disruptive technologies and products for enhanced resilience of selected value chains to climatic changes.
5.0 Thematic Focus
The call focuses on four thematic areas covering the crop, livestock, fisheries value chains as well as cross cutting areas in these value chains. The full description of the themes is described below.
5.1 Thematic Area 1: Building climate-resilient crop value-chains
Under this thematic area, grants will be awarded under Window 1 and Window 2 for interventions focusing on value chains for coffee, cocoa, maize, sorghum, cassava, cashew nut, mangoes, citrus, hass avocado, and integrated production systems involving at least one of the 9 crop commodities. One grant will be awarded for each commodity value chain resulting in a total of 10 grants under this thematic area.
Window 1 seeks for interventions including but not limited to:
(i) designing and piloting sustainable AEZ1-specific local seed business models including vegetative planting materials;
(ii) designing and piloting AEZ -specific climate-resilient integrated production models;
(iii) conducting multi -locational and adaptive trials for priority commodities;
(iv) promotion of climate -resilient technologies through innovative and strategic approaches such as establishing parish-level demonstrations, supporting climate-resilient model farms/villages, tailored training and skilling approaches among others;
(v) incubation and commercialization of climate-resilient technologies, products and services.
Window 2 seeks for interventions including but not limited to:
(i) development of heat and drought-tolerant plant varieties; developing climate -resilient agronomic packages;
(ii) developing effective and cost-effective plant health products including pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and bactericides; (iii) developing effective and affordable soil health enhancement research products such as fertilizers, soil moisture retainers, soil moisture monitoring devices;
(iv) innovations for postharvest handling and value addition;
(v) exploitation and conservation of plant genetic resources prone to climate change-induced extinction;
(vi) innovations for enhanced crop-water productivity. In this thematic area, priority will be given to proposals that integrate interventions from both windows, 1 and 2.
5.2 Thematic area 2: Building climate-resilient livestock value-chains
Under thematic area, ten (10) grants will be awarded under Window 1 and Window 2 for interventions focusing on dairy and beef cattle value chains. Five projects will be supported under each commodity value chain. Of the 5 grants under each commodity value chain, 2 and 3 grants will be awarded under windows 1 and 2 respectively.
Window 1 seeks for interventions including but not limited to:
(i) designing and promoting AEZ-specific breed suitability profiles matching breed characteristics, climatic conditions and ecological conditions;
(ii) designing and piloting AEZ – specific, tailored dairy and beef production models that integrate climate -resilient breeds, nutrition, health and welfare innovations;
(iii) designing and promotion of innovative approaches for sustainable cattle waste management including waste from abattoirs; (iv) Application of climate-resilient forages/pasture systems for improved livestock productivity;
(v) assessment of efficacy of health products in different AEZs;
(vi) incubation and commercialization of climate -resilient technologies, products and services.
Window 2 seeks for interventions including but not limited to:
(i) developing climate-resilient feed concentrates, supplements and additives;
(ii) developing heat tolerant and drought tolerant forages with low methane emission capacities;
(iii) developing efficacious and safe animal health management products including drugs, vaccines, and diagnostic kits among others; (iv) harnessing animal biotechnology to produce gene edited semen and embryos carrying heat tolerant and desired production traits;
(v) exploitation, conservation and characterization of animal genetic resources including disease vectors, pathogens and micro -organisms relevant to dairy and beef production;
(vi) value addition innovations on dairy and beef products.
5.3 Thematic area 3: Building climate-resilient fisheries value-chains
Under this thematic area, ten (10) grants will be awarded under Window 1 and Window 2 for interventions focusing on aquaculture and capture -fisheries value chains. Five projects will be supported under each value chain. Of the 5 grants under each value chain, 2 and 3 grants will be awarded under windows 1 and 2 respectively. The thematic area will also consider grants under Window 1 and Window 2 for interventions focusing on aquaculture and capture fisheries value chains.
Window 1 seeks interventions including but not limited to:
(i) designing and piloting sustainable AEZ-specific local fish seed business models;
(ii) promotion of climate – resilient fish/fisheries management technologies and innovations;
(iii) incubation and commercialization of fish management technologies and innovations;
(iv) promotion of AEZ-specific integrated fish production systems;
(v) supporting sustainable zone-specific fish feed production and distribution models.
Window 2 seeks interventions including but not limited to:
(i) developing heat tolerant and high performing fish strains; (ii) developing cost -effective feed concentrates, supplements and additives;
(iii) developing cost -effective water pollution management innovations including management of aquatic weeds;
(iv) developing efficacious and safe fish health management products including drugs, probiotics, vaccines, and diagnostic kits among others;
(v) exploitation, characterization and conservation of fisheries resources including fish, algae, planktons, and other micro-organisms of economic importance in fisheries;
(vi) value addition innovations on fish products and wastes.
5.4 Thematic area 4: Cross-cutting and integrated systems for crop, livestock and fisheries value chains
Under this theme, 1 grant will be awarded for each of the following intervention areas:
- Development and promotion of smallholder climate -smart mechanization packages tailored to specific production systems.
- Development and promotion innovations for sustainable production and commercialization of beneficial insects for food and feed.
- Designing and piloting commodity-based Agri-climate advisory models relating climatic data to commodity performance data.
- Market intelligence, socio-economic and impact studies aimed at fostering adoption and triggering private sector investment in climate -resilient technologies.
- Designing and validating artificial intelligence and machine learning based applications for promotion of climate -resilient technologies
6.0 Eligibility criteria
- The call is eligible to all NARS actors in Uganda i.e. Research institutions, academia, private sector, non-governmental and civil society organizations.
- The lead applicant (PI) must be a researcher, who will bear the main responsibility for the project, including its technical and administrative coordination as well as scientific and financial reporting.
- The lead PI must be in possession of at least a master’s degree with a minimum of five (5) years of active full-time research experience at the time of application. Possession of a PhD is an added advantage.
- The lead PI must have capacity and a proven track record for managing similar projects. A certificate of project completion signed by the funder constitutes proof thereof.
- Information on the proposal format, desired page numbers, supporting documents, proposal review and scoring criteria; and eligible cost areas among others is provided in the CRG manual.
7.0 Gender considerations
Female-led applications and applications involving female researchers as part of the research consortia are strongly encouraged.
8.0 Submission of applications
- An institution can submit more than one application
- A PI cannot lead more than one application but can be a co-applicant on more than one application.
- Applications should be submitted in English.
- The Deadline for submission of the proposals is 30th January 2025 at 5.00 PM.
- Applicants should submit two (2) hard copies of the proposal and supporting documents to: Director General, NARO. In addition, a soft copy of the proposal and supporting documents assembled in one pdf file should be submitted to: dg@naro.go.ug, with a copy emailed to researchcoordination@naro.go.ug and cgs@naro.go.ug, not later than the deadline.
9.0 Review and selection process
The submitted proposals will undergo an administrative and eligibility check for completeness and adherence to the call guidelines as stipulated in the CRG Implementation manual available here.
The proposals that pass the administrative and eligibility check will undergo technical evaluation in accordance with the CRG manual. It is expected that successful grantees will be notified by 25th of February, and grants awarded by 1st March 2025.
10.0 Contact for further information
Any clarifications regarding this call should be sent to: cgs@naro.go.ug and researchcoordination@naro.go.ug