NUI Galway secures $100,000 grant from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Grant to be be used to develop tools to reduce labour demands on small farmers in sub-Saharan Africa

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has agreed a grant to NUI Galway (NUIG) programme with Concern Worldwide to research the prototyping of agricultural cropping tools used by female farmers in Africa. Photograph: Reuters/Christian Hartmann

Sun May 26 2013 - 19:19

An NUI Galway (NUIG) programme with Concern Worldwide has secured a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop tools which will reduce the labour demands on small farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.

The university’s plant and agribiosciences centre has secured a $100,000 (€77,500) “grand challenges exploration” (GCE) grant from the foundation to research the prototyping of agricultural cropping tools used by female farmers in Africa.

The GCE funds support work on solving persistent global health and development challenges.

NUIG says it is the first time any Irish institution or university has secured one of the grants.