The John Allwright Fellowship (JAF) is dedicated to improving agricultural research capacity in Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) partner countries. Between 2010 and 2019, the Fellowship supported 268 agricultural professionals to achieve postgraduate qualifications from Australian tertiary institutions and subsequently lead a range of agricultural research development projects in their home countries.

The scoping study was conducted in July 2016 and included three phases: (i) a desk review and interviews with Australia-based partners; (ii) a one-week visit to Sri Lanka for consultations with government officials, private sector representatives and university staff; and (iii) prioritisation of the demands and needs of potential partners with a focus on poverty alleviation for female and male smallholders farmers/fishers.  

Highlights and overview of the SIMLESA program 2015. Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume cropping systems for food security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) After successful implementation of the first phase (2010-2013), the program was extended for a further five years (2014-2018) with an increased focus on upscaling sustainable intensification technologies which were initiated and tested in the first phase.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs commissioned a Panel to conduct a Review of ACIAR. The Review was asked to address issues including: the appropriateness of ACIAR’s goals and strategies in helping people overcome poverty; ACIAR’s effectiveness in improving livelihoods through more productive and sustainable agriculture, and achieving knowledge generation and capacity building outcomes; and the efficiency of ACIAR’s operations and arrangements for managing research programs and building capacity, including internal capability and systems, risk management, performance oversight, and transparency.