MSc Sandwich Research Program Opportunities are now offered to Filipino students

As part of the 6-year capacity building for Higher Education program implemented by the University of the Philippines, Los Banos (UPLB), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), UPLB now offers Sandwich Research Scholarships for incoming and continuing Filipino MS students that are presently enrolled in the university.

The Sandwich Research Scholarships allow students  enrolled in UPLB to conduct their research at IRRI co-supervised by IRRI’s rice experts.  It also provides students with opportunities to earn a doctoral degree from Korean universities, and a national internship program opportunity at IRRI.

Grantees of the MS Sandwich Research program will join advanced cross-cutting research activities in bioinformatics, genomics, computer science, and other related areas, such as molecular physiology, biotechnology, marker-assisted breeding, in Rice Breeding Innovation, Sustainable Impact In Rice-based Systems, and Integrative Research Support Platforms, among others.

Areas of research can cover various topics relevant to agriculture with the application of genomics, biotechnology, molecular biology, and bioinformatics tools in the studies. Species and systems could include:

1. One CGIAR mandate crops (rice, maize, beans, cassava, banana, chickpea, sorghum, millets, potato, yam, wheat)
   
   
2. Livestock, aquatic species, indigenous flora and fauna, mainstream and heirloom horticultural/staple crops, and agro-forestry systems which are important for Filipino livelihoods
   
   
3. Pathogens and pests of the aforementioned plants/crops, livestock, and aquatic species, and their microbiomes
   
   
4. Studies that use ‘omics’ (genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, phenomics, etc.), bioinformatics, and mathematical/statistical/computational/computer-based methods as tools for understanding and preserving genetic diversity and ecosystem services

The MS program will run for the period 2022-2027 and will recruit students on a yearly basis. For 2022, interested students must apply online on or before 15 October.

To learn more about the scholarship privileges, application procedures, eligibility, and other requirements, please visit tinyurl.com/irriuplbscholarship. For any inquiries, please email scholarship@irri.org

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