USDA Global Cocoa Initiative

Borlaug Cocoa Fellowship Program

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is pleased to announce the 2018 Global Cocoa
Initiative Fellowship Program (Borlaug Cocoa Fellowship) under the auspices of the Borlaug International
Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program. The 2018 Borlaug Cocoa Fellowship Program is
administered and funded by USDAs Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

The Borlaug Cocoa Fellowship engages developing and middle-income countries to improve cocoa
production and quality. The program offers training opportunities in specific topics focused on cocoa
breeding, integrated pest management, and post-harvest management. Competitively selected fellows
will work one-on-one with a mentor from a U.S. university or research institution who will coordinate
the fellows training. After completion of the 10-12 week fellowship, the mentor will visit the fellow's
home institution for up to 10 days to continue collaboration on the research topic. The USDA will select
the host institution and mentor for each fellow.

Applicants from the following countries are eligible to apply for the Borlaug Cocoa Fellowship:

Cameroon Ghana Nicaragua

Colombia Guatemala Panama
Costa Rica Honduras Peru
Cote dIvoire Indonesia Philippines
Dominican Republic Liberia Trinidad and Tobago
Ecuador Malaysia Vietnam
El Salvador Mexico

The application deadline for the 2018 Cocoa Borlaug Fellowship Program is November 5, 2017.

Objectives:
Provide early- to mid-career agricultural research scientists, faculty, and policymakers with
individual training opportunities in cocoa research
Provide practical experience and exposure to new perspectives and/or technologies that can be
applied in their home institutions
Foster increased collaboration and networking to improve agricultural productivity and trade
Facilitate the transfer of new scientific and agricultural technologies to strengthen agricultural
practices
Address obstacles to the adoption of technology such as ineffectual policies and regulations.

Research areas in cocoa for all eligible countries:

Genomics, genetics and breeding
Plant propagation methods
Soil fertility and plant nutrition

Research areas in cocoa for AFRICA

Pests: entomology and control methods for cocoa mirids
Diseases: plant pathology and control methods for swollen shoot virus and black pod rot
Agroforestry
Resilient Agriculture: sustainable agriculture practices
Research areas in cocoa for ASIA
Diseases: plant pathology, control methods particularly for vascular streak dieback and black pod
Pests: entomology and control methods for cocoa pod borer and mirids

Research areas in cocoa for LATIN AMERICA and the CARIBBEAN

Diseases: plant pathology and control methods for witches broom and frosty pod

Length of Fellowships

Fellowships will begin as early as the summer of 2018, lasting up to 12 weeks. Proposals must include
goals that are achievable within that timeframe. About a year after completing the U.S.-based portion
of the fellowship, the mentor will visit the Fellows home institution for up to 10 days to continue the
collaboration.

Eligibility Requirements

Candidates will be evaluated, interviewed, and selected based on the following criteria:
Citizen of an eligible cocoa country
Good reading, writing, and speaking skills in English language
Masters degree with at least two years of practical experience (minimum)
Currently employed by a university, government ministry, research institution, or other scientific
institution
Intention to continue working in the home country for a minimum of two years following the
return from the United States
Early/mid-stage of professional career (2-10 years of experience preferred)
Experience and focus in one of the targeted cocoa research areas

Application Requirements

Eligible candidates can submit an application using the Fluid Review application website no later than
November 5, 2017: https://borlaug.fluidreview.com. Applicants must submit the following documents to
complete their applications:

Application form (using Fluid Review website)

Program proposal and action plan
Signed approval from applicant's home institution
Two letters of recommendation (academic and professional preferred)
Copies of diploma(s) for college/university degree(s) received
Copy of passport identification page

Only the best qualified candidates will be considered. USDA expects the competition for these Borlaug
Cocoa Fellowships to be highly competitive due to the limited number of opportunities available.

For questions about the Borlaug Cocoa Fellowship or for questions related to the application process,
please email BorlaugFellowships@fas.usda.gov.

Additional information is available on the website:

http://www.fas.usda.gov/programs/borlaug-fellowship-program