The Crawford Fund

The Crawford Fund is a non-government organisation (NGO) in Australia that promotes and supports international agricultural research for developing countries. The Crawford Fund has than twenty five years of experience in training scientists in agricultural research. We have trained over 10,000 people from 40 countries. Our Master Class program identifies new areas of knowledge, which are changing the way research is conducted, particularly in developing countries. In addition to courses on cutting edge technical topics such as molecular genetics, biodiversity and biosecurity, the Fund has conducted Master Classes on intellectual property, science communication, the management of technology transfer, and environmentally oriented areas such as sustainable resources management. Through these years of training, we have identified a need to provide additional skills to senior project and program leaders in research leadership and management.

Call for Participants

The Crawford Fund is calling for applicants to participate in its first five day Master Class in Research Leadership and Management. This Master Class in research leadership will improve management of publicly funded agricultural research systems supporting the development needs of countries throughout the world. The new master class draws on past training and latest thinking and best practice, drawn from both the public and private sector, about how individuals can navigate the path from scientific and technical expertise roles to new positions requiring the leadership skills necessary to lead people, project and program teams, and ultimately research institutes.

The Master Class with be led by Shaun Coffey, an experienced and successful leader of R&D organisations. He was formerly CEO of a leading NZ Crown Research Institute, Chief of one of the largest Divisions of CSIRO, and is Adjunct Professor of Strategy and Leadership in Victoria University of Wellington. He will be assisted by Colin Chartres, Director of Master Classes and Training at the Crawford Fund and formerly DG of the International Water Management Institute; and by others experienced in financial and HR management. The Master Class provides state-of-the-art learnings delivered from a hand-on perspectives by experienced and successful practitioners.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the Master Class participants will:

  • Understand the key processes required to manage research programs.
  • Understand and appreciate their roles as leaders in the research environment.
  • Appreciate the demands of managing and leading research.
  • Understand the importance of effective outputs to create desired impacts.
  • Be able to apply processes
  • to identify priorities and establish strategies for agricultural research;
  • to plan and evaluate activities;
  • to manage finances and program logistics: and
  • to identify and access resources.
  • Understand the importance of people management, and associated HR processes.
  • Appreciate the need for effective communication
  • Have a clear understanding of their future development need.

Individual Learning Plans

A feature of the Master Class is the requirement that participants create an Individual Development Plan, negotiated and agreed with their parent institution, on completion of the course. This process, including post-workshop follow-up will be facilitated by the Master Class leader. It is anticipated that a strong Alumni network can develop, as participants regularly share their progress as a result of participating in the Master Class.

Who should attend?

The program is intended for staff in the CG or similar International Agricultural Research Centres,; and/or in the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) in developing countries who are either:

  • Managing, or aspiring to manage research programs;
  • providing functional support for program management; or
  • responsible for capability building.

Participants will be required to:

  • Speak sufficient English to undertake the course
  • Have the support of their institution to attend the full course
  • Have support of their institution to enter into an Individual Development Plan to maximise the
  • benefits of the training to both the individual and the institution
  • Share with other participants the results of their efforts at agreed date after the training
  • Bring a laptop to the training (internet is provided).

Costs and Registration

  • CG Centre staff and related international institutions: US $2950 p/p plus travel and accommodation costs
  • National Agricultural and Extension Services and related developing country institutions: a one-off fee of US$400 to partially cover food and accommodation.

Please contact the Crawford Fund to discuss these arrangements.

How to Register

The size of the Master Class is strictly limited to ensure personal attention to participants.
Please register your interest by April 15th, 2016, stating name (indicate whether male/female), qualifications, email address, and institutional affiliation, arrangements for funding your attendance and a statement by
your employer that you have approval to attend. This information should be forwarded by email to:

Ms Marchien van Oostende, Office Manager, The Crawford Fund, PO Box 4477, KINGSTON ACT 2604
Phone: +61 2 6273 6295. (marchien.vanoostende@crawfordfund.org) (email preferred).

For further information please contact Dr Colin Chartres, Director, Master Classes, Crawford Fund at colin.chartres@crawfordfund.org
For information relating to the program contact Shaun Coffey who will be leading the Master Class at ceo@shauncoffey.org

Find more information on: http://www.crawfordfund.org/training/master-classes/

or  You can read more about the Crawford Fund Agricultural Research Leadership Master Class here, and access the program.

To view the Crawford Fund Master Classes brochure, click here.