Background





Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and other partner
Universities and research institutions in Tanzania, in collaboration
with the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) in Denmark is implementing a
collaborative research project titled “Green Resources Innovations for
Livelihood Improvement (GRILI)”. The project is supported by the Danish
Development Agency (DANIDA) and its main objective is to contribute to
the improvement of people’s livelihood through generation of scientific
knowledge and commercialization of Green Resource Products (GRPs) in
Tanzania. The Project will use two plant species, Synadenium glaucescens
and Commiphora swynnertonii, as model plants for adding value and
up-scaling technologies. Furthermore, these GRPs from the two plants
will be used to establish simple analytical screening methods for
assessment of quality and safety and as a background for establishing
business models.





Call for Applications





We are pleased to announce a PhD scholarship call for applications
within the field of phytochemistry specifically on identification and
characterization of antimicrobial active ingredients from the two study
plants selected by the project. The aim of the scholarship is to support
higher education and training of Tanzanian scholars working or with
potential to work in research and academic institutions. Selected PhD
candidates will be registered as full time PhD students at SUA and will
have an opportunity to take PhD level courses and specialized laboratory
analysis and other types of training at Copenhagen University in
Denmark. A candidate with proven laboratory and research experience with
phytochemistry at MSc level will be preferred for this PhD position.





Eligibility





Holders of Msc in Phytochemistry, Natural products and Value addition
(research focus in Phytochemistry), analytical chemistry, Pharmacy,
traditional medicine or other equivalent Master’s degree with proven
experience on phytochemistry research from a recognized University.





The candidate should be;





  1. Highly motivated to develop a scientific career and capability to complete PhD studies within 3 years.
  2. Intention to undertake research on Phytochemistry of GRPs in Tanzania
  3. Not already enrolled in a PhD programme and embarked in another research
  4. Willingness to work in a team and a strong ambition to accomplish the research goals of the project.
  5. Good academic records /transcripts with excellent communication skills.
  6. Good command of spoken and written English.
  7. Perspectives on future use of PhD skills for teaching, research and extension.
  8. Full time availability from November 2019 or as soon as possible thereafter for a period of 3 years.
  9. Ability to work with an interdisciplinary and multi-cultural research team
  10. To be prepared to travel within and outside the country.
  11. Proved analytical skills in Phytochemistry.
  12. Need for partial scholarship will be an added advantage.




How to apply





Potential applicants are hereby invited to submit the following: (i)
motivation letter, (ii) curriculum vitae maximum two pages (including
information on academic carrier and specialization and publications),
(iii) academic transcripts and certificates, (iv) three names of
academic referees whereby at least one of them being the immediate work
supervisor, and a 2-3 pages concept note on one of topics listed above
relevant to his/her application. The concept note should contain an
outline of the problem statement and rationale for the proposed study,
objectives, methodological approach and expected outputs. Applications
MUST reach the DANIDA GRILI Project Coordinator by 9th November 2019.
Only shortlisted applicants will be invited for the interview (face to
face or online) before the 13th of November and the final decision will
be reached before 18th November 2019. Female candidates are highly
encouraged to apply.





The applications should be submitted electronically to: Dr. Faith P. Mabiki; E-mail: fmabiki@sua.ac.tz and copied to flufuo1@gmail.com





Responsibilities





The PhD fellows’ tasks will be to study and report on their selected
research question within the context of this project depending on the
area of research. The study being interconnected to other sub-studies in
the project, will require intensive interaction with the programme
leader, research collaborators, supervisors, and other PhD and MSc
students. The progress of the PhD fellows’ work will be evaluated
annually or as will be deemed necessary by the Supervisors and/ or the
Project Coordinator. It is expected that the PhD fellow will publish
three to four papers in International peer reviewed journals.





Financial matters





The scholarship will cover a monthly stipend and research costs based on successful deliverables.





Further Contacts





More information on the project can be obtained from:
Dr. Faith P. Mabiki
DANIDA GRILI Project Coordinator
Department of Chemistry and Physics
Solomon Mahlangu College of Science and Education
Sokoine University of Agriculture
P. O. Box 3038, Morogoro, Tanzania
Tel: +255 784 788924
Email: fmabiki@sua.ac.tz / fmabiki@gmail.com