Transformation Accelerating Grants 2020 awarded to seven initiatives

​In May 2020, the r4d programme launched its second and final Call for Transformation Accelerating Grants (TAG) that allow teams of r4d researchers and implementing partners (e.g. policy makers, the private sector, development practitioners) to make use of the knowledge, tools and technologies developed within r4d projects through translation and implementation initiatives.

TAGs shall test, validate, accelerate or facilitate the uptake and utilisation of research findings from an r4d project on a local or national scale in r4d partner countries or on an international scale. Initiatives funded by a TAG are awarded a maximum of CHF 100'000 to be spent in one year.

Thirteen teams submitted TAG proposals in this second Call. They were evaluated by eight r4d Review Panel members who recommended seven proposals for funding. The National Research Council and its Presiding Board followed the TAG Review Panel's recommendation and ratified the funding decisions in the meetings on 8 and 9 December 2020.

The following seven initiatives are awarded a Transformation Accelerating Grant:

• Virtual Food Sustainability Academy: Training, practising and disseminating participatory food system assessments in Latin America and Africa , by José Manuel Freddy Delgado Burgoa (COMPAS, Bolivia), Stellah M. Mukhovi (University of Nairobi, Kenya), Sarah del Castillo (Universidad Nacional de Colombia), Chinedu Lilian Mba (University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria), Chidi Thadeus Nzeadibe (University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria), Chinwe Ifejika Speranza (Institute of Geography, University of Bern)
• Good Exporting Practices: An intervention proposal for Ghana , by Charles Odoom (African Center for Economic Transformation), Juan Carlos Hallak (Universidad de Buenos Aires), Nicolas Depetris Chauvin (University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland)
• Optimizing the integration of Organic Resources in Ghana's Local Agricultural Systems , by Godfred Ofosu-Budu (University of Ghana), George Nketiah (Kade IP), Christian Andres (OPC), Rose Oduro (West African Feeds-WAF); Siegfried Affedzie-Obresi (IFWA-CSIR-Animal Research Institute), Andreas Fliessbach (FiBL)
• Participatory Training 4 Sustainable Waste Governance: South-South Knowledge Transfer Program , by Damitha Samarakoon (Janathakshan), Sudarshan Rajbhandari (CIUD), T A Jayanthi (CED), Christian Zurbrügg (EAWAG), René Véron (University of Lausanne)
• Engaging key actors to protect vanilla-dependent livelihoods and prevent deforestation: a long-term perspective , by Bruno Ramamonjisoa (ESSA-Forêts), Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Handicraft, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery (Malagasy Government), Flurina Schneider (CDE)
• Development of a fire blight app for use in Central Asia , by Jarkyn Samanchina (Fauna & Flora International), Tinatin Doolotkeldieva (Kyrgyz – Turkish Manas University), Theo Smits (Zurich University of Applied Sciences)
• Promoting decent work through entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa: Toward a test of innovative psychological-based approaches to counseling in Burkina Faso and Togo , by Abdoulaye Ouedraogo (University of Ouaga 1 Pr. Joseph Ki-Zerbo), Issa Abdou Moumoula (University Norbert Zongo), Paboussoum Pari (University of Lomé), Jérôme Rossier (University of Lausanne)

Short summaries can be found in the right column of the respective r4d projects from which the TAG initiatives emerge (see hyperlinks of TAG titles).