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"Dear e-Forum members, UNESCO in Bangkok is looking for interested research institutes to participate in a regional study that will explore ways in which transversal skills are imparted and assessed in TVET in the Asia-Pacific region, and in particular: * analyze the current status of pedagogies and assessment of transversal skills in TVET; * identify remaining bottlenecks; and * highlight proven practices in teaching and assessment of these skills. Please see the attached call for papers for more information. Interested institutions should send the following information: * institutional profile, * expression of interest of no more than one A4 page (if applying for the available research grant please include a justification) * CVs of researchers, * research framework, including brief background on transversal skills in the country, and research methodology (details of sample selection, scope of primary research, scope of secondary research) either as hard copy or by email to:"

"The 2016 annual meeting of the European Forum on Agricultural Research for Development (EFARD), organised in collaboration with the Platform for African-European partnership on Agricultural Research for Development (PAEPARD), brought together research and non-research professionals from Western, Central/Eastern Europe and Africa, to debate on the future of Users'-led research and innovation partnerships (MSHIP)."

"[KUALA LUMPUR] New approaches to agricultural research and development (R&D) that support local innovation are needed in order to tackle global poverty, say agriculture experts. At a conference, Re-imagining Agricultural Research in Development Dialogue, held in Penang, Malaysia last month (29-31 January), experts from the agricultural sector convened to discuss how agricultural research could best be used to benefit the 870 million people still living on less than US$1.25 a day. "The [conference] was motivated by the realization that agricultural research was not benefiting the poorest of the poor," Boru Douthwaite, Knowledge Sharing and Learning theme leader for the CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS), tells SciDev.Net. "

The Research Council of Norway funds HAVBRUK2 for research in aquaculture, including with international partners. Special priority is given to collaboration with researchers in the EU, USA, Canada, China, Japan, India, Chile, and Brazil. Collaboration with researchers in other countries will also be of interest.

"Kenya organized a national policy seminar to discuss IIEP research findings In the past few years, IIEP has coordinated extensive research on the implementation of decentralization in the education sector in Eastern and Southern Africa, in particular in Kenya, Lesotho, and Uganda, with a focus on one actor - the District Education Office - and one policy - school grants. The research has been conducted with technical and financial support from UNICEF, and in collaboration with Ministries of Education and national research institutions. While the research findings have been discussed during policy seminars organized at the regional level (Entebbe, Uganda, in February 2010, and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in March 2012), the next step is to hold in-depth discussions with the main stakeholders at the national level. "

On a regular basis, the AQUAEXCEL project invites proposals from European research groups for scientific research that utilises the facilities of any of the participating Aquaculture Research Infrastructures. The AQUAEXCEL project unites major aquaculture experimental facilities with capacity to undertake experimental trials on a selection of commercially important fish aquaculture species and system types. These facilities are made available to the research community for Transnational Access (TNA) with the support of the European Union 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (Infrastructures). The facilities available cover the entire range of production systems (recirculation, flow‐through, cage, hatchery and pond systems); environments (freshwater and marine, cold, temperate and warm water); scales (small, medium and industrial scale); fish species (salmon, trout, sea bass, sea bream, cod, common carp etc.); and fields of expertise (nutrition, physiology, health and welfare, genetics, engineering, monitoring and management technologies).

"[NAIROBI] An international agricultural research programme has unveiled plans to collaborate with the African Union to drive agricultural research and boost productivity on the continent. In a Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this month (15 January), the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR Consortium) set out its agreement with the African Union Commission (AUC) to work towards aligning research agendas to help create a food secure future for Africa. "

WYG and Natural Resources Institute (NRI) are pleased to launch the call for concept notes for the Sustainable Agricultural Intensification Research and Learning Programme in sub-Saharan Africa (SAIRLA) research opportunity. SAIRLA is a five-year programme, from 2015 to 2020, which will commission research and facilitate learning to understand different ways of achieving Sustainable Agricultural Intensification (SAI) and their developmental implications. Its key focus is on assessing how SAI can be promoted in ways that enable women and poorer smallholders in Africa to participate in and benefit from agricultural development through SAI approaches. SAIRLA's research projects will generate new evidence and decision-making support tools to help decision makers create an enabling environment for poorer smallholder farmers, especially women and youth, to engage in Sustainable Agricultural Intensification.

"Europe's most visible forum for ICT research and innovation, ICT2013, will take place from 6-8 November 2013 in Vilnius, Lithuania. The ICT 2013 event will be the first opportunity to learn the details of research funding for ICT-related projects under Horizon 2020, the EU's new research program for 2014-2020. The European Commission proposed an €80 billion package for research & innovation funding, as part of the drive to create sustainable growth and new jobs in Europe. Horizon 2020 will support the development of ICT in Science (in future and emerging technologies or e-Infrastructures); in industrial leadership (such as smart systems, robotics, photonics, etc.) and in societal challenges (such as eHealth, eGovernment and eSkills)."

