Science and innovation are critical to advancing agriculture and livelihoods in the Indo-Pacific region. However, of equal importance to our partner countries is the development of individual and organisational science and policy capability.

One of our strategic objectives is to develop durable scientific and policy capability. The ACIAR Capacity Building Program identifies and establishes opportunities for individuals and partner organisations in partner countries to boost technical, policy and management skills in agricultural research-for-development. We facilitate programs in scientific research, leadership, management, policy and governance with our partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

Building capacity in partner countries is a key priority for ACIAR to maximise the adoption of new knowledge and technologies.

In 2021–22, the program is adapting to the new COVID/post-COVID operating environment, as innovative new programs are established that utilise alumni and local leadership to build capacity. During this time, we are delivering our flagship programs, the John Dillon and Meryl Williams fellowships remotely, while increasing welfare support to our in-Australia John Allwright Fellows until they can return home. We will also be rolling out an innovative new online learning program, ACIAR Learn, that will utilise our in-country networks to deliver enhanced capacity-building outcomes. The one-off COVID-19 research support facility, the Alumni Research Support Facility, will begin to deliver research findings and results in 2021–22, which will shape organisational responses to future shocks to food systems.

Meryl Williams Fellowship

In 2019, we launched the Meryl Williams Fellowship Program. This initiative works with female agricultural researchers, providing them with the skills and knowledge to take on greater leadership positions in their employing institutions. The fellowship contributes to more secure food systems by providing women in agricultural science with greater access to resources and decision-making, building collaborative networks, supporting career advancement and driving institutional progress towards gender equity. The fellowship is delivered by the University of New England. In 2021–22, it will continue to run in an adapted format that supports leadership within the constraints of COVID-19.

The first cohort of Fellows in 2021-22 are continuing activities in their home countries, where COVID19 regulations allow. These activities have been developed collaboratively with each Fellow and their organisation to provide the most relevant experience for each Fellow’s development. Mentoring programs are ongoing, as is the University of New England’s engagement with the cohort. Of the first cohort, 6 Fellows were successful in securing research funding through the ACIAR Alumni Research Support Facility. In 2021–22, they will lead these research projects and contribute to COVID-19 responses in their home agencies.

The second cohort of the Meryl Williams Fellowship has started with Fellows from Timor-Leste, Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Myanmar, the Philippines, Nepal and Mongolia. In 2020-21, these Fellows completed workshops on leading with resilience and are now part-way through mentoring partnerships training. Face-to-face workshop arrangements have been postponed due to COVID-19, but we remain committed to ensuring the Fellows are engaged in ongoing leadership activities in 2021–22.

John Dillon Fellowship

We have been delivering the John Dillon Fellowship for 20 years. The program develops the leadership and management skills of mid-career professionals, particularly scientists, researchers and economists working in agriculture research-for-development in ACIAR partner countries. To date, there are over 180 alumni of the program across our partner countries. In 2021–22, we will be delivering an innovative new approach to the program in partnership with our new provider, the University of New England.

As part of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the John Dillon Fellowship program was redesigned to build on the program’s past success, while providing relevant skills for researchers and scientists to deal with an increasingly complex environment. In 2021–22, ACIAR is delivering the program in individual country cohorts of up to 18 participants with a strong focus on cross-organisational collaboration and strengthening ties with Australian partners. This approach further bolsters Australia’s approach to science diplomacy. In 2021–22, the program will be delivered through a mixture of online and in-person training (where possible), focusing on organisational cohorts from the Philippines and Vietnam.

John Allwright Fellowship

John Allwright Fellows undertaking postgraduate study in Australia continue to be significantly impacted by COVID-19. Fellows selected in 2019–20 and 2020–21 will commence their study in Australia when travel restrictions ease. Some current Fellows have not been able to return to Australia after the 2019–20 summer break, while others have had difficulty completing field and/or lab work. Our capacity-building team will continue to support and monitor the welfare of John Allwright Fellows in 2021–22, with regular contact and by linking them with other Fellows in their institutions to strengthen their networks.

In 2021–22, the John Allwright Support Facility will provide support, advice and direction to John Allwright Fellowship scholars and ACIAR. The facility includes regular check-ins with Fellows during their higher degree research program. This includes both academic and welfare support, noting the significant challenges associated with research during a global pandemic. The facility will primarily act as a second layer of support to provide advice and hands-on assistance to help the Fellows achieve their qualifications and advise ACIAR on how we can improve management of the Fellowship.

The John Allwright Fellowship Executive Leadership program continues to be a key mechanism to enhance leadership skills development for Fellows in Australia. While COVID-19 has impacted this program, it will continue when new Fellows arrive. The program, delivered by the University of New England, equips the Fellows with leadership and management skills designed to support their return to the workplace.

