Postgraduate Funding: Water Resources for Sustainable Development

The Sub-Saharan African Water Resource Network (SSAWRN) is one of five networks that is expected to receive renewal funding through the Carnegie-IAS Regional Initiative in Science and Education (RISE: see
http://sites.ias.edu/sig/rise) for the period of 2011-2013. The funds are intended to prepare MSc and PhD-level scientists and engineers in sub-Saharan Africa through university-based research and training networks.
The applications should fall under the following theme: 'Water Resources for Sustainable Development - Threats and Opportunities'
The objective of the SSAWRN is to develop research capacity in the field of water resource science by building on existing networks (e.g. SA FRIEND & WaterNet) and with a focus on multi- & inter-disciplinary applied science that is directed at contributing to finding solutions to regional water resource problems. The objective is associated with a recognized lack of trained specialists in the region and the need to develop and improve long-term institutional and individual capacity for scientific research. The objective will be achieved through the support of post-graduate training and mentorship, and through fostering interaction between institutions and individuals in the sub-Saharan African region. The scope of the network will cover all water resources, including rivers, wetlands, lakes and ground water. Specific subject areas include hydrology (surface and ground water), water quality and ecological dependencies,
water resource use and management, as well as water related environmental, social and economic sustainability issues. Note that the prospective student should try to consider submitting a proposal that is inter-disciplinary and falls under the above theme.
The SSAWRN consists of four nodes located within the following university
faculties or departments:
•Institute for Water Research (IWR), Rhodes University (Grahamstown, South
Africa; http://www.ru.ac.za/iwr )
•Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Makerere Waternetwork, Makerere
University (Kampala, Uganda; http://vetmed.mak.ac.ug/n/)
•Okavango Research Institute (ORI), University of Botswana (Maun,
Botswana; http://www.orc.ub.bw/)
•Department of Geology, Eduardo Mondlane University (Maputo, Mozambique;
http://www.ciencias.uem.mz/)
The Institute for Water Research is hosting the secretariat for the SSAWRN
and Prof. Denis Hughes as the Academic Director.

The secretariat can be contacted at:
e-mail: RISE-SAWater@ru.ac.za
fax: +27 46 6229427
Website: http://www.ru.ac.za/static/institutes/iwr/rise/index.php