MSc Graduate Fellow - Forage Genetic Diversity Collections (4 Positions)

About the role

ILRI is recruiting four MSc Graduate Fellows under the supervision of the Forage Genebank team within the Livestock Genetics, Nutrition and Feed Resources Program. The genebank holds nearly 19,000 accessions of tropical and subtropical forage grasses, legumes and fodder trees. The fellows will work on the genetic diversity of forages such as Vicia, Pisum, Cajanus and Glycine species, with a multidisciplinary team on conservation, distribution and characterization of forage genetic resources. The positions are based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for a 7-month fellowship.

Key responsibilities

• Carry out a literature review on genetic resource conservation and diversity assessment of forage crops
• Analyse genotyping data and write summaries for presentations and manuscripts
• Report on findings and write the MSc thesis
• Draft an article for journal publication and a poster for presentation

Required profile

• MSc student who has finished coursework and is ready to start the thesis project
• BSc degree in Plant Science, Horticulture, Plant Genetics, Plant Breeding, Plant Biotechnology, Biological Sciences or a related field
• Demonstrated experience in molecular genetics, quantitative genetics or bioinformatics
• Experience writing reports and journal publications
• Ability to work independently, multi-task and meet tight deadlines; proficiency in written and spoken English

Required skills

• Good working knowledge of MS Office packages
• Experience with R for genetic data analysis is an advantage

What we offer

• A monthly stipend covering living expenses in the project location
• Medical insurance and coverage of research expenses
• Co-supervision by academic and ILRI supervisors and capacity development opportunities

Applicants must submit a cover letter, a CV with three referees, and academic certificates/transcripts by 9 June 2026 via the application form. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, and there is no fee at any stage.