About this opportunity
The CGIAR++ PhD Scholarship is a doctoral research opportunity rather than a conventional study scholarship. For the 2026 call the CGIAR++ Science and Impact Hub plans to support 10 candidates, each pursuing research that connects to an ongoing CGIAR++ research activity while enrolled in a PhD programme at a German university. Applicants from CGIAR++ partner countries are welcome, German nationality is not required, and female students are particularly encouraged to apply.
What makes this call unusual is that you cannot apply alone. Every application must come from a three way team, described in the call as a tridem, made up of the candidate, a senior scientist at a CGIAR++ Center and a professor affiliated with a German university. Those three develop the scientific proposal together, and only applications built on that structure are accepted. Finding your supervisors is therefore part of
Eligibility
, not a step you can leave until the final week.
The research itself has to earn its place. Your project must be hosted by a CGIAR++ Center, attach to a research activity already under way, and add something to it rather than repeat it, ideally within an international and multidisciplinary project. The eligible academic backgrounds are deliberately broad, covering agricultural sciences along with biology, geography, sociology, veterinary medicine, marine biology, forestry, political sciences, law and economics, all with an above average final MSc grade.
The competition is real. The 2025 round attracted a high volume of qualified applications and accepted 5 percent of them, so plan for a full document set: a signed one page motivation letter, a signed and dated one page tabular CV, a research proposal on the official template, your MSc certificate and transcript issued by the examination office, and proof of English proficiency through TOEFL, IELTS or another certificate. Your supervisors send their own recommendation, supervision and hosting documents separately as one PDF. The
Application timeline
is 30 November 2026, and the call does not publish an award amount, so read the official pages carefully before you commit.
What you receive
- Doctoral research supported through a programme that plans to fund 10 PhD candidates in the 2026 call
- Hosting by a CGIAR++ Center with your project attached to an ongoing CGIAR++ research activity
- Joint supervision by a senior CGIAR++ scientist and a professor affiliated with a German university
- Enrolment in a PhD study programme at a German university
- Access to international, multidisciplinary CGIAR++ research projects
- Official templates provided for the research proposal and for the supervisor documents
- Open to applicants of any nationality, with applicants from CGIAR++ partner countries welcome
- Female students are particularly encouraged to apply
Who can apply
- An MSc degree in Agricultural Sciences or a related field such as biology, geography, sociology, veterinary medicine, marine biology, forestry, political sciences, law or economics
- An above average final grade in your MSc degree
- A senior CGIAR++ scientist who agrees to supervise you and confirms your connection to a CGIAR++ research programme or project
- A professor affiliated with a German university who agrees to jointly supervise the project
- A PhD project connected to an ongoing CGIAR++ research activity that it complements and adds value to
- Hosting by a CGIAR++ Center
- Willingness to enrol in a PhD study programme at a German university
- Proof of English proficiency through TOEFL, IELTS or another English proficiency certificate
- Candidates with degrees awarded outside Europe must also provide a ranking from the issuing university
- German nationality is not required, and applicants from CGIAR++ partner countries are welcome
Who should not apply
- Applications from individuals who have not established the required tridem are not accepted
- Projects that are not connected to an ongoing CGIAR++ research activity are not eligible
- Research that duplicates existing work instead of complementing it and adding value does not fit the call
- Candidates who cannot be hosted by a CGIAR++ Center cannot apply
- Applicants without an MSc in Agricultural Sciences or a related field, or without an above average final grade, do not meet the stated requirements
- The call does not list a published stipend amount, so treat any figure quoted elsewhere as unconfirmed
Documents to prepare
- Letter of motivation, signed by the applicant and no more than one page
- Curriculum vitae in tabular form, signed, dated and no more than one page
- Research proposal prepared on the official CGIAR++ template
- MSc certificate issued by the examination office
- Transcript of academic records issued by the examination office
- TOEFL, IELTS or another English proficiency certificate
- Ranking from the issuing university for candidates holding non-European degrees
- Letter of recommendation and supervision confirmation from a professor affiliated with a German university, on the provided template
- Letter of recommendation and supervision commitment from a CGIAR++ Center scientist, stating your attachment to a CGIAR++ research programme or project, on the provided template
