Closing date: 16 Dec 2023

Background

The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) icipe is offering one MSc research project working on ‘Performance of the biopesticide Metarhizium anisopliae ICIPE 7 for control of the fall armyworm across different agro-ecologies in Zambia’.

The biopesticide Metarhizium anisopliae ICIPE 7 has recently been registered as Dedain, for use against the fall armyworm in cereal crops. Through the project ‘Agro-ecological innovations for smallholder pest management Malawi, Uganda and Zambia (EcoPM)’, funded by BMZ through the Promotion of Innovation in Agriculture and Rural Food Industry (i4Ag) fund, several IPM innovations, including Dedain, are being piloted for use against the fall armyworm across different agro-ecologies in across Zambia on >1,300 farmer fields. The student will trace the persistence of M. anisopliae ICIPE 7 in soils and assess the effect on soil microbial communities (using metabarcoding) during at least one cropping season, across selected agro-ecologies in Zambia. 

The scholarship is fully funded for 1 year, during which the student will conduct field work in Zambia and be trained at the icipe campus in Nairobi, Kenya.  

Eligibility criteria 

• Zambian national
• Completed a Bachelor’s degree in entomology or related field 
• Experience with molecular techniques is considered a plus.
• Already registered for MSc in a recognised University 
• Completed course work/year one of study, awaiting research 
   

Application form

Click here to download the application form. Once filled out, click on the 'APPLY' link to submit it along with the other required documents.

Timeline

Timeline Closing date for applications 16th December 2023. Successful candidates will be notified by February 2024.

Questions

If you have any questions regarding the DRIP MSc Programme or your application to icipe, kindly contact Ms. Vivian Atieno, Capacity Building Officer, icipe. Email  vatieno@icipe.org