Call for Scholarship 2026/2027: MSc Scholarships for Seed Systems Project

Call for Scholarship 2026/2027: MSc Scholarships for Seed Systems Project

Background The Crop and Soil Sciences Department in partnership with other Departments of the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Biodiversity Conservation Initiative (BCI) and Malawi Plant Genetic Resources Centre in the Department of Agricultural Research Services a (DARS) –are implementing a ‘Strengthening farmer-managed seed systems for improved seed quality and access to preferred varieties in Malawi’. This project is being implemented from December 2025 to July 2028 under fi nancial support from The McKnight Foundation Collaborative Crop Research Program.

Call for Scholarship Applications The project is looking for two highly qualifi ed candidates to be awarded a full scholarship to pursue the following programs: i. Master of Science in Agronomy/Plant Breeding /Seed Science/Sustainable Agriculture. ii. Master of Science in Agriculture Extension and Rural Development. Both programs are off ered by Bunda College of the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR). Areas of Research The niche of this project is seed systems of neglected and underutilised crops species (NUS). The project builds on the previous work that focused on building the capacity of smallholder farmers in multiplication of high quality seed of preferred NUS crops, and co-creating an integrated seed system to improve production, management, storage, distribution as well as marketing of Bambara groundnut and fi nger millet in Eswazini EPA in Mzimba district, Chipala EPA in Kasungu district, Kandeu EPA in Ntcheu district and Mombezi EPA in Chiradzulu district. This phase aims at strengthening farmer managed seed systems to improve seed quality and availability of diverse crops in farming communities for enhanced agrobiodiversity and sustainable food systems. The project will focus on developing and testing an agrobiodiversity based seed system model for improved access to good quality planting material of NUS crops in selected agro-ecological zones of Malawi. The research outputs are expected to contribute to strengthening the seed system for NUS crops and enhance farmers’ capacity to produce, distribute quality seed in the target communities.

Application requirements a. Requirements for the position of Master of Science in Agronomy/Plant Breeding /Seed Science/Sustainable Agriculture: i. Qualified Malawian candidates should have BSc Degree in Agronomy, Agriculture, crop science and/or any other relevant agricultural related fi eld (Plant molecular biology/Biotechnology, Horticulture) with GPA of not less than 3.0. b. Requirements for the position of Master of Science in Agriculture Extension and Rural Development: i. Qualified Malawian candidates should have BSc Degree in Agriculture extension/ Agribusiness management, Agriculture and/or any other relevant related field with GPA of not less than 3.0.