International students and aspiring entomologists have an exciting opportunity to advance their careers through two fully funded PhD positions at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) under the DISPEST_2 Project. This initiative, supported by the Belgian Development Cooperation in collaboration with the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA), Belgium, focuses on enhancing fruit fly pest management in Southeast Africa.
The PhD programs will run from April 2025 to March 2028, providing full bursary support for three years based on research progress and the funding covers:
- Registration and tuition fees
- Living stipends
- Fieldwork expenses.
Available PhD Positions
- Predictive Modeling of Fruit Infestation by Ceratitis rosa and C. quilicii (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Southeast Africa
- Predictive Modeling of Fruit Infestation by Ceratitis cosyra (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Southeast Africa
These research projects aim to assess fruit fly species distribution, model pest abundance, and enhance pest-free areas (PFAs) to boost fruit exports from Tanzania.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Admission Status: Must have applied or secured admission for a PhD program at SUA.
- Educational Qualifications: MSc in Biology, Crop Protection, Entomology, Crop Science, or a related field with a minimum GPA of 3.8/5 (BSc) and 4.0/5 (MSc) from an accredited university.
- Nationality and Age: Must be a Tanzanian citizen and not exceed 35 years of age by March 1, 2025.
- Research Experience: Must have knowledge of integrated pest management; experience with tephritid fruit flies is an added advantage.
- Fieldwork Readiness: Willingness to participate in field surveys.
- Data Analysis Skills: Proficiency in R programming; experience with GIS tools is preferred.
- Communication Skills: Strong written and oral English proficiency.
- Residence: Must be based in or willing to relocate to Morogoro, Tanzania.
Awardees Responsibilities Will Be
PhD scholars will engage in:
- Field Data Collection – Conducting trapping campaigns and gathering distributional data.
- Geospatial & Genomic Analysis – Analyzing fruit fly population dynamics and dispersal patterns.
- Predictive Modeling – Developing models to forecast pest expansion under climate change.
Apply: https://www.sua.ac.tz/announcements/call-phd-scholarships.
Application Deadline
The last date to apply for the DISPEST_2 PhD Scholarships at Sokoine University of Agriculture is March 30, 2025 (Midnight, 23:59hrs).
DATE . Mar/14/2025