18th December 2008
As the year comes to a close and we approach the new one, the focus of this bumper issue is “stocktaking and looking forward”, and we bring you news on recent external GCP reviews as well as opportunities, resources and events, from and within GCP and elsewhere. This is also a momentous year of transition, as we wrap up Phase I and prepare to embark on Phase II.
Winners of 3rd round competitive project grants
GCP congratulates, and is pleased to announce, the nine winners of our 3rd round competitive grants. More
Winners of the GCP–WACCI PhD scholarships in plant breeding
We are also very pleased to announce that Ruth Thompson and Dramane Sako are the first awardees of a new PhD scholarship programme funded by GCP and implemented by the West African Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) at the
GCP examined: what do we look like from the outside looking in?
This year, GCP underwent two significant external reviews. The first one was in June 2008 by the European Commission (EC), which funds a significant slice of our budget. The second was the External Programme and Management Review (EPMR), commissioned by the CGIAR Science Council. The EPMR began in October 2007, and the panel submitted its report in March 2008. More
Sharpening the focus of our work: Introducing the Challenge Initiatives
In response to the EPMR as well as internal priority-setting to streamline and bring more focus to our work, beginning 2009, GCP will pay particular attention to seven selected trait–crop combinations, dubbed Challenge Initiatives (CIs) The finer details of the CIs are still being worked out, but you can meantime see the list of the seven CIs here.
Milestones in implementing our strategy: taking stock of Phase I and planning for Phase II
To appreciate the refocusing of our research portfolio within the context of the recommendations from reviews above, and also in view of what we have accomplished so far in Phase I (2004–2008) and what we hope to accomplish in Phase II (2009–2011), we recommend the publications below. For hard copies of the Medium-Term Plan and brochure, please send a request to generationcp@cgiar.org
· Reflecting on Phase I, and looking ahead to Phase II brochure text and poster
· GCP Medium-Term Plan: 2009–2011
Resources and publications
The Project Development Guide (PDG)
In keeping with stocktaking and looking forward, a timely and gentle reminder on this ‘evergreen’ and free online resource from GCP, which is of value to researchers, research managers and reviewers of scientific projects. Please follow this link for an introduction to the PDG, and what it has for you as a researcher, research manager or reviewer.
Phenotyping for drought-related traits across tropical legumes
Presentations, documents and photos from this SP5-supported course which took place 3–28 March 2008 at ICRISAT,
Publications
If you would like hard copies of the publications below, please send an email to generationcp@cgiar.org
· GCP brochure 2008—a summarised introduction to GCP in everyday language, targeting a broad and general audience.
· Project abstracts: 2008 —Extended abstracts providing an update and latest results from all ongoing GCP projects as of July 2008.
· Poster abstracts: 2008—A compilation of abstracts of posters presented at the 2008 GCP Annual Research Meeting.
· Project briefs: 2007—a compilation of summaries on all GCP projects in 2007. Please note that the summaries are extracted from the original project proposals. A final and up-to-date version of the 2008 Project briefs is under compilation.
Announcements
1. Recruitment: Subprogramme 3 Leader
We invite applications for the position above in our Management Team. Subprogramme 3 – Trait focus for crop improvement – focuses on validating and refining molecular breeding systems and the resultant enhanced germplasm, with the primary purpose of increasing the efficiency, speed and scope of plant breeding.
Application deadline: January 9 2009. More
2. GCP workshop at the XVII International Plant and Animal Genome (PAG 2009) Conference
As in years past, GCP will host a side event at the January 2009 PAG Conference
· Dates: January 12 2009
· Convenors: GCP Subprogrammes 1 and 2
· Venue: San Diego, California, USA More
3. GCP GSS collaborator receives national prize for his studies on potato
A GCP GSS collaborator, Jorge Antonio Rojas Beltrán, has been awarded a national prize in his home country of
4. Crops for the Future: A new centre to boost knowledge on underutilised crops
The International Centre for Underutilised Crops (ICUC) is merging with the Global Facilitation Unit for Underutlised Species (GFU) to form a new centre. According to ICUC, there are thousands of crops the poor depend on that are however uncommercialised, including maize, wheat and beans. More from SciDev
5. First conference of the Argentinian Network on Salinity
· Dates: March 11–13, 2009
· Convenors: La Red Argentina de Salinidad (RAS)
· Venue:
This workshop will bring together professionals from different disciplines working in the field of soil salinity and its impact on agriculture and fishery. More (in Spanish)
6. The 2nd Tropical Crop Biotechnology Conference
· Date: July 22–25 2009
· Convenors: Institute of Plant Biotechnology (
· Venue:
· Target: researchers and managers in the public and private sector
The conference will be an update on progress and prospects for plant biotechnology in the tropics. More
7. Course on group facilitation skills for participatory decision-making
· Dates: May 26–29, 2009
· Convenors: Institutional Learning and Change Initiative (ILAC) of the CGIAR
· Venue:
This course is designed for managers of research, projects, or programmes, as well as team leaders who need to coordinate participatory projects, networks and meetings. More
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