Call for applications 4 PhD scholarships for applicants from Eastern and Southern African dryland areas; The Collaborative Project Land Management Sub-Saharan Africa:
In the framework of the Collaborative Project “Land Management Sub-Saharan Africa: Increasing efficiency in rangeland-based livestock value chains through machine learning and digital technologies” (InfoRange) funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), we offer 4 PhD scholarships for applicants from Eastern and Southern African dryland areas. The research will be conducted collaboratively by the University of Nairobi (UoN), the Center for Research and Development in Drylands (CRDD), Kenya, and the German Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture (DITSL), Germany.
Increasing efficiency in rangeland-based livestock value chains through machine learning and digital technologies (InfoRange) is funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and led by the German Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture (DITSL) in Germany. InfoRange uses a co-learning and co-design approach for improving rangeland use and governance in pastoral livestock production systems through digital and ICT applications and services in Kenya and Namibia.
The research will be conducted collaboratively by the University of Nairobi (UoN), the Center for Research and Development in Drylands (CRDD), Kenya, and DITSL, Germany. The following PhD topics are on offer.
Topic 1: Combining participatory photography and ecological and remote-sensing data in monitoring and evaluating rangeland resource dynamics in northern Kenya (UoN)
Applicants should have particular interest in and knowledge of: socio-ecological dynamics of rangeland ecosystems / pastoral production systems, ecological and participatory research approaches, GIS and remote sensing application in natural/rangeland resource management. Contact: Prof. Oliver Vivian Wasonga, Department of Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology (LARMAT), UoN, email: oliverwasonga@uonbi.ac.ke
Topic 2: Co-design of herd health platforms to improve communication in the animal health sector in northern Kenya (UoN)
Applicants should have particular interest in and knowledge of: disease surveillance and reporting systems in extensive livestock production systems, integration of participatory epidemiology techniques, historical analysis and community knowledge in disease management and reporting. Contact: Dr Joshua Onono, Department of Public Health, Pharmacology and Toxicology (PHPT), UoN, email: joshua.orungo@uonbi.ac.ke
Topic 3: Influence of digital information on interlinked rangeland governance processes and decision making at different scales in northern Kenya (CRDD/DITSL)
Applicants should have particular interest in and knowledge of: socio-ecological dynamics of pastoral production systems, pastoral property rights regimes, rangeland governance systems, livestock development policies and application of information in rangeland management. Contact: Dr Hussein Wario, CRDD, email: hussein.tadicha@crdd-kenya.org and Prof. Dr Brigitte Kaufmann, DITSL, email: research@ditsl.org
Topic 4: Co-development and co-assessment of peer-assisted learning approaches to enhance the use of digital applications for resource monitoring by pastoralist livestock keepers in northern Kenya (DITSL)
Applicants should have particular interest in and knowledge of: transdisciplinary and participatory action research, co-designing interactive learning approaches, facilitating learning processes using visual methods, pastoral herd management. Contact: Prof. Dr Brigitte Kaufmann, DITSL, email: research@ditsl.org
For each topic, we offer a PhD stipend and the funds needed to pursue extended empirical research. Furthermore, we offer access to research infrastructure at the UoN and CRDD in Kenya and DITSL in Witzenhausen, Germany.
Qualifications of the applicants:
- Excellent Master’s or equivalent degree in natural resource management, human geography, development studies, range management, agricultural sciences, animal production, veterinary sciences or related fields
- Knowledge of pastoral livestock production
- Fluency in spoken and written English
- Teamwork orientation and good communication skills.
You are a particularly suitable candidate if you have:
- your family background in pastoral systems,
- practised and liked participatory research and cooperation with practitioners, and
- experience in the area of the PhD study for which you apply.
Female and male applicants are equally encouraged to apply for these positions.
Please note that this is a full-time PhD programme that involves long field stays. Therefore, candidates‘ confirmation of their availability for three years starting beginning of 2023 will be a critical determinant in the selection process.
Application process:
Please decide for one of the offered PhD topics and send your documents to the respective contact person. Do not send your application for several topics to several contact persons. Application documents comprise: Letter of motivation related to the topic you apply for, Curriculum vitae, Publication list, Summary of the Master’s thesis, Copy of relevant certificates, Names and contact details of 2–3 referees. Please submit these documents by email in a single PDF file, at latest by 31.12.2022.