January 25, 2022, Tashkent, Uzbekistan – Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Agribusiness Development activity announced a call for applications from researchers and research teams within its Applied Research Initiatives Support Program. USAID plans to support Uzbekistan’s academic research community to conduct practical research in order to provide solutions to challenges faced by agribusinesses in Uzbekistan.
Applied research is a source of knowledge and innovation in agriculture. It helps discover new technologies, increase productivity of farms, and improve food quality. In Uzbekistan, farmers and businesses often lack support of the research community and access to innovative solutions. Through the establishment of partnerships between academic research institutions and local agribusinesses, USAID will support local farmers and businesses to use proven successful technologies to become competitive.
The USAID Agribusiness Development activity seeks applications from qualified applicants to conduct research and produce research papers for publication in academic journals. Proposals can include curriculum-related themes for Uzbek educational institutions, and potential practices that can be applied to agribusinesses. The project will fund applications up to UZS 30 million. Qualified and eligible female researchers and research teams are encouraged to submit applications in response to this call for applications.
The deadline for the submission of applications is April 1, 2022. The announcement is available for download here.
This initiative is supported by USAID’s five-year Agribusiness Development activity, implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan, that supports private sector-led growth in Uzbekistan’s agriculture sector by introducing new value-added technologies and management practices across the entire value chain for targeted agricultural commodities. These efforts are focused on increasing value-added production within Uzbekistan, engaging women and youth, linking educational institutions with private sector demand, and promoting favorable policies for agriculture.
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USAID partners with the Government of Uzbekistan to diversify the country’s economy and increase regional trade, address serious health threats – including COVID-19 – and build the government’s capacity to respond to the population’s needs. For more information, please visit: https://www.usaid.gov/uzbekistan.
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