- Hosting Agreement from the respective CGIAR++ Center, on the provided template
- Supervisor documents combined and sent as one PDF by the supervisors to hub@landscapealliance.org
How to apply
- Open the official scholarship pages at https://hub.landscapealliance.org/phd-research-scholarship/about-phd-research-scholarship and read the current call and its templates
- Confirm that your MSc field and final grade meet the stated requirements, and prepare the university ranking if your degree was awarded outside Europe
- Contact a senior scientist at a CGIAR++ Center whose research your project could support, and agree the supervision and hosting arrangement
- Identify a professor affiliated with a German university who will jointly supervise the project and confirm supervision in writing
- Develop the scientific proposal together as a tridem using the official research proposal template
- Prepare your signed one page motivation letter, your signed and dated one page tabular CV, your MSc certificate, transcript and English proficiency certificate
- Ask your German university professor and CGIAR++ scientist to complete their recommendation and supervision documents on the provided templates, and ask the CGIAR++ Center for the Hosting Agreement
- Have the supervisors send all three supervisory documents combined as one PDF by email to hub@landscapealliance.org
- Submit your complete application through the official application page at https://hub.landscapealliance.org/phd-research-scholarship/application before 30 November 2026
Selection process
- Only applications submitted through a complete tridem, the candidate plus a senior CGIAR++ scientist plus a professor at a German university, are accepted
- The review looks at your academic background, the quality of the research proposal and the fit between your project and an ongoing CGIAR++ research activity
- Projects must show that they complement existing research and provide added value to the CGIAR++ research activity
- Hosting arrangements are confirmed through the CGIAR++ Center Hosting Agreement
- The Hub is seeking to support 10 PhD candidates in the 2026 call
- The previous call in 2025 attracted a high volume of qualified applications and had an acceptance rate of 5 percent
- Because the application requires coordination between three parties, candidates are advised to begin well before the deadline
Sources and verification
Related opportunities
- VLIR-UOS ICP Connect Study Scholarships 2027 to 2028
Full scholarships for 12 English-taught bachelor, master and advanced master programmes at Flemish universities in Belgium, for the intake starting 1 September 2027. The monthly allowance covers living expenses and tuition fees, and none of the ICP Connect programmes charge an application fee. Students from 25 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America are eligible, and sixteen of them are in sub-Saharan Africa, among them Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Niger, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The call submission deadline is 28 February 2027.
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply on my own if I find supervisors later?
No. The call accepts only applications from a tridem, meaning the candidate, a senior CGIAR++ scientist and a professor affiliated with a German university, and the scientific proposal is developed jointly by the three of them.
Do I have to be a German national?
No. Successful candidates must enrol in a PhD study programme at a German university, but German nationality is not required. Applicants from CGIAR++ partner countries are welcome and female students are particularly encouraged to apply.
How many candidates will be supported?
The 2026 call seeks to support 10 PhD candidates. The 2025 round had an acceptance rate of 5 percent, so the opportunity is highly selective.
Which degrees are accepted?
An MSc in Agricultural Sciences or a related field, with an above average final grade. The call lists biology, geography, sociology, veterinary medicine, marine biology, forestry, political sciences, law and economics among relevant backgrounds.
What do I need if my degree is from outside Europe?
You must additionally provide a ranking from the issuing university so the programme can assess the academic standing of your qualification.
How do I prove my English?
A TOEFL or IELTS certificate, or another English proficiency certificate, is accepted as evidence.
Where do the supervisor documents go?
Your supervisors send the recommendation and supervision letters and the CGIAR++ Center Hosting Agreement together as one PDF by email to hub@landscapealliance.org.
When is the deadline?
The application deadline for the current call is 30 November 2026.
Important disclaimer
Nextali researches and curates useful opportunities to make discovery easier. Before applying, verify every timeline, requirement, fee and application link on the official provider website. Do your own research into the organisation, its background and the authenticity of the offer. Nextali does not guarantee selection, funding or the conduct of third party providers.
