Frequently Asked Questions

Yes they do, unless specific references are made to one of the programs.

• Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice): Focused on rice research for Africa, with its headquarters in Cotonou, Benin.
• Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT): Conducts research on agricultural and tree biodiversity and sustainable agrifood systems. Headquarters are in Rome, Italy, and Cali, Colombia.
• The Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF): Harnesses the power of trees, forests and agroforestry landscapes to address the most pressing global challenges of our time – biodiversity loss, climate change, food security, livelihoods and inequity. CIFOR and ICRAF are CGIAR Research Centers. Headquarters are in Bogor, Indonesia and Nairobi, Kenya.
• International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe): The Centre's vision is to pioneer global science in entomology, to improve the well being and resilience of people and the environment to the challenges of a changing world, through innovative and applied research, alongside deep exploratory study, impact assessment, evaluation and sustainable capacity building. Headquarters are in Nairobi, Kenya.
• International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA): Works to improve the livelihoods of the resource-poor in dry areas through agricultural research. Headquarters are currently located in Beirut, Lebanon, following relocation from Aleppo, Syria.
• International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT): Part of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT.
• International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT): Focuses on crops in the semi-arid tropics. Headquarters are in Patancheru, India.
• International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI): Provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition. Headquarters are in Washington, D.C., USA.
• International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA): Committed to research that improves crop quality and yields and reduces production costs. Headquarters are in Ibadan, Nigeria.
• International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI): Works to improve food security and reduce poverty among the poor through livestock research. Headquarters are in Nairobi, Kenya.
• International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT): A leader in maize and wheat research. Headquarters are in Mexico City, Mexico.
• International Potato Center (CIP): Works on potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other root and tuber crops. Headquarters are in Lima, Peru.
• International Rice Research Institute (IRRI): The world's leading research center for rice. Headquarters are in Los Baños, Philippines.
• International Water Management Institute (IWMI): Focuses on the use of water and land resources in agriculture. Headquarters are in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
• WorldFish: Focused on fisheries and aquaculture. Headquarters are in Penang, Malaysia.
• World Vegetable Center (AVRDC): The World Vegetable Center conducts research, builds networks, and carries out training and promotion activities to raise awareness of the role of vegetables for improved health and global poverty alleviation. Headquarters: Shanhua, Tainan, Taiwan.

Any scientific field relevant to the CGIAR++ missions is eligible. The research needs to support an on-going CGIAR++ program or project and there should be a scientific supervisor in the hosting center who has the relevant scientific expertise to support the scholar's work.

Any German university or German scientific institution is eligible under this call. For the PhD scholars, the institution needs to be able to award PhD degrees.

The Hub is not facilitating the connections to the University or the CGIAR++ supervisors. You will have to explore the most relevant options depending on your planned research and make the links yourself. Candidates interested in applying for the PhD scholarship must first get in contact with a senior CGIAR++ Scientist and a Professor affiliated with a German university to develop the scientific proposal together. Only applications from such "tridems" will be accepted. Candidates must be jointly supervised by a CGIAR++ senior scientist and a professor affiliated to a German university.

Nationals from any country are eligible, however, the application must demonstrate a clear connection to a German university or research centre. This can be a certificate confirming the enrolment in a M.Sc. program of agricultural sciences or related degree (e.g. biology, geography, sociology, veterinary medicine, marine biology, forestry, political sciences, law, economics etc.) at a German university in combination with the supervision confirmation of a senior scientist at a German university or research institution. If you already finished your MSc and are no longer enrolled in a German university, you must clearly state your connection to a German university. This could be a completed relevant study program at a German university in combination with established links to the envisioned supervisor and a strong motivation to pursue a scientific career path in cooperation with German research institutions. Applicants from CGIAR++ partner countries are welcome and we particularly encourage female students to apply.

The application will be assessed based on:

• The motivation and quality of the applying student
• Relevance of research objectives and quality of the research proposal
• Embeddedness and contribution of the research concept to the CGIAR++ programs or projects
• Where applicable, gender considerations should be clearly outlined

Applications are possible with an MSc degree in Agricultural Sciences or a related field (e.g. biology, geography, sociology, veterinary medicine, marine biology, forestry, political sciences, law, economics etc.) with an above average final grade. Nationals from any country are eligible, however, for non-European degrees, a ranking from the issuing university must be included. Applicants from CGIAR++ partner countries are welcome and we particularly encourage female students to apply.

The application will be assessed based on:

• The motivation and quality of the applying student
• Expertise of the supervision team
• Relevance and quality of the research proposal
• Embeddedness and contribution of the PhD project to the CGIAR++ programs or projects
• Where applicable, gender considerations should be clearly outlined

All regions where CGIAR++ programs or projects are active are eligible. The PhD scholarship aims to train a new generation of international researchers. Therefore, field research should have an international character and should not be restricted to working in the home country.

The time allocation should depend first and foremost on the research project and its needs. However, we envision that the PhD scholars will spend at least 1/3 of the scholarship period in each location though under special circumstances, this guide can be applied flexibly. The Junior Scientists must spend at least 6 months in the CGIAR++ center or project site.

Generally, all projects and programs of the centers qualify. Specific links to the research portfolio of the CGIAR++ would be welcome but are not mandatory. You can find the portfolio programs here: https://www.cgiar.org/cgiar-research-porfolio-2025-2030/. Both the Science programs as well as the accelerator programs are eligible.

The scholarship is intended to be a full-time engagement. However, we permit part-time jobs of up to 10 hours per week, provided that these jobs do not interfere with the progress of the PhD. This will be reviewed regularly.

The Hub awards 10 PhD scholarships and 15 JSP scholarships annually.