European Tropical Forest Research Network

ETFRN NEWS 34: Biotechnology

Funding

INTERNATIONAL TROPICAL TIMBER ORGANIZATION (ITTO) FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME (FREEZAILAH FELLOWSHIP FUND)

Objective
To develop human resources and enhance professional expertise in member countries in tropical forestry, tropical timber industries and related disciplines, with a view to promoting sustainable management of tropical forests, efficient utilization and processing of tropical timber, and better economic information on the international trade in tropical timber.

Eligible activities

Participation in short term training courses, training internships at industries, research and educational institutions, study tours, lecture/demonstration tours and international/regional conferences;
Technical document preparation, publication and dissemination, such as manuals and monographs;
Small grants for post graduate studies.

Award
The maximum amount for a fellowship award is US$10,000. Budget Guidelines are provided in the application form. Please note the non-allowable costs, equipment purchase, personnel hiring and health insurance. For post-gradate studies, only a partial tuition fee or a small research grant can be provided.

Eligibility

Only nationals of ITTO Member countries are eligible to apply*/.
Awards are to be made to individuals not to institutions. 3. ITTO Fellowship awardees may not again apply for an ITTO Fellowship Award, within two years of receiving an award and submitting to the Secretariat his/her final report on the activity for which the award was made.

Appraisal
Applications are appraised by a Fellowship Selection Panel which meets during the Sessions of the International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC) in May and November each year. The Panel comprises six individuals, three from producer member countries and three from consumer member countries, and is chaired by the Vice-Chairman of the ITTC.

Deadlines
Deadlines for receipt of the completed application are: 13 March 2002 for the 32nd Session of the ITTC (13 – 18 May 2002) and 4 September 2002 for the 33rd Session of the ITTC (4 - 9 November 2002). Applicants are advised that fellowship activities should begin no sooner than July 2002 for the March deadline and December 2002 for the August deadline.

Application and submission
Application forms are available in English, French, and Spanish. Please write to the following address to request or submit the completed applications.

The Executive Director
International Tropical Timber Organization
Pacifico-Yokohama 5F, 1-1-1, Minato-Mirai, Nishi-ku Yokohama 220-0012, JAPAN
Tel: (81-45) 223-1110, Fax: (81-45) 223-1111
E-mail: itto@itto.or.jp
Homepage: http://www.itto.or.jp

ITTO Member Countries as of 1 July 2001 are: Producers: Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Colombia, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Rep. of the Congo, Ecuador, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Guyana, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Liberia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Suriname, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad & Tobago, Vanuatu, Venezuela.

Consumers: Australia, Austria, Belgium-Luxembourg, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America.

SEARCH FOR PhD POSITION

Johannes Füssel has a MSc. in Environmental Forestry (Bangor, UK), International Land- Management (Witzenhausen, FRG) and a post-grade in Ecology (Tübingen, FRG). He has 12 years oversee- experience and momentary is focusing practical work with his consultancy ‘‘Eco~Tierra'' on autochthonous vegetables and grains for food- security (mainly ‘‘Breadnut-Tree'': Brosimun alicastrum and ‘‘Spinach-Tree'': Cnidoscolus urens & C. chayamansa) in communities near Masaya, Nicaragua, in collaboration with ‘‘Terre des hommes-Italia''. Both species have been basic food of the Central American Maya-culture.

Mr. Füssel is looking for a PhD position to research this topic:

Wild and Maya- cultivated populations of B. alicastrum: Yield, initial growth pattern, nitrogen fixation, nutritional value etc.
Botanical revision of the six or more morphologically significantly different C. urens and C. chayamanse. Possible reclassification in species and/or variants and cultivars: Yield, growth pattern, propagation, nutritional value, nitrogen fixation etc.
Socio-economic, historical and religious reasons for discontinue of cultivation and use of these crops in post- colonialist times.
Potential as agroforestry and NTFP crops in modern agriculture and nutrition.

The practical fieldwork of this PhD would be the natural distribution and historical cultivation centre of these two species, Central America, but other countries may be considered for introduction by provenance- trials.

You may learn more about the work of Mr. Füssel and revise his CV at www.eco-tierra.com or contact him directly at eco@ibw.com.ni

Top of page