The Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission, in partnership with the Platform for African–European Partnership on Agricultural Research for Development (PANAP), is proud to announce the PANAP Mentorship Programme 2026.
PANAP is hereby is inviting early-career researchers to apply for the Mentorship Programme. This one-year initiative is designed to support early-career researchers in agricultural and development economics, guiding them from research conceptualization to the production of high-quality, publishable papers.
The programme emphasizes practical mentorship, offering hands-on guidance from experienced researchers, methodological support, and access to unique datasets and modeling tools to strengthen analytical and research skills.
PANAP Mentorship Programme 2026 Programme Highlights
The PANAP Mentorship Programme is set to be one of the most impactful programmes for all career researchers. This is because selected participants in the PANAP Mentorship Programme will benefit from a wide variety of perks:
Below are some of the benefits of the programme.
- One-year mentorship:
All selected researchers at the programme will get the opportunity to work closely with senior researchers from the JRC or partner institutions to develop a co-authored research publication.
- Access to exclusive datasets:
Participants at the PANAP Mentorship Programme 2026 will be able to utilize high-quality agricultural and socioeconomic datasets covering West and Central Africa.
- Advanced modeling tools:
All participants will receive training and access to JRC’s in-house farm-level model, FSSIM-Dev, for advanced economic and modeling analyses.
- Conference sponsorship:
Participants will be afforded a fully funded attendance at the 8th African Conference of Agricultural Economists (ACAE) in Nairobi, Kenya (22–25 September 2026), contingent on research progress.
- Publication support:
Participants will also receive guidance to publish research in high-impact agricultural economics journals or dedicated special issues.
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Research Focus Areas
All prospective PANAP Mentorship Programme 2026 participants are invited to submit research proposals addressing sustainable agriculture and rural development, with an emphasis on community, household, or farm-level dynamics.
Suggested areas of study include, but are not limited to:
Labor and Gender in Food Systems
Investigate gender disparities, labor allocation, and inclusivity in agricultural labor markets and food production systems.
Yields, Productivity, and Agroecological Practices
Examine productivity differences across farming systems, adoption of sustainable practices, and impacts of climate-resilient or agroecological techniques.
Crop and Income Diversification
Analyze diversification strategies, household resilience, and income-generating approaches among farming communities.
Market Access and Institutional Support
Explore the role of cooperatives, contract farming, market linkages, and agricultural extension services in enhancing smallholder outcomes.
Livelihoods and Food Security
Assess poverty dynamics, asset ownership, and food insecurity at the household and community levels.
What Are the Available Datasets?
There are available datasets that participants will be given access to. All participants will gain access to premium datasets to support rigorous research, including:
Cocoa Production in Cameroon:
Data on over 4,000 cocoa-farming households, including plot-level details, household demographics, and economic activities, co-collected by the JRC and FAO.
Enquête Harmonisée sur les Conditions de Vie des Ménages (EHCVM):
A comprehensive panel survey covering Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo, with approximately 60,000 households per wave.
Researchers may use these datasets individually or in combination, focusing on specific countries or regional trends.
Application Requirements
Proposals to be submitted have to be of a certain standard. The applicants must submit a concise research proposal (maximum one page) including following:
- One or two clear research questions aligned with the programme themes.
- Contextual background of the research problem in the target region.
- Proposed methodology, highlighting econometric, modeling, or statistical approaches.
- References (excluded from the one-page limit).
Preferred methods include econometric analysis of cross-sectional or panel data and farm-level modeling using FSSIM-Dev, though innovative analytical approaches are also welcome.
Eligibility Criteria for the PANAP Mentorship Programme 2026
In order to be selected to become a participant at the PANAP Mentorship Programme 2026, all candidates must meet a certain list of criteria. The list of criteria to be met include:
- Hold a master’s degree or higher in economics, statistics, agricultural sciences, environmental studies, or related fields.
- Be African nationals and registered PANAP members.
- Be actively engaged in applied, policy-relevant econometric or microeconomic research in African agri-food systems.
Only PANAP members are eligible to receive mentorship and program support.
Selection Process and Timeline
Up to eight candidates will be selected. These selections will be based on:
- Scientific quality and policy relevance of the proposal.
- Alignment with programme research themes.
- Feasibility of completing the research within one year.
Submission Details:
For all intending applicants, there are certain details to be taken into consideration about the submission. Below are those details:
- Deadline: 15 December 2025
- Format: PDF (proposal and CV)
- Submission Portal: EU Survey platform
- Contact Email: JRC-PANAP@ec.europa.eu
Anticipated Impact of the PANAP Mentorship Programme 2026
The PANAP Mentorship Programme 2026 is designed to be fully dedicated to cultivating the next generation of African researchers while enhancing local expertise in agricultural economics and rural development.
Through a combination of expert mentorship, methodological guidance, and access to high-quality datasets, the programme empowers participants to produce robust, policy-relevant research that informs evidence-based strategies for sustainable agriculture across the continent.
Supported by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme (Grant Agreement No. 101136771), this initiative continues to promote cross-continental collaboration and advance scientific excellence in agricultural research.
