The mandate of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is to meet contemporary development challenges, and to lead in enabling sustainable agricultural and rural development in Southeast Asia.
SEARCA offers a number of funding opportunities in education, training, and research.
Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources
1 — Seed Fund for Research and Training (SFRT). The SFRT provides start-up funds for research projects in natural resources management and agricultural competitiveness. The program is open to nationals of Southeast Asia who have at least a four-year university degree, and who lack significant alternative funding support. The maximum grant is US$15 thousand for one year.
APPLICATION: The research grant is accessible through the Mentorship Program for Individual and Collaborative Research and Mentorship Program under the SEARCA-IFS (International Foundation for Science) partnership.
Grant seekers consult application guidelines on SEARCA’s website. A proposal includes research objectives, methods, implementation details, budget, and qualifications of the researchers. Completed proposals are submitted to SEARCA according to an annual calendar deadline.
2 — Graduate Scholarships. SEARCA financially supports advanced studies leading to the MS and PhD degrees in agriculture, forestry, and related fields. Several universities in Southeast Asia participate in the program. Financial support covers stipend, tuition, international and domestic travel allowances, thesis/dissertation support, a book allowance, and health insurance.
APPLICATION: Application forms are posted on SEARCA’s website. Completed applications are submitted through the national Ministries of Education (or equivalent) in each Southeast Asian country, which coordinate with SEARCA according to an annual calendar deadline.
3 — Travel Grants. Travel grants support qualified professionals and social scientists (including graduate students) who work in agriculture and related disciplines to make professional presentations at international or national scientific conferences. Each travel grant provides a maximum of US$1,200.
APPLICATION: Applicants send letters of request to SEARCA, which reviews them on a quarterly schedule.
Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries
Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam
Note: Singapore, defined in the Terra Viva Grants Directory as a developed country, is also a member of SEARCA.
SEARCA is one of several regional centers established by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) to promote cooperation in education, science, and culture in the Southeast Asian region.
The SEARCA Regional Professorial Chair Grant recognizes the contribution of outstanding Southeast Asian experts in the fields of agriculture and related sciences.
SEARCA supports a series academic grants to further scientific collaboration with agricultural universities in the Southeast Asian region.
Contact Us offers information for SEARCA’s office on the campus of the University of the Philippines in Los Baños.
October 2021