"A high-level conference on "Promoting Africa-EU Research Infrastructure Partnerships" will take place on 7-8 March 2013 in Brussels, Belgium. The conference will present the outcomes of the PAERIP (Promoting African European Research Infrastructures Partnerships) project, funded under the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7)."

The Africa Biosciences Challenge Fund (ABCF) seeks applicants with innovative ideas for research projects (up to 12 months) aligned with national, regional or continental agricultural development priorities. ABCF is fellowship program that develops capacity for agricultural biosciences research in Africa and supports research projects that ultimately contribute towards increasing food and nutritional security and / or food safety in Africa. Applicants must be scientists or graduate students affiliated with a NARI or African University, and conducting research in the areas of food and nutritional security or food safety in Africa. Closing date for applications: March 31st 2015.

In collaboration with CORAF/WECARD and Canada's IDRC, IITA will support 20 individuals for PhD and masters research in agriculture for development in West and Central Africa. Applications are invited from qualified individuals in Chad, Dem Rep Congo, Sierra Leone, and Togo who are currently registered in PhD. or masters programs in recognized universities, and who are not more than 40 years old. The program particularly invites applications from women. The accepted applicants will be offered coaching and training through IITA to build their research knowledge and skills.

IDRC and the UK's Department for International Development (DFID) are funding a new programme on climate change adaptation. The Collaborative Adaptation Research Initiative in Africa and Asia (CARIAA) began in 2012 and will run until 2019. CARIAA invites submissions of joint concept notes for the establishment of research consortia in three climate change hot spots: semi-arid regions, deltas, and glacier and snowpack dependent river basins. Find out more at http://www.idrc.ca/EN/Programs/Agriculture_and_the_Environment/CARIAA/Pages/default.aspx "

"There are too few links existing between value chain researchers and value chain practitioners. The AgriFood chain toolkit is designed to help researchers and practitioners overcome this challenge. The Internet is a gateway to numerous websites, resources and tools to help us understand agrifood value chains or build the capacities of value chain actors and analysts. The missing links in this agriknowledge chain are effective mechanisms to foster interaction and exchange among researchers devising value chain tools and field practitioners using them."

Under the program Research and Innovation Network for Europe and Africa (RINEA), Africans can apply for mobility grants to promote business, technological, and research partnerships in Europe. The current call focuses on Food Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture, and related fields. The program offers three match-making events, one in Italy and two in Denmark, for which applications are invited from African SMEs, universities, research institutions, and other R&I organizations. The application deadline is 29 April 2016.

Europe-Africa Research & Innovation News n°9 - April 2014 [Delegation of the European Union to the African Union] In this edition: · Call for EU-SA Twinning Activities in Marine Sciences and Raw Materials · ERAfrica announces outcome of first call · Engaging SME's in EU-Africa STI Research Cooperation Language EN

The work of agricultural researchers and development workers in Africa has the potential to significantly improve the lives of the poor. But that potential can only be realized with easy access to high-quality data and information. The Atlas of African Agriculture Research & Development highlights the ubiquitous role of smallholder agriculture in Africa; the many factors shaping the location, nature, and performance of agricultural enterprises; and the strong interdependencies among farming, natural-resource stocks and flows, and the well-being of the poor.

"The largest European Commission research project is being developed to enhance the European aquaculture production by removing production bottlenecks of emerging species, producing new products and accessing new markets. It is Diversify project, which is funded under the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission and had its kickoff meeting at the Hellenic Center for Marine Research in Greece in January 2014. Coordinated by Dr. Constantinos C Mylonas of the Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, a total of 38 partners from Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Israel, Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, the United Kingdom, Germany and Hungary have participated in this 5-year-long research. The Netherlands is represented by Wageningen University's DLO, The National Institute for Fisheries Studies and the Technical University of Eindhoven."

"The European Commission launched an online consultation on the role of research in global food and nutrition security. The aim of the consultation is to gather the views of stakeholders, citizens and the scientific community on the role that research has to play in tackling the challenges associated with ensuring food and nutrition security. We want an open and forward-looking debate with stakeholders to encourage dynamic and evidence-based policy making to tackle the many pressing challenges associated with food and nutrition security."

The International Center for Tropical Agriculture works to reduce hunger and poverty, and improve human nutrition in the tropics through research aimed at increasing the ecoefficiency of agriculture. CIAT is a member of the CGIAR Consortium, a global research partnership working many partners for a food secure future.