Young Scientists Group
Apply now to the second cohort!
The deadline for applications is 15 March 2023 for the 2023-2025 term.
Only completed applications of eligible candidates will be considered.
01 - Objective
After the launch and first year of activity of the Young Scientists Group (YSG) in 2022, the second YSG cohort will commence its activities in May 2023 for a two-year period. The main objective of the YSG is to provide scientific evidence and technical knowledge to the various initiatives of the Forum, and to develop an annual WFF Young Scientists report on specific policy issues of particular concern to youth, related to agrifood systems transformation.
Leveraging FAO areas of expertise, and engaging with partners and relevant academic networks, the Group will play a critical role in providing the WFF with the necessary science-based direction, and allow for formal scientific opinions related to documents, statements or action-oriented proposals generated by the participating youth. Eventually, the YSG will support the formalization and institutionalization of the WFF, with a particular focus on the Youth Action, Innovation and Education tracks.
Following the mandate of the first YSG cohort, a YSG alumni network is being created with the aim of building an active alumni community.
02 - Composition
The composition of the WFF YSG will align to the FAO Four Betters: Better Production, Better Life, Better Environment and Better Nutrition, and through that, mirror scientific areas relevant to the various issues related to the transformation of our agrifood systems, to achieve the SDGs.
The YSG had a first one-year cohort for the period 2022-2023. From 2023 onwards, cohorts will be selected for a period of two years. An open call for applications to join the YSG Cohort for the period 2023-2025 will run from 1 February to 15 March 2023. Applications will then be reviewed by an interdisciplinary and international selection committee and by the ongoing cohort, leading to the appointment of a new group.

youth action
YSG - Kim ANASTASIOU
Kim ANASTASIOU
(Australia)
Scientific expertise: Sustainable development, climate change adaptation, smallholder agricultural systems, climate change education, food security

youth action
YSG - Dr. Peter ASARE-NUAMAH
Dr. Peter ASARE-NUAMAH
(Ghana)
Scientific expertise: Sustainable development, climate change adaptation, smallholder agricultural systems, climate change education, food security

youth action
YSG - Craig CHIBANDA
Craig CHIBANDA
(Zimbabwe)
Scientific expertise: Inclusive and sustainable food systems, responsible investments in agriculture, family farming, sustainable rural development

youth action
YSG - Shulang FEI
Shulang FEI
(China)
Scientific expertise: Food policy, urban food system dynamics, food system sustainability and resilience assessment

youth action
YSG - Imad Antoine IBRAHIM
Imad Antoine IBRAHIM
(Lebanon)
Scientific expertise: Sustainability, resources management, policy, technology

youth action
YSG - Shangchuan JIANG, PhD
Shangchuan JIANG, PhD
(China)
Scientific expertise: Plant Sciences (Plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, molecular genetics and cell biology, Plant-microbe interaction), Sustainable Agriculture and Mechanization, AMU/AMR and plant health

youth action
YSG - Alice KARANJA
Alice KARANJA
(Kenya)
Scientific expertise: Food choice, food environment, regenerative agriculture, agroecology, adoption and impact assessment

youth action
YSG - Pacem KOTCHOFA
Pacem KOTCHOFA
(Benin)
Scientific expertise: Food and nutrition security, resilience measurements, economic impact and participatory disease modelling

youth action
YSG - Lethicia MAGNO
Lethicia MAGNO
(Brazil)
Scientific expertise: Crop production, climate change, agroclimatic indicators, crop modeling, market analysis, innovation

youth action
YSG - Clarity ROPAFADZO MAPENGO
Clarity ROPAFADZO MAPENGO
(Zimbabwe)
Scientific expertise: Sustainable packaging, food product development, food waste, consumer behaviour

youth action
YSG - Dr. Sarah I. MURPHY
Dr. Sarah I. MURPHY
(USA)
Scientific expertise: Food quality, food waste, food safety, digital technologies, modelling and risk assessment

youth action
YSG - Ram NEUPANE
Ram NEUPANE
(Nepal)
Scientific expertise: Crop protection, international agriculture and development, agriculture policy

youth action
YSG - Dinesh PANDAY
Dinesh PANDAY
(Nepal)
Scientific expertise: Biogeochemistry, soil carbon and nitrogen cycling, cropping systems, regenerative agriculture, speciality crops, machine learning

youth action
YSG - Elisa QUARANTA
Elisa QUARANTA
(Italy)
Scientific expertise: Nutrition, food technology, sustainability, environmental indicators, food systems

youth action
YSG - Andrea ROSSO
Andrea ROSSO
(Italy)
Scientific expertise: Women’s rights, inclusion of marginalized groups in agriculture

