Current Directors

Dr. Martin Patrick Ongol was appointed Deputy Executive Secretary of UNCST with effect from March 2020. Dr. Ongol holds a PhD in Applied Bioscience from Hokkaido University, Japan and has over 23 years of professional experience. His areas of expertise include: strategic planning, organizational development, policy analysis, food security, nutrition, food systems, research management, applied microbiology, molecular biology, agricultural development, agricultural market systems development, impact evaluation, and program management. Previously he was an Advisor with the UK Department for International Development (DFID) leading a £43 million Program, aiming at transforming agriculture in Rwanda through commercialization, research and Innovation. Before joining DFID, Dr Ongol served as the Director of Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, University of Rwanda - College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences (UR-CAVM). As Director of Research, he led in strategic re-orientation and strengthening of UR-CAVM’s research and Innovation agenda which resulted into enhanced research impact, greater funding, extensive collaborations and strengthened capacity building initiatives. From 2015 to 2018, he was the Vice President, East African Research and Innovation Managers Association (EARIMA). At a continental level he was a resource person for Rwanda in drafting of Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa (S3A). His contributions led to Rwanda becoming one of the first countries in Africa selected for implementation of the S3A by Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa (FARA). He has won several internationally competitive research grants from The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), International Foundation of Science (IFS), International Food Policy Research Institute, Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), EU-ACP secretariat, International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), and HarvestPlus. Dr Ongol has authored over 45 scientific papers published in internationally accredited scientific platforms. Two of hi