The ITC Faculty of the University of Twente is proud to announce that Associate Professors Roshanak Darvishzadeh and Anton Vrieling have been awarded the NL-CGIAR Senior Expert grants that aim to support innovative research projects that address global food security challenges.
These grants are part of the broader Netherlands-CGIAR research programme aimed at advancing knowledge and enhancing innovation for global food and nutrition security (SDG2) and together provide a funding of EUR 575,000.
This programme stimulates collaboration between Dutch knowledge institutes and the CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research), a global network of institutes dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources.
Roshanak Darvishzadeh's Senior Expert position supports the CGIAR Plant Health initiative, while Anton Vrieling's position relates to the CGIAR initiative on Livestock and Climate.
Roshanak Darvishzadeh, Senior Expert on Plant Health
Roshanak Darvishzadeh will focus on enhancing the precision and effectiveness of detecting and monitoring rice stressors resulting from abiotic and biotic factors and extreme climate events across large spatial extents by leveraging hyperspectral remote sensing at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Advanced remote sensing data and methods are crucial for developing and scaling CGIAR’s Plant Health Initiative innovation strategy, supporting early warning and rapid response to prevent crop losses.
Anton Vrieling, Senior Expert at Livestock and Climate
Anton Vrieling will focus on improving the resilience of pastoral communities in northern Kenya, which are increasingly affected by extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change. Through CGIAR’s ‘Livestock and Climate’ Initiative, Anton will develop Earth observation solutions to provide deeper insights into the complex interactions between climate, rangeland conditions, and livestock health. For this, he will closely collaborate with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Nairobi, Kenya.
Enhancing the use of remote sensing at CGIAR initiatives
“This is a great opportunity for ITC Faculty to strengthen global partnerships, drive innovative research and education, and collaborate more closely with CGIAR, the world’s largest research partnership for a food-secure future” mentions Roshanak. These collaborations will enhance ITC profiling themes and leverage its strengths in cutting-edge remote sensing and geospatial technologies to support CGIAR’s mission to solve current and future interconnected food, land, water and climate crises.
Contributions to global food security
The awarding of these two grants underscores ITC’s commitment to addressing global challenges through cutting-edge research and innovation. “These grants are building on the ITC profiling themes of Resource Security and Disaster Resilience and contribute to ITC’s capacity-building mandate in the Majority World” explains Anton. “Research under the SEP scheme will be carried out with CGIAR institutes and local partners. It will open opportunities for local MSc and PhD students to develop skills in these topics using remote sensing to contribute to enhanced food security.”
About CGIAR
The NL-CGIAR Senior Expert Programme II (SEPII) provides senior researchers from Dutch institutions with a unique opportunity to contribute to CGIAR’s research initiatives.
This program supports the participation of Dutch experts by funding their personnel costs, enabling them to engage in international research efforts aimed at enhancing global food security.
The grants facilitate collaboration between Dutch research institutions and CGIAR, leveraging Dutch expertise to address critical challenges such as food security, climate resilience, and sustainable agriculture.
