International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit an MSc Graduate Fellow under the supervision of the Forage Genebank team within the Livestock Genetics, Nutrition and Feed Resources Program.

ILRI works to improve food and nutritional security and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock. It is the only one of 15 CGIAR Research Centres dedicated entirely to animal agriculture research for the developing world. Co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia, it has regional or country offices and projects in East, South and Southeast Asia as well as Central, East, Southern and West Africa. www.ilri.org

The Forage Genebank at ILRI holds a diverse collection of tropical and subtropical forage accessions and related information. The genebank conserves nearly19,000 accessions from over 1,800 species. The collection is one of the most diverse collections of forage grasses, legumes and fodder trees held in any genebank in the world. In addition to the routine genebank operations, the genebank also conducts characterization at agronomic, nutritional and genomic levels and add value to the collection through generating information and making available the seeds of the accessions to diverse users. https://www.ilri.org/research/facilities/ilri-genebank.

The position:

Under the supervision of Genebank team, the recruited fellow will work on the field characterization of Rhodes grass collection conserved in the ILRI Forage Genebank. The field trial was established in a well-designed, replicated design at Bishoftu with 170 accessions of Rhodes grass from ILRI Forage Genebank and other genebanks representing the diverse global origins.

The fellow will be primarily based in Bishoftu and will be responsible for collecting data on agro-morphological traits, water-use efficiency, and forage quality. In addition to data collection, the role involves data analysis, scientific writing, and preparation of technical reports.

The fellow will be part of a multidisciplinary team and will work in close collaboration with staff at the Bishoftu field genebank and ILRI’s main campus in Addis Ababa.

Responsibilities:

1. Collection of phenotypic data for agro-morphological and feed quality traits of Chloris gayana from field experimental plots at Bishoftu.
2. Collection and oven-drying of leaf samples for feed quality analysis.
3. Literature review on breeding, genetic resources and conservation, genetic diversity and forage productivity of Chloris gayana germplasm collection.
4. Extract DNA from leaf samples and submit for genotyping whenever necessary.
5. Analyse data (phenotypic, nutritional and genotypic) and write summary of the analysis for presentation.
6. Prepare regular progress reports and compile research findings into a well-structured MSc thesis in line with university requirements and ILRI standards.
7. Contribute to scientific communication by drafting a manuscript for submission to a peer-reviewed journal and designing a poster for presentation at relevant scientific conferences.

Academic and professional qualifications:

Education:

1. Registered for an MSc course in either Plant breeding, Genetics or biotechnology, has finished course work and ready to start thesis project.
2. Possess a BSc degree in Plant Science, Animal Science, Biological Sciences, or related fields.

Experience:

1. Demonstrated experience working in field evaluations and experimental designs, genetic diversity, and plant breeding.
2. Good working knowledge of MS Office and statistical software, like R and R packages
3. Experience working in molecular genetics, quantitative genetics or bioinformatics are advantageous.
4. Experience contributing to writing reports and journal publications.
5. Proficiency with written and spoken English

Personal attributes:

1. An effective and energetic team player with the ability to work in a multidisciplinary and multi-cultural environment
2. Ability to work independently, multi-task and meet tight deadlines

Post location: The position will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Fellowship Duration: 7 months.

Terms of appointment and benefits: ILRI will offer a monthly stipend to cover living expenses in the project location, medical insurance, and cover research expenses. The fellow will be co-supervised by academic and ILRI supervisor(s) and receive various capacity development opportunities at ILRI.

How to apply:

All applications MUST include the following (applications not containing these documents will not be considered):

• a cover letter addressed to the Senior Manager – Capacity Development ILRI, expressing interest in the fellowship position and the motivation. The position title and reference number (REF: ILRI PhD/GF/LGNF/02/2025) should be clearly marked on the subject line of the cover letter.
• CV, including names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience.
• academic qualification certificates/transcripts.

Applications must be submitted by clicking on the “APPLY NOW” tab on or before 22 May 2025.

We thank all applicants for their interest in working for ILRI. Due to the volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training). ILRI also does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.

To find out more about ILRI visit our websites at http://www.ilri.org

ILRI is an equal opportunity employer.