Pacific scholarships

Our longstanding agricultural research scholarship program with the University of South Pacific was redesigned, expanded and renamed PASS (Pacific Agricultural Scholarship Support Program). 2021 saw the inclusion of scholarships at Fiji National University, and a return to offering PhD scholarships, including faculty upgrades. Currently, there are 21 Pacific scholars studying under this program. Scholars are aligned to an ACIAR research project and have an Australian co-supervisor.

The redesigned PASS academic support program is being delivered through the University of Sunshine Coast’s Australian Centre for Pacific Island Research, in conjunction with Southern Queensland University, Central Queensland University, Science Research Organisation of Samoa and a range of other sub-contractors. Through PASS, Pacific students and staff will have access to the extensive Pacific Agriculture Information System, which houses over 1,000 Pacific agricultural records. This will address the difficulty researchers have in locating information about their own countries.

The PASS academic support program engages both with the Schools of Agriculture and Offices of Research at University of South Pacific and Fiji National University. Activities in 2021–22 include support to locate strategic research priorities, monthly Pacific seminars (which are jointly presented to Pacific and Australian students) and higher degree research supervision workshops for students and academics. The program is responsive to requests and needs as they arise. A number of these resources will extend to Papua New Guinea’s University of Technology and University of Natural Resources and Environment during 2021–22.

Alumni program

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Alumni Research Support Facility was opened for applications. This is a one-off activity providing up to A$20,000 for small research activities that build resilience and respond to the emerging challenges that COVID-19 has placed on agricultural systems in our partner countries. Across the 2 phases of the program, the facility is supporting 65 small research projects led by ACIAR alumni across the Indo-Pacific. In 2021–22 many of these research project will be completed, with findings related to agency and research responses to the pandemic. We will be working closely with this cohort of researchers to support them to undertake outreach activities to ensure this research has maximum impact.

During 2021–22, we will be delivering our new Global Alumni Strategy, with an increased focus on supporting alumni through the COVID/post-COVID operating environment. The aim of this strategy is to engage with ACIAR alumni to build the skills, knowledge and networks of agricultural researchers and scientists to contribute to positive development outcomes in the agricultural research-for-development sector.

Under the Global Strategy, in 2021–22 ACIAR Country and Regional Offices will be implementing their 3-year alumni engagement plans. These plans have identified the priorities and interests of each country’s alumni. From these, annual plans identify a program of activities to be implemented at the country and regional level, including training workshops (both online and in-person), networking events and new opportunities for alumni.

In 2021–22, we will continue to build on our virtual alumni network, ACIAR Alumni 360. The platform is designed to be the central mechanism for alumni to interact with ACIAR and the greater alumni network. Country Office staff facilitate country chapter pages with links to information about events, research collaborations and discussion forums. ACIAR Alumni 360 also includes information on the Capacity Building Program, including calls for applications to our fellowships, funding opportunities, and publications and other resources. There are currently around 600 active members on the platform, and we expect this will continue to grow in 2021–22.

ACIAR Learn (online learning)

As part of our COVID-19 response, in 2021–22 we will be delivering an innovative new program, ACIAR Learn. ACIAR Learn is a partnership between the University of Queensland, Catalpa International and ACIAR that will deliver bespoke online learning for agricultural researchers. The program will use best-practice student-centred learning approaches, combined with the expertise of Australian agricultural science knowledge. In this period, we will be delivering the program to our in-country project staff and across our global alumni. The program is overseen by an expert panel and will include a strong research focus to allow us to effectively evaluate the program and share the lessons learned with other research and learning organisations.

Organisational capacity building

ACIAR has long-term relationships with overseas agricultural research organisations. The ongoing nature of our research partnerships makes it important to understand the enablers, constraints and impacts that capacity building has on strengthening institutions. Under our organisational capacity-building research, we are identifying approaches that have been successful in enhancing our research partners’ organisational effectiveness for improved agricultural research. This body of work is informing new approaches to enhance institutional awareness in research projects for more effective and sustainable research outcomes. In 2021–22 we will continue to work with a select number of partner organisations and develop shared pathways and approaches to supporting increased organisational effectiveness.

Other training activities

ACIAR supports training activities delivered by the Crawford Fund. This includes the Master Class and Training Program, a new program of e-mentoring linking agricultural researchers from developing countries with mentors in Australia, and the Next-gen suite of activities designed to build interest in careers in international agricultural research.

Participation in ACIAR capacity-building programs

Programs	2016–17	2017–18	2018–19	2019–20	2020–21	2021–22 (est)
John Allwright Fellowship
No. active in year	140	97	85	75	70	37
No. awarded in year	22	7	12	10	10	No round
John Dillon Fellowship
No. active in year	10	10	28	28	20	15
Meryl Williams Fellowship
No. active and awarded in year	–	–	–	20	40	40
Pacific Scholarships
No. active in year	11	13	10	10	23	23
No. awarded in year	5	6	6	3	14	15
Alumni training
No. participants	–	–	75	90	140	180
Launch fund
No. events supported	–	–	11	15	11	8