1. Introduction
The Centre for Agricultural Research and Development (CARD) at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) invites high-performing undergraduate students to submit applications for research support funding. This initiative is part of CARD’s strategic commitment to nurturing the next generation of scientists, researchers, and analysts in agriculture and applied policy research. Established in 1994, the CARD is a public policy research institute based at LUANAR, formerly Bunda College of Agriculture, under the University of Malawi. The CARD got its initial funding from the Government of Malawi, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the World Bank Group, as a Centre of Excellence for undertaking high quality and timely policy research in agriculture, food and nutrition security, rural development, environment, and natural resource management in the country. The CARD has four primary functions: policy research, training, consultancy, and outreach, which are integrated within a vast network of researchers and policy decision makers across the country and region, at large.

2. Purpose of the Call
The Centre aims to identify, mentor, and support outstanding undergraduate students by funding high-quality research projects that align with CARD’s research thematic areas and the University’s Strategic Plan. The Centre will support a total of 20 undergraduate research projects in the 2026/2027 Academic Year, with equal distribution across all faculties at Bunda Campus, LUANAR, namely the Faculties of Agriculture, Development Studies, Food and Human Sciences, Natural Resources, as well as Veterinary Medicine.

3. Research Grant Support
• Each selected student will receive US$ 250 in research grant support.
• The funding will also provide tuition support equivalent to 50% of the annual tuition fees for the 2026/2027 Academic Year.
• The funding will cover tuition (50%), data collection, data analysis, and reporting.
• Selected students will further benefi t from structured technical mentorship and close research supervision under CARD.

4. Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet all of the following requirements:
• Be a registered undergraduate student at LUANAR – Bunda Campus.
• Be in second semester of the third (3rd) year of study (2025/2026).
• Have a minimum average mark of 70% and at least a cumulative GPA of 3.5.
• Demonstrate strong academic performance, research interest, and commitment.
• Propose a research topic that aligns with CARD’s thematic research areas: Agriculture Productivity, Diversifi cation, and Mechanization; Agricultural Trade, Commercialization, and Value Addition; Agri-food Systems and Partnership; Food and Nutrition Security; Climate Change, Natural Resource Management, and Environment; Irrigation and Water Resource Management; Gender, Resilience, and Social Inclusion; as well as Applied Data Analytics for Policy Infl uence.

• Demonstrate how the research topic align with the Malawi Vision 2063 Vision Pillar on Agricultural Productivity and Commercialization.
• In addition, research topics on plantation crops, industrial crops, and commercial livestock production, coupled with value addition, will have an added advantage.
5. Application Requirements
Interested and eligible Bunda Campus’ students are invited to submit a formal cover letter, together with the following mandatory supporting documents:
• A research concept note (maximum 3 pages), including title, research problem, rationale, objectives, research questions, conceptual framework, study area, and proposed methodology, with Arial font type, font size of 12, and single spacing.
• A proof of registration from the University Registrar
• A certified academic transcript from the University Registrar
• A recommendation letter from an academic supervisor
• A recommendation letter from the Head of Department