Call for applications for the CGIAR Gender Researchers’ Leadership and Mentoring Program
Photo: Ollivier Girard/CIFOR.
The CGIAR Generating Evidence and New Directions for Equitable Results (GENDER) Platform, in collaboration with African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), is announcing the call for the CGIAR Gender Researchers’ Leadership and Mentoring Program.
The deadline to apply is July 31, 2021.
Targeting mid-career gender researchers in CGIAR, the Program seeks to equip participants with practical tools to increase their visibility, gain influence, and accelerate the impact of gender research.
The CGIAR GENDER Platform-AWARD collaboration focuses on strengthening researchers’ capacity to influence institutional processes towards gender-equitable and socially inclusive agricultural transformation.
The CGIAR GENDER Platform, through its capacity development strategy, is working toward a world where research on gender equality drives transformation towards equitable, sustainable, productive, and climate-resilient food systems. AWARD has a long-standing commitment and track record of developing the capacity of gender research leaders to design and influence gender-equitable and sustainable agricultural development.
Program structure
Through the CGIAR Gender Researchers’ Leadership and Mentoring Program, AWARD is committed to developing effective and confident gender research leaders who will promote the advancement of science, policy and practice for gender-equitable and sustainable agricultural development.
The Program consists of four main components:
- Leadership package
- Coaching package
- Mentoring package
- Networking package
Expected outcomes
The focus on mentoring and leadership development of gender researchers, to support their professional career, personal growth, and capacities, will enable them to increase their perceived legitimacy and relevance – and that of their gender research.
Push limits to increase their visibility, influence, and relevance
- Self-confidence and motivation to perform
- Visibility through enhanced communication skills
- Improved capacity to navigate the system of and to influence their organizations
- Motivation for career progression
Empower with their inspirational experience and success stories
- New insights about gender research
- Free thinking and improved communication
- Motivation to lead and perform
Anchor their impact and ignite change in the world
- Enhanced visibility and respect for gender researchers
- Improved interdisciplinary team collaboration within and between institutions
- Increased commitment towards gender equality, institutional and societal change
Eligibility
To apply for the CGIAR Gender Researchers’ Leadership and Mentoring Program, you must meet the following requirements:
- Be a full-time employee in a One CGIAR center or a partner National Agricultural Research Institute
- Be a mid-career gender researcher with at least a Master’s degree, preferably in social sciences
- Have at least five years of experience in gender research and development studies or related fields
- Participants from all geographies are eligible, but scheduling restrictions may apply
- Both men and women researchers are encouraged to apply
Application procedure
- The applicants are invited to fill in an online form on or before July 31, 2021. Please follow this link.
- The applicants should also submit an updated CV and a recommendation letter from their direct supervisor via email to awardprograms@cgiar.org on or before July 31, 2021
Key dates
- July 31, 2021: Call closes
- August 2-6, 2021: Selection process
- August 9-14, 2021: Notification to the selected candidates and institutional endorsement
- August 30 - September 14, 2021: Needs assessment and pre-course
- September 22, 2021: Program orientation
- September 23, 2021: Program launch
Contacts
For more information about the Program, please contact:
- Michèle Mbo’o-Tchouawou, AWARD, m.mboo-tchouawou@cgiar.org
- Marlène Elias, CGIAR GENDER Platform, marlene.elias@cgiar.org
- Pauline Bomett, AWARD, p.bomett@cgiar.org
More information on program packages
Leadership
Participants will undertake a customized leadership and negotiations skills training course designed to strengthen the leadership capabilities of gender scientists and enhance their knowledge on:
- Self-mastery and emotional intelligence
- How to build resilience for thriving in the current rapidly changing world Developing the courage to communicate and act effectively amid adversity Techniques for driving change in challenging environments
- Strategic influence and how to navigate politics to achieve high-level outcomes
Coaching
Targeted coaching sessions will support gender researchers in their journey toward advancing their careers. The six-month coaching is tailored to:
- Increase participants' awareness of underlying thinking patterns that drive behavior and performance
- Increase self-drive and influence
- Enhance participants’ ability to leverage opportunities and navigate challenges
Mentoring
The mentoring package includes both mentoring sessions and mentoring training to equip the gender researchers with the knowledge of a formal mentoring process and the mentoring tools they can use to enhance their career pathways and those of emerging scientists. The training provides a unique opportunity for both the mentors and mentees to explore how different aspects influence personal and working relationships and develop a solid foundation for a successful mentoring relationship. The mentoring sessions will bring together two generations of researchers connected and investing in each other: a mentor and a gender researcher.
Within their mentoring relationship, the mentors and gender researchers will meet regularly to discuss and document progress, challenges, and achievements against the goals set in their Purpose Road Maps.
Networking
It is hoped that the "graduates" of the Leadership and Mentoring Program will be influential leaders and role models who will strive to create a vibrant, visible community of practice. The community of practice will be designed as a network to share knowledge, learnings, and skills with peers and other stakeholders in the gender and agricultural development fields.
The "graduates" will be required to contribute to the CGIAR GENDER Platform's annual conferences, which are some of the networking platforms that provide the opportunity to share knowledge and forge collaborations within the CGIAR centers and beyond.