AWARD Women in Agriculture Leadership Program Fellowship 2026 for Female Agricultural Researchers

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Applications are open for AWARD Women in Agriculture Leadership Program Fellowship 2026, a new Fellowship for African women scientists focusing on agriculture and climate resilience. The Women in Agriculture Leadership Program Fellowship is an initiative led by African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) under Africa-Australia Partnership for Climate Responsive Agriculture.

The Women in Agriculture Leadership Program Fellowship is a career development initiative that seeks to strengthen the capability, confidence, and influence of African women scientists to lead and participate in climate-resilient agricultural research. The Fellowship combines leadership development, mentoring partnerships, and technical excellence to enhance the Fellows’ capabilities and position them as influential actors in agrifood systems.

The Fellowship targets African women agricultural scientists working in National Agricultural Research Institutions (NARIs), government ministries, universities, and international research organizations from across six African countries, including Egypt, Morocco, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Senegal.

Applicants must demonstrate their experience in agriculture and climate-resilient research and their potential to influence and drive gender–responsive, climate-resilient, and transformative research. Applications will be reviewed against a set of criteria, and final selection decisions made by a panel of experts who will focus on the applicants’ ability to embody the full potential of the Program.

AWARD Women in Agriculture Leadership Program Fellowship Benefits

Successful Fellows will engage in a series of activities, including a mentoring program where they will be matched with a mentor and a mentee; and several training courses on leadership and negotiation skills, gender integration in climate adaptation, and science communication and publishing courses.
Inspired by the  AWARD Fellowship Model, the 24-month program will actively leverage the broader AWARD ecosystem, including collaboration with Meryl Williams Fellowship (MWF) alumni and AWARD Country Chapters.

Selected fellows will participate in a comprehensive professional development program that includes:

Leadership and negotiation training
Mentoring partnerships with both mentors and mentees
Training on gender integration in climate adaptation
Science communication and publishing courses
Networking with agricultural and climate research experts
Collaboration with AWARD alumni and partner networks

The fellowship will engage up to 300 beneficiaries, including:

100 Fellows
100 Mentors
100 Mentees

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

Be African women scientists with a minimum of seven years of experience in agriculture, agrifood systems, gender, climate, including design, development, dissemination, implementation, and advocacy at national, regional and international levels.
Have at least a master’s degree in a relevant discipline, which could include agriculture, agricultural economics, agricultural extension, natural resources, food science and nutrition, climate science, among others.
Be nationals of target countries and residing in Africa.
Clearly demonstrate their motivation and aspirations to influence gender-responsive, climate-resilient, and transformative research within their organizations and across agrifood systems.
Be proficient in English or French.

How To Apply for AWARD Women in Agriculture Leadership Program Fellowship

Applications are strictly via the online portal and must be submitted here for English-speaking candidates and here for French-speaking candidates.
If you are a person living with disability and you require reasonable adjustments to remove barriers to participation in the application process, please email T.Wangaya@cifor-icraf.org .
Note there is no application fee and no registration fee – the application process is free of charge.
For more information, please download and read:
- Fellowship Brochure
- Frequently Asked Questions