Key recommendations from other DFAT-ACIAR partnerships have previously highlighted the importance of stronger program reporting and cross-program collaborations. Further discussions arose at the 2017 Annual Meeting, where the five TADEP component projects expressed interest in working together in a greater capacity.

Therefore a small competitive, merit based fund for cross-program collaboration was developed to facilitate the following opportunities:

  • Cross-program collaboration
  • Cross-program capacity building
  • New activities that could directly address high-level targets of the Australian aid program, especially women’s economic empowerment and private sector engagement.
  • Activities that promote collaboration between Papua New Guinean agencies

The goal of the grant was to enable newly-identified opportunities for cross project collaboration and in doing so, enhance the value of the program beyond the sum of its five component projects.

Below is a snapshot of some of the successful Collaborative Research Grant applications.

Goal: To improve vegetable production and nutrition for cocoa farmers through targeted education and training.

Projects involved: Bougainville Cocoa, Family Farm Teams

Partners: : ABG Department of Primary Industries (DPI), ABG Department of Health (DoH), Bougainville Women’s Federation (BWF), University of Natural Resources and Environment (UNRE)

FINAL REPORT

Goal: To build the confidence and skills of women and families to enable the development of equitable family cocoa production and sales enterprises.

Projects involved: Family Farm Teams, PNG Cocoa, Bougainville Cocoa

Partners: Cocoa Board, DPI (NIP, ARoB, East Sepik and Madang)

FINAL REPORT

For more information, please contact [email protected]

Grace Enoch (black & white striped shirt) demonstrates to other
Compost trial in Central Bougainville in collaboration with ACIAR Soils project.

Goal: Aims to reduce soil nutrient depletion and increase the use of low cost andlow technology soil supplements in PNG.

Projects involved: Family Farm Teams, Galip Nut, SMCN/2014/0485

Partners: USC, UC, USyd, NARI, UNRE

Final Report

For more information, please contact [email protected]

Goal: Facilitate a sharing environment where women can experience new products and ideas that can be sourced for their gardens and excess harvest, providing further market engagement and value adding opportunities, alleviating gender inequality through economic empowerment.

Projects involved: Family Farm Teams, Galip Nut

Partners: USC, UC, NARI, UNRE, ENBWYiA

FINAL REPORT

For more information, please contact [email protected]

A range of kaukau (sweet potato) for sale along the roadside