Strengthening Agroecology Transition and Agroforestry in Africa (SATAF) Project Context
The National Forestry Resource Research Institute (NaFORRI) of National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), in collaboration with Mountain of the Moon University (MMU), the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) and Nitidae, a French NGO active in agroecology of perennial crops are implementing part of a Project titled ‘Strengthening Agroecology Transition and Agroforestry in Africa (SATAF)’. The project is implemented in Ivory Coast, Uganda, Tanzania and Mozambique and is funded by the European Union, with European Forest Institute (EFI) as a lead implementing agency. The Project runs from January 2026 to December 2029.
General topics
NaFORRI, on behalf of its partners, is offering a 3-year PhD position to support the implementation of the project in Uganda. The component to be implemented by the above partners in Uganda covers three connected actions: 1) the identification, characterization and assessment of agronomic innovations implemented by smallholders in their farms; 2) the diagnosis of Agricultural Innovation Platforms (AIPs), considered as a means to improve the efficacy of the uptake of innovations; and 3) the estimation of how the feeding of technical innovations stemming from farmers could improve the functioning of AIPs. The aim of this PhD position is to contribute to agroecology transition by conducting field-based research with farmers and support to local and national governance.
Position offered
The position will be fully funded by the SATAF project and covers (i) a stipend for a
36-month for full time commitment. The student will be required to spend at least 9
out of 36 months in France and 27 months in Uganda. The stipend will be €1,000 while
in Uganda, and €1,500 during his/her stay in Montpellier, France; (ii) three Kampala-
Montpellier and return air tickets; (iii) operational expenses to execute the research activities in the field.
Supervision
The PhD student will register at the University of Montpellier/SupAgro PhD programme, within the doctoral school GAIA (https://gaia.umontpellier.fr/). GAIA is a very well-known Doctoral school in France, particularly active in the field of agroecology. The lead supervisor of candidate will be Dr. Bruno Rapidel (PhD, HDR) based at CIRAD, Montpellier, France and co-supervised by Dr. Bernard Fungo (NaFORRI), Dr. John Sekajugo (MMU), Dr. Martin Notaro (CIRAD) and Ms. Chloé
Lesenfans (Nitidae). The candidate is expected to register with the University of
Montpellier before the end of 2026 in order to complete the Doctorate by the end of
2029.
Keywords
Agricultural Innovation Platform; scaling management practices; coffee and cocoa agroforestry systems;
Profile and skills required
- M.Sc. in Agricultural science or agroecology or related disciplines;
• Skills and/or strong interest in social sciences, innovations studies, and interdisciplinary approaches to agricultural innovation, agroecological transitions and rural development; - Demonstrated skills in the use of statistical tools for data analysis (R);
• Experience in conducting semi-structured interviews and participatory research with farmers and other stakeholders involved in rural and agricultural development would be welcome; - Good writing, analytical and synthesis skills;
• Ability to read, write and speak English fluently; proficiency in local languages, particularly Rutooro and Swahili, would be a strong asset; - Available to spend a large part of his/her time in Uganda and long stays in
Montpellier.
Selection process
A selection committee comprising members from participating institutions will shortlist applicants that show the best qualification to succeed in this PhD, and invite them for oral interviews. The interviewed candidates will be ranked based on their performance. The contract will be offered to the highest-ranking candidate. In case the selected candidate declines the offer, then the contract will be proposed to the second ranked, and so on.
How to submit your application
Interested candidates are invited to submit their application by 10th July 2026. The application documents should include a short concept (2-4 pages highlighting potential research questions and methodology for the study), a short CV (3 pages max.), copies of academic documents for Masters and Bachelors degrees.
All documents should be sent as one PDF document to NaFORRI by email at; directo.naforri@naro.go.ug, +256414383028; with copies to;
Bernard Fungo (bfungo1@yahoo.com, +256772380592),
John Sekajugo (jo.sekajugo@mmu.ac.ug) and
Bruno Rapidel (bruno.rapidel@cirad.fr).