youth action
YSG - Michael RUGGERI
Michael RUGGERI
(Italy)
Scientific expertise: Climate finance, ecosystem services (assessment of), value chain mapping and development, carbon sequestration, climate change, conservation

youth action
YSG - Abdulkareem RAHEEM
Abdulkareem RAHEEM
(Nigeria)
Scientific expertise: Crop cultivation, agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation, cropping system adaptation to climate change (extreme temperature)

youth action
YSG - Joanna TREWERN
Joanna TREWERN
(United Kingdom)
Scientific expertise: Nutrition, sustainability, consumer behaviour, food environment, corporate social responsibility/ business transformation, policy & advocacy, sustainability transitions, food systems

youth action
YSG - Edy TRIHATMOKO
Edy TRIHATMOKO
(Indonesia)
Scientific expertise: GIS, Geoinformatics science, agroecology, disaster risk

youth action
YSG - Ambrogio ZANZI
Ambrogio ZANZI
(Italy)
Scientific expertise: Agroecology, ecosystem services quantification, sustainable agriculture, territorial planning; youth involvement and formation
03 - Tasks
The WFF YSG will work closely with the WFF Coordinator on the following tasks:
- Participate actively in youth dialogues or events organized by the WFF Youth Action track to provide scientific and technical evidence to the discussions held by and with global youth;
- Revise and amend, if necessary, any document, statement or alike, produced within the context of WFF events (including selected partner events), online consultations, webinars, youth engagement processes or statements;
- Engage specifically with the WFF Innovation and Education track, including the related sub-tracks and working groups generated within the above, in various scientific expert roles;
- Coordinate and establish an annual WFF Young Scientists report on specific issues of special concern to youth, related to agrifood systems transformation;
- Provide guidance and proposals for key messages and thematic areas to be highlighted in WFF marketing and communications;
- Attend regularly scheduled YSG meetings;
- Actively participate in the WFF flagship event held in October of each year;
- Represent the WFF YSG at conferences, technical meetings, panel discussions, among others;
- Engage in any other matter of the WFF requiring scientific evidence.
04 - Eligibility criteria
- Age 35 or younger;
- Master graduates or above, including post-graduate or PhD students, or postdoctoral researchers as well as PhD graduates working in other sectors;
- Endorsed by academic or work supervisor, senior department faculty member, scientist or similar (recommendation letter or application endorsement letter is required);
- Experienced or familiar with inter/trans-disciplinary research in fields related to the global agrifood systems, and enthusiastic about joining a young, multidisciplinary team;
- Excellent command of any of the FAO official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish), and at least conversational English;
- Present a recognized record of academic excellence;
- Provide evidence of extra-curricular engagements such as volunteering or professional experiences as well as international experiences;
- Self-driven and able to work at their own pace and match deadlines;
- Demonstrate a commitment to serve society at large.
The following will be considered as bonus criteria:
- Experience as a principal investigator, group leader or early tenure track researcher;
- Team leading experience;
- Experience in science communication towards non-scientific audiences.
05 - Application Process
Applicants should provide the signed Commitment Form along with the following information required for the application:
- Short note matching the candidate’s area(s) of expertise with one or more of the Four Betters: Better Production, Better Life, Better Environment, Better Nutrition;
- Statement of motivation (maximum 2 pages) indicating the added value the candidate will bring to the WFF YSG specifically – including with regard to team leading, inter and transdisciplinary research, group representation, etc. - as well as the expectations and motivation to join the group;
- Endorsement/recommendation letter by academic or work supervisor, senior department faculty member, scientist or similar.
- Record of professional experience and academic qualifications, including:
- Short description of research experience, including participation in research projects, awards or grants received, etc.;
- Experience and knowledge acquired by training or work experience on one or more thematic areas related to agrifood systems transformation, including additional information regarding qualifications and areas of specialization;
- Competencies, such as the ability to work cooperatively in a team and respect differences between people; ability to develop creative and practical solutions; ability to take initiative for delivering high-quality work; ability to communicate to different target audiences;
- Major work or research/innovation initiatives carried out or contributions made;
- List of scientific publications and products;
- List of presentations at conferences and seminars;
- Soft skills;
- Additional volunteer and professional experiences;
- International experiences.
- Short video (2 min maximum) connecting the candidate’s expertise to one of the Betters, as well as briefly elaborating on how they would contribute to the YSG.
Apply by sending the Commitment Form and required information to [email protected].
The deadline for applications is 15 March 2023 for the 2023-2025 term. Only complete applications of eligible candidates will be considered.
06 - Indicative timeline
Applications for the YSG will be open from 15 February until 15 March 2023. They will then be reviewed by the selection committee in two steps.
Selection results for the second YSG cohort will be communicated to the candidates on 28 April. The new cohort will be officially announced in May 2023.
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