Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience |  University of Cape Coast

Call for Applications for Small Research Grants

The Centre for Coastal Management of the University of Cape Coast as part of its mandate to promote research and contribute to knowledge towards addressing the multifaceted and complex challenges, such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, overexploitation of natural resources and environmental and health issues in the coastal zones, intends to use part of its funding allocation to support students in various research thematic areas at the Centre.

In furtherance of this objective, the Centre will make a total of twelve (12) awards covering STIPENDS ONLY to support postgraduate work of students to be competitively selected for the awards to take effect from July-December, 2021 (6 months).  

Eligibility:

All applicants must be:

1. Ghanaian by nationality
2. Registered MPhil students of the Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (ACECoR) at the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences of the University of Cape Coast

Requirements:

1. A Cover Letter (max. 1 page)
2. A short proposal (max. 3 pages without references) with the following elements:
   1. Title
   2. Background
   3. Objectives
   4. Relevance
   5. Methodology
   6. Expected outcomes
   7. Work plan (timeframe for project must not exceed 12 months)
   8. References
3. A 2-page Curriculum vitae

Expected Project Outputs:

1. MPhil Thesis
2. Evidence of submission of manuscript for publication (under review)  

Proposed Research topics:

1. Research-based management of the Gulf of Guinea (HOTSPOT) – in collaboration with the Danish Technical University (DTU) funded by DANIDA

This project will build on the experience, capacity and knowledge gained in HOTSPOT1, to provide for a holistic understanding of the causes and consequences of the coastal degradation and means to predict the approaching changes (including a tipping point) in the marine ecosystem. This will bring us one step closer to solutions for the sustainable development of the coastal communities in the Gulf of Guinea. This project will support two (2) students on the following topics:

• Ecological and socio-economic assessment of the impact of small-scale Port Expansion projects on nearby coastal communities 
• Combined impacts of pollution and sea surface warming on plankton communities.

2. Coasts under Control – funded by The French Institute of Research for Development (IRD)

Global climate change is expected to affect the geomorphology of life-supporting ecosystems (wetlands, mangroves, beaches) in West Africa by accelerating sea level rise, storm frequency and intensity. This project will develop robust, ecologically reasonable ecosystem health indicators that can be used to evaluate the combined effect of global change factors (including management actions) on coastal systems, in support of Africa’s long-term ecological and resource management objectives related to SDG number 13 (Climate action) and 14 (Life below water) of the UN. This project will support four (4) students on any of the following topics:

• The sensitivity of key coastal organisms to climate-induced factors and anthropogenic forces
• Computer-based simulation models to predict coastal ecosystem response to the combined effect of natural factors (e.g. climate) and anthropogenically induced stressors (e.g., pollution and overfishing
• Determination of the long-term morphodynamic extent of the Dzita beach (volta delta) evolution.
• Assess community vulnerability to coastal hazards
• Development of a network of video systems in West Africa.
• Diel and seasonal variation in fish and benthos variation of a sandy beach in Cape Coast in relation to physical fluctuation features

3. Power to the Fishers Project – in collaboration with Cerath Development Organization funded by the EU Program

The aim of the project is to address challenging issues affecting the livelihoods of the fisherfolks in Ghana through the promotion of efficient fish processing systems, enhancement of access to social protection and financial services, improved capacities in enterprise management as well as create awareness and build resilience against the impact of climate change. The three tenets of the project is therefore to promote improved fish smoking technologies, appropriate fish handling and the adoption of social protection services. The project will support five (5) students on the following topics:

• Assessing the contribution of traditional fish smoking to climate change
• Climate adaptation strategies among fisherfolks in coastal communities of Ghana
• Feasibility of aquaculture systems as alternative livelihoods in the coastal savannah zone of Ghana
• A study of the shelf-life of fishes smoked using improved oven and traditional oven in coastal Ghana
• An investigation into the microbiology of fishes smoked using improved oven and the traditional oven in coastal Ghana

4. From Vulnerability to Viability (V2V) in collaboration with the University of Waterloo – Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada

The goal of this partnership project is to critically examine factors and conditions contributing to the vulnerability of small-scale fisheries (SSF), and to work with SSF communities and other key actors to enhance their viability. We use the term viability not just in an economic sense but also to include social, political, and ecological aspects of SSF. Transitioning from vulnerability to viability (V2V) is an area of study that has not been adequately explored. This project will support one (1) student on the following topic:

• Fisheries governance and livelihoods resilience in the artisanal fisheries sector of Ghana

Deadline: CoB Friday 21st May, 2021.

All applications must be addressed to the Director, CCM/ACECoR on or before the deadline via email: acecor@ucc.edu.gh