About EERC
Environmental and Economic Resource Centre is a scientific research organization that works with a network of local and international partners to catalyze and develop inclusive agriculture, sustainable livelihoods, natural resource conservation, and environmental management in Africa. EERC undertakes research and capacity building to develop policies, scalable technologies, and innovative practices with real impact on poverty reduction, food security, ecosystem health, conservation, and livelihood development. EERC operates four main programs: agriculture and environmental management (AEM), natural resource conservation (NRC), livelihood and economic development (LED), and human resource and capacity building (HRCB) programs. The programs cover various research topics broadly related to agriculture and the environment. More specifically, EERC research focuses on climate-smart agriculture, climate change, food systems, health and nutrition, conflict and migration, natural resource management (land, water, forest), renewable energy, carbon markets, land use change, rural livelihoods, and gender and social i
About the Fellowship
The 2025 call for fellowship seeks to leverage evidence-based research in the Nigeria agri-food sector to support policy review and formulation, particularly on climate change and food security. As a result, EERC is inviting qualified candidates from across Nigerian research institutions and/or universities for 2025 cohort fellow opportunities. This year’s call for fellowship opportunities will support early-career scientists as visiting researchers to conduct research in any of the following thematic areas:
- Climate change, Conflict, and food security nexuses
- Macroeconomic policies, household poverty, and dietary diversity nexuses
- Climate-smart agriculture, carbon markets, and green finance nexuses
- Agricultural value chain and trade in small businesses
Applicants are expected to leverage relevant regional or national secondary data, such as the Living Standard Measurement Study (LSMS), climate data, ACLED data, the World Bank, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), etc., to generate evidence-based research towards improving the policy process. Interested applicants will be hosted at EERC headquarters for about 3 – 6 months to conduct research related to the highlighted. Length of stay may be extended subject to approval from your home institution. Our senior research fellows from notable institutions will supervise the selected candidates’ research.
Fellowship Benefits
Selected applicants will have the opportunity to collaborate and interact with world-class researchers from across EERC partners, such as Michigan State University (MSU), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, and University College
London. Successful candidates will leverage the partnership to strengthen research networks and collaboration between EERC and their home institutions by developing joint research and grant proposals to foster continuous relationships.
Additionally, successful applicants will receive the following as personal benefits:
- Monthly stipend ranging from 250,000 – 500,000 naira depending on experience and academic qualifications through the fellowship period. The stipend is in addition to your statutory salary from your home institution. Therefore, applicants are expected to secure approval from their respective institutions to be eligible.
- Free accommodation at EERC Guest House, which is equipped with 24-hour power supply, internet access, a gym, and sporting facilities.
- Training and travel opportunities
- Joint publications with notable researchers in agriculture, climate change, food security, etc.
Eligibility Criteria
- Masters or PhD holder in any relevant field with a maximum of five years’ post-degree award.
- Hold a current affiliation with any research institutions or universities in Nigeria.
- Evidence of proficiency in the use of statistical/econometric packages, especially R and STATA
- We encourage applicants from relevant disciplines such as Economics, Agricultural/Environmental Economics, Development Economics, or other relevant discipline.
- Demonstrate ability to write proposals touching on at least two of the thematic areas.
Application Process
All applicants will be required to have at least two reference letters on the institution’s letterhead from their institution. One of the letters is from your respective head of department, and the other is from the head/representative of the institution. Other documents required for the application include:
- A motivation letter
- A concept notes (5 pages maximum) describing the research proposal to be carried out within the fellowship period. The proposal should contain the following outline: background, objective, methodology, analytical approach, budget summary, timeline, and expected result. References can be added as an appendix.
- Support letter from department and institutional heads
- Provide evidence of past publications as a lead author on any proposed research topic from high-impact journals.
- Evidence of academic qualification
- Copy of your ID card from your institution
All submitted applications that do not meet the above-listed requirements will not be reviewed.
How to Apply?
Interested and qualified candidates are expected to submit their applications by email to apply@eerce.org on or before midnight on February 7, 2025. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Prospective candidates should be ready to start the fellowship by April 2025. Please direct all inquiries to the applicant’s email address. Please note that responses to inquiries will end by January 31, 2025.
Selection Processes
All submitted applications will be reviewed to meet the eligibility criteria, after which the selection committee will conduct a rigorous review to select the best applications. Grading will be based solely on meeting the eligibility criteria, the research profile (publications), and the quality of the research proposal. Shortlisted candidates will be further interviewed to determine their capacity to deliver on the submitted proposal. Selected applicants will be contacted by email no later than 7th March 2025. Please note that selected applicants will be required to present a letter of release from your respective heads of institution or it representative after the notification of the fellowship award.