ILRI - DAAD PhD Graduate fellowship: - Social networks, risk management and uptake of improved dairy technologies at International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

Job description

The Position

Much recent work on uptake of technologies in low and middle-income countries has tended to focus on farm level characteristics with little appreciation of how social capital influences technology uptake in small holder systems. Technological growth is often inhibited by risk aversion and productivity gains are often under realized. Collaborative ventures, through farmer social networks, have the potential to diffuse the risk associated with uptake of new technologies.

Taking a network approach would provide more holistic understanding of risk management and technological uptake, than from a purely smallholder farm problem explored in the past.

This PhD will extend understanding of technology adoption within LMICs by augmenting farm level economic analysis with social networks for a range of dairy farmers operating in Kenya and possibly extending to Malawi and Rwanda. This will be conducted through collection of primary data and application of novel analytical methods. In addition, attitudes to and experiences of risk management, as well as uptake of technologies and techniques will be explored in these data collection exercises.

Network analysis and risk diffusion is a novel approach to understanding and, ultimately, increasing technology uptake for small holder farmers; and, as such, the funded student will help identify key network characteristics – degree, closeness and “betweenness” – that influence adoption.

Matched funds for this proposal have already been secured from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) component would be put alongside to allow a fully funded PhD. SRUC funding is contingent on securing this matched funding.

ILRI Program: Policy Institutions and Livelihoods

Main ILRI Project Title: Kenya Crops & Dairy Market Systems Development (KCDMSD) – Dairy Value Chain

Graduate fellows project title: - Social networks, risk management and uptake of improved dairy technologies

CGIAR Research Program (CRP) linkage: Livestock

Key Responsibilities

• Develop detailed research proposal within the parameters outlined above
• Conduct farm and community level research using quantitative and qualitative approaches to explore how social connectedness influences willingness to innovate
• Analyse and interpret data
• Write reports and journal articles
• Interact with the wider project team

Requirements

• MSc in a relevant discipline
• Understanding and experience of smallholder systems in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Ability to produce written work of high quality
• Ability to work in multi-cultural/multi-disciplinary teams
• Willingness to spend considerable periods in challenging rural locations for field work
• Evidence of initiative and ability to work independently
• An effective and energetic team player with the ability to work in a multidisciplinary and multi-cultural environment.
• Ability to work independently, multi-task and meet tight deadlines.
• The applicant must be a citizen of a country in sub-Saharan Africa.
• The Master’s degree must have been completed less than six years ago at the time of application

Location: - Kenya (and Rwanda/Malawi)

Duration of contract: The period for this project/fellowship will be 3 years, commencing September 2018

Terms of appointment and stipend: ILRI will offer a competitive stipend to cover living expenses in the project location. The successful candidate will be supervised jointly by an ILRI scientist and the university/academic supervisor.