groundwater management | Scholarship for Nigerians and Africans - Part 2

Senior Research Fellowship in Hydrogeology /Groundwater Management

IWMI currently has three senior fellows, whose role is to provide international scientific leadership in specific areas of water science and management. We are seeking a forth Fellow to promote and lead our work on improved utilization and management of groundwater. A key role of the Fellow will be to stimulate innovative thinking and management options for sustainable use of groundwater in irrigation and multiple use water systems, and to develop new projects for IWMI and its partners to undertake as part of the new Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems. IWMI operates in Asia and Africa. The Fellow would be based in either Colombo or Accra, but would be expected to contribute to innovative projects on groundwater resources and their management in both Africa and Asia. The Fellow will report to either the Director General or Deputy Director General.
You must possess:
– PhD or equivalent experience in hydrogeology and/or groundwater management, or related field;
– minimum of 20 years’ postdoctoral experience in the field of groundwater science and management in multifunctional agricultural systems;
– demonstrated research experience in groundwater resources assessment and/or management;
-demonstrated experience of successful working in and leading high performing teams;
– track record of representing an organization at a senior level, and working closely with senior colleagues;
– excellent knowledge of water management at a range of scales, including principles of water productivity and interaction of irrigation with other users and the environment, in developing countries;
– a solid record of publications in refereed international journals;
– ability to form and maintain partnerships with local institutions and stakeholders to facilitate delivery of outcomes;
– very good personal, organizational and interpersonal skills; and
– excellent communication skills in English, both written and verbal.

Scholarship Application Deadline: 21 March 2011

Further Scholarship Information and Application

Postdoctoral Fellow: Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics, Srilanka

If you have earned a PhD in Economics, Agricultural Economics or Natural Resource Economics, and you wish to conduct research that will enhance livelihoods and improve resource management in developing countries, you could be the person we are looking for. We seek a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow to study the farm-level and regional economics of water use in agriculture, with the goal of contributing to policy discussions in national
and international forums. Your work with IWMI will involve such topics as water pricing and allocation, economic incentives, water rights, governance structures, and the potential risks and rewards to farm-level investments in irrigation. You will be involved in the study of the economics of groundwater use, both spatially and over time, and analyze policy options for improving groundwater management. You will also contribute to our understanding of the
risks and rewards to investments in rainfed agriculture in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where IWMI conducts most of its research. We will ask you also to assist in developing and applying hydro-economic models to examine questions involving regional and international water resource issues.
Many of the studies you conduct will contribute directly to policy discussions involving the best ways to increase agricultural productivity, improve farm incomes and enhance food security in water-scarce regions. While reporting to IWMI’s Principal Economist, you will have the unique opportunity to work closely with many notable social and physical scientists at our headquarters in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and our regional offices across Asia and Africa. If this opportunity appeals to your sense of intellectual adventure, please read on, to learn additional details regarding your duties and qualifications.
You will:
• conduct research consistent with IWMI’s mission and priorities, in collaboration with other IWMI researchers;
• conceive research projects that involve IWMI colleagues and our scholarly partners in national research centers;
• prepare research proposals, in cooperation with colleagues, for funding to support IWMI’s economics program;
• publish results in international scientific journals and other outlets, while enhancing the uptake of results by targeted groups;
• demonstrate the potential contribution of improved water management in irrigated and rainfed settings to economic growth, poverty reduction and food security;
• describe financial and economic aspects of proposed investments in irrigation, and investments in agriculture in rainfed areas;
• design and apply hydro-economic models in the study of economic issues in regional, national and international settings;
• contribute to policy discussions regarding economic incentives, regulatory proposals, and investments that influence farm-level and regional agricultural productivity; and
• enhance understanding of complementary investments required on farms and across the value-chain to ensure that farm households can increase their output and enhance food security in sustainable ways, in both irrigated and rainfed settings.

Fellowship Application Deadline: 24 January 2011

Further Fellowship Information and Application