The Borlaug LEAP is a fellowship program, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to enhance the quality of thesis research of graduate students from developing countries who show strong promise as leaders in the field of agriculture and related disciplines as defined by Title XII. LEAP is part of the overall Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellows Program sponsored by the USDA.

The LEAP program will support engaging a mentor at a Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) system center to support and enhance the thesis research and mentoring experience. Awards will be made on a competitive basis to students who show strong scientific and leadership potential, have a well coordinated proposal between their home university, a US university mentor, and the CGIAR mentor, and whose research is related to a strong research and support project within the host country. Emphasis will be placed on work that has relevance to the national development of the student’s home country. Applications are welcome throughout the year. However, reviews are conducted once or twice a year and the administrative deadline for the next review is March 14th 2008.

Currently there are two Request for Applications (RFA). For the ongoing RFA, the focus region is sub-Saharan Africa. For this RFA, applicants must be citizens of USAID-assisted countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

The limited release RFA, is focused on Collaborative Research Support Programs (CRSPs). For this special RFA, applicants are welcome from any USAID-assisted country in all regions of the world but students must be affiliated with a CRSP to apply.