BACKGROUND Since 2004, the U. S. Congress has made funds available to the Borlaug Fellowship Program to advance USDA’s agricultural research goals of promoting collaborative programs among agricultural professionals of eligible countries, agricultural professionals of the United States, the international

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agricultural research system, and United States entities conducting research by providing Fellowships to individuals from eligible countries who specialize or have experience in agricultural education, research, extension, or other related fields.

Fellowships promote food security and economic growth in eligible countries by educating a new generation of agricultural scientists, increasing scientific knowledge and collaborative research to improve agricultural productivity, and extending that knowledge to users and intermediaries in the marketplace.

The collaborative nature of the training and research programs not only benefits the Fellow, his or her home institution, and partner country; the U. S. host institution, its professors, researchers, and students; and the global agricultural sector by improving agricultural productivity, systems, and processes in partnering nations through the transfer of new science and agricultural technologies.ObjectivesUSDA identifies Borlaug Participants based on country-specific topics of importance to international agricultural trade.

USDA then places Participants with U. S. research institutions for 10-12-week intensive programs.

These programs are expected to contribute to the strategic goals and objectives of the Participant and the institutions through a hands-on experience in a "real-world" agricultural research scenario, providing opportunity for application of research agendas where they can have a direct impact on food security and economic growth in an emerging economy.

It is hoped that host institutions will share the knowledge gained through the program in their classroom and extension work with their faculty, students, extension officers, and constituents; and that they will continue to maintain professional contacts with the Participants after their departure from the United States.SCOPE OF WORKThe selected institution will design and implement a training program to meet the Participant’s proposed research goals and objectives to the closest extent possible.

The selected institution will also include leadership and communication training to help the fellow better communicate research conducted under their fellowship to policy makers in their respective countries to help implement science based agricultural policies.

The Participant’s proposed research and training objectives, and full descriptions are in the appendix which can be quickly accessed vis the link in the table:Fellow specific objectives:• Algeria – Animal Disease Eradication (page 19) • Algeria – Leishmaniasis Risk Assessment (page 20) • Algeria – Indigenous Plant use as Bio-Insecticide (page 23) • Egypt – Food Contact Material Assessment (page 25) • Egypt – Food Additives and Regulations (page 27) • Jordan – Genetically Engineered Regulations (pag 28) • South Africa – Foodborne Illnesses Regulations (page 30) • Tunisia – Conservation of Tunisian Olives (page 32) • Bangladesh–Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Bioinformatics (page 34) • Bangladesh – Newcastle Disease Vaccine (page 36) • Cambodia–Vapor Heat Treatment of Fruit Fly (page 38) • Costa Rica–Banana Fusarium Wilt (page 40) • Guatemala–Medfly Gene Editing (page 42) • Honduras–Aflatoxins and Mycotoxins in Food Grains (page 44) • Mongolia–Animal Health (page 46) • Philippines–Biotechnology/Animal Health (page 48) • Sri Lanka– Rice Biotechnology (page 49) • Sri Lanka–Rice Biotechnology (page 51) • Sri Lanka–Biotechnology/Plant Health (page 53) • Sri Lanka–Blister Blight Disease in Tea (page 55) • Vietnam–Tilapia Aquaculture (page 57) • Vietnam–Soybean Biotechnology (page 59) • Vietnam–African Swine Fever Vaccine Development (page 61) • Georgia – Genotypes and Population Structures of Salmonella (page 63) • Kazakhstan– Genes Associated with Grain Quality (page 65) • Turkey– Weaken Wheat Phenylalanine Ammonia-lyase (PAL) Gene Promotor (page 67) • Turkey – Stem Rust Resistance Genes (page 70) •Turkey–ApomixisinGene Level(page72) PLACE OF PERFORMANCE •The applicant is expected to host participants at a research facility on their campus in the United States.•The Participant is expected to spend two to threedaysat the USDA in Washington DC atthe commencement and at the end of their fellowship programto brief and debriefwithkey USDA officers.The mentor or PI will be expected to make all necessary travelarrangements as well asaccompany theParticipant during both trips.•The mentor is expected to make a reciprocal visit of up to two weeks to the participant’shome institution, which may be in a developing country.