Semi-Annual Report for the Legume Scholars Program Associate Award under the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Grain Legumes

The program is designed to foster collaboration among scholars from different universities and institutions, with a focus on addressing key challenges in grain legume production and utilization. Research progress made during the reporting period is satisfactory, with all scholars making excellent progress in their programs. The scholars are working on various research projects, including examining issues related to food security and how it is defined and measured, investigating the effects of liming on common bean production on acidic soils, and developing a nutritious peanut beverage for Malawi. The scholars have also made significant progress in their academic programs, with three women scholars and two male scholars progressing in their long-term training. The program has also provided opportunities for professional development and networking among the scholars. A workshop was organized in Washington DC, which provided training on research proposal and funding request development, open data requirements, and research ethics. The scholars also had the opportunity to network with USAID, IFPRI, and DAI, a private sector contracting firm that is a USAID contractor in various countries. The scholars presented their research and received valuable feedback and comments from the USAID staff and other scholars. The program has established linkages with the CGIAR, with scholars from each university working in person and remotely with their CGIAR advisors. Laboratory work was conducted by scholars from Michigan State University, University of Georgia, Iowa State University, and University of California Davis with their CGIAR advisors. The scholars are expected to complete their degrees in FY 2019 and FY 2020, with two scholars and an additional student completing their degrees in FY 2019. The remaining three scholars will complete their degrees in the first quarter of FY 2020, if the program extension is approved. The scholars have also submitted scholarly works for publication, including an article on the effect of removing legume leaves for consumption and a publication on the use of a mixture design approach to developing the peanut beverage. The program has made significant progress in its first year, with scholars making excellent progress in their research and academic programs. The program has also provided opportunities for professional development and networking among the scholars, and has established linkages with the CGIAR. The scholars are expected to complete their degrees and submit scholarly works for publication in the coming years.