Innovating for skills enhancement: the centrality of field attachment programs in agricultural sciences in Africa

In 2010, the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) launched the Field Attachment Programmes Award (FAPA) – an innovative strategy aimed at encouraging graduate students at postgraduate level to follow through with the dissemination of their research to enable them to link more closely with communities and agencies working in the area where their research was undertaken. This article discusses the lessons learned during the period 2010–2015 by examining two key areas: (1) the application process and implementation of the awards; and (2) the reported outcomes and challenges for grantees.