Courses under this Fellowship
1. Why Gender Matters Course
This course comprises a half-day intensive face-to-face workshop designed to enhance the participants’ understanding of key gender concepts and how to integrate gender in institutional policies and practices. This training will be delivered as part of the project inception and launch and will serve as an entry point for creating a common understanding of the project among institutional leadership, foster their commitment and get their buy-in to support their staff for the activities that will follow.
2. Mentoring Orientation Workshop
The first step in the mentoring program will be an 4-week virtual Mentoring Orientation Workshop (MOW) for each cohort, delivered in two sessions per week. Fellows and their mentors will attend the facilitated MOW during which they will be introduced to planning tools specifically designed to facilitate a successful working relationship and to initiate a supportive and collaborative network among fellows, mentors and the AWARD team. The first of the tools is the mentoring contract— written goals that the mentor and fellow want to achieve in working together and stipulating how they will achieve them. Fellows will also develop a career timeline to actively plan their future, a Version 4 September 2025 purpose road map (PRM) to guide their progress, and a Development Journal in
which they turn their PRM into achievable, clearly defined actions and milestones. These tools will support the two year journey of each Fellow during the fellowship and beyond. The Fellows will get to pass on their learnings from the mentoring program to the early career scientists, inspiring them to continue on the career path. Another 4-week virtual MOW will be offered for the Fellows’ Mentees and their mentors (in this case the Fellows). In addition, each Fellow Mentee will also practice her leadership skills by organizing a role-modelling event designed to inspire girls and young women to pursue careers in agricultural sciences.
3. Women’s Leadership and Negotiation Skills Course (in-person)
This course is designed to empower you to engaged in climate action, offering valuable insights into leadership, management, and negotiation skills crucial for advancing your impact in the climate change sector.
4. Gender in agri-food systems course
This course will include a five-day face-to-face workshop that will strengthen the capacity of AR4D professionals to integrate gender in various aspects of agrifood systems including use of different frameworks and tools to analyse programs for gender gaps, the design, development, dissemination and adoption gender-responsive research and tracking gender transformative change. Participants will gain knowledge and skills to develop interventions that address the distinct needs and priorities of men and women smallholders, and to monitor and evaluate the impact of interventions on gender equality outcomes.
5. Science Skills Course
A 4-week virtual course designed to build participant’s capacity in effectively exploring and using various platforms to develop their manuscripts and proposals; introduces aspects of linking research to policy; and covers how to write for various audiences. Fellows will acquire grant writing skills designed to build their ability to raise funds for their research work. Fellow will also have the opportunity to test their newly acquired skills by ‘pitching’ her research to potential Science Advisors drawn from across the African and Australian science community. Similarly, participants will be equipped with skills to publish and disseminate research/policy briefs on their work.
