In its efforts of transforming the African agricultural universities into world class training institutions, the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM)’s approach to graduate research grants encourages better university recognition of grass root demands.

The approach further encourages students to find solutions and innovations that work best for the smallholder farmers using up-to-date approaches to address agricultural problems. In 2012, the Carnegie Cooperation of New York provided research grants to doctoral students who are registered in RUFORUM regional doctoral programmes in Africa to facilitate research that is responsive to the African realities and be able to engage in solving the problems of the poor.

Through this grant, a total of 29 upcoming leaders have been rooted in African realities by training within Africa and working with African communities to provide solutions to the problems they face in their respective home countries. The research profiles of these doctoral students are summarized here.