WACCI’s Team Lead for Rice Improvement Programme awarded UNESCO-TWAS Grant.
Dr. Mavis Owusuaa Osei-Wusu, a Lecturer and Team Lead for the Rice Improvement Programme at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), has been awarded a UNESCO-TWAS 2024 Grant for African Scientists. This prestigious grant, valued at USD 41,000.00, will support Dr. Osei-Wusu's research on the “Identification of genes for the development of salinity-tolerant rice for enhanced food security in Ghana using molecular tools."
The UNESCO-TWAS Programme is an initiative by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), with funding from the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The Grant for African Scientists aims to support early-career scientists in Sub-Saharan Africa, with particular emphasis on Least Developed Countries (LDCs), to advance science in these regions through innovative research and development.
Dr. Osei-Wusu's research project focuses on developing climate resilient rice via the use of modern biotechnology tools such as gene editing, genetic transformation, double haploid technology, and marker-assisted selection.
In an interview with Dr. Osei-Wusu , she expressed her excitement and gratitude for receiving this prestigious grant. "I am deeply honored to be a recipient of this grant. It will significantly enhance my professional and personal development. It opens up new opportunities for growth and collaboration, enhances my credibility and visibility in the academic community, and motivates me to continue pushing the boundaries of my field," she said.
She further stated that the resources from the grant will support WACCI with necessary equipment and skilled personnel through the training of MSc and PhD students, particularly females, for a sustainable rice breeding programme at WACCI and in Ghana.
Dr. Osei-Wusu emphasized the long-term impact of the project: "The initiative aims to promote rice production in saline soils along the coast, particularly in the Volta region, the highest rice-producing region of Ghana. This will help reduce rice importation, leading to job creation, economic growth, food security, and poverty reduction.
WACCI congratulates Dr. Mavis Owusuaa Osei-Wusu on her remarkable achievement.
