Introducing the Crawford Research Leaders Collective

April 28, 2026

Have you attended a Crawford Fund Agricultural Research Leadership and Management Master Class, between 2016 and 2026? If so, please join us for further career development and engagement!

The Crawford Fund for Food Security’ Agricultural Research Leadership and Management (ARLM) Master Classes have been engaging globally with aspiring leaders in the agricultural researcher’s space for the past decade. After requests from ARLM alumni to consolidate the Master Class’s impact, and to capitalise on the relationships it fostered, a new Crawford Fund for Food Security program has been developed: the Crawford Research Leaders Collective (RLC).

“The RLC aims to strengthen leadership capability across international agricultural research for development, and it will function as both a community of practice and a leadership think tank. It will support alumni as lifelong learners, thought leaders, and AgR4D professionals, and the RLC will operate independently of institutional constraints while aligning with the needs of agencies in the international development sector,” said Shaun Coffey, Chief Executive of the Crawford Fund for Food Security.  

“As a community of practice, it aims to provide a space for peer learning, problem solving, and shared experience. As a leadership think tank, its goal is to create the conditions for reflection, idea generation, and contribution to broader discussions on leadership in agricultural research for development,” he said.

Rebecca Cotton is the program manager of the RLC. She started her journey as a Crawford Fund Scholar in 2016 which coincidently also corresponds with the first iteration of the Crawford Fund for Food Security ARLM Master Class.

“Over the past decade I have been working along side the Crawford Fund and have progressed from student to leader. Aligning with the principle of the RLC, that leadership is developed through practice, interaction, and shared experience over time, my path, supported by the Crawford Fund, has highlighted the value of opportunities, networks, and mentorship, all of which the Research Collective stands for,” said Rebecca.

If you are an alumni of the Crawford Fund Agricultural Research Leadership and Management Master Classes, and are interested in learning more about the Crawford Research Leaders Collective and the opportunities that it presents, please email us. You can look forward to joining your fellow alumni as part of a growing leaders’ network!