HED to Fund Partnerships on Women in Agriculture

Higher Education for Development has announced a competition for a grant to fund a partnership between a U.S. college, or consortium of colleges, and the Faculty of Agriculture at the National University of Rwanda, in Butare.  The grant seeks to increase Rwandan women's access to advanced degrees in agricultural sciences, and to improve their role and influence in the agriculture sector.  The $1,080,000 grant would be for the period October 1, 2012 to June 30, 2015.

HED is conducting an online information session 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EDT on April 17.  For more information on that session and the competition itself visit the HED website.

HED also expects to make an award of up to $812,000 for a three-year partnership between one or more U.S. higher education institutions and the National University of Asuncion in Paraguay.  The partnership focuses on strengthening higher education institutional capacity to train women to be leaders in the agricultural sector.  Interested parties should register by April 10 for an online information session to be held April 12, 2-4 p.m. EDT.  Questions to be addressed in the session may be submitted to Kristin Bushby at kbushby@hedprogram.org.

The partnerships funded by these grants are part of a broader HED Women's Leadership Program which supports national and local development goals promoting gender equality and female empowerment.  Subject to government funding, HED expects to issue a total of five RFAs for higher education partnerships under the program, in Rwanda (two programs), Paraguay, South Sudan, and Armenia. 

HED was established through an agreement with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the six college presidential associations, including NAICU.

For more information, please contact:
Maureen Budetti