Richard Moyo | Food Security | Best Researcher Award

Mr Richard Moyo |  Food Security  |  Best Researcher Award

Associate Consultant at  University of Malawi,  Malawi

Richard Steven Moyo is a pragmatic and results-driven economist with over five years of hands-on experience in evidence-based monitoring and evaluation. His expertise includes economic modeling, data collection, survey design, data analysis, and preparing research reports. Richard specializes in health economics, public sector economics, and evidence-based decision-making, using tools such as STATA, R, and Excel for economic evaluation.

Profile:

Education:

  • Master of Arts in Economics (2024) – University of Malawi (Health Economics & Public Sector Economics)
  • Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics (2019) – Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Professional Experience:

  • Associate Consultant (2022-Present) – ASPIRE Consultancy
    • Data Manager for the Malawi Water and Sanitation Project-1 (MWSP 1), overseeing customer satisfaction and willingness-to-pay surveys.
  • Research Fellow (2024-2025) – Malawi Environment Protection Authority (MEPA)
    • Co-author of the Malawi State of Environment Outlook Report, contributing to environmental research and policy.
  • Adjunct Lecturer (2024-Present) – University of Livingstonia
    • Teaching courses in Health Economics and Public Health.
  • Research Fellow (2024-Present) – University of Malawi
    • Conducted economic impact assessments on the Art sector and evaluated the Titukulane Project with IFPRI Malawi.
  • Research Supervisor/Data Analyst (2020-2023) – Center for Social Research (CSR)
    • Led impact evaluations of educational programs focused on reducing teenage pregnancies in Malawi.
  • Monitoring & Evaluation Officer (2020-2023) – Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning
    • Conducted data analysis on market trends and evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 Urban Cash Transfer Intervention.

Skills Profile:

  • Technical Skills: Proficient in Microsoft Excel, Power BI, STATA, R-Studio, SPSS.
  • Leadership: Led teams in the implementation and evaluation of multiple research projects.
  • Research: Conducted 4 baseline studies and 6 impact evaluations, achieving 20% savings in project budgets.

Publication Title Format:

  • Moyo, R., & Chirwa, G.C. (2025). The economic implications of noncommunicable diseases on food security and resilience in Malawi. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 19, 101646.
  • Moyo, R., Love, D., Mul, M., Mupangwa, W., & Twomlow, S. (2006). Impact and sustainability of low-head drip irrigation kits, in the semi-arid Gwanda and Beitbridge Districts, Mzingwane Catchment, Limpopo Basin, Zimbabwe. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 31(15-16), 885–892.

 

 

Devendra Jain | Plant Growth | Best Researcher Award

Assist. Prof. Dr Devendra Jain | Plant Growth |  Best Researcher Award

Assistant Professor at  Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology,  India

Dr. Devendra Jain serves as an Assistant Professor in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology. He began his academic tenure on August 1, 2013, and has since been contributing to the advancement of molecular biology and biotechnology in agriculture. Born on June 8, 1982, Dr. Jain brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his role, fostering innovation and research in his field. With a career spanning nearly three decades, he is set to retire on June 30, 2042, leaving a lasting impact on the academic and scientific community.

Profile:

Academic Qualifications:

  • Ph.D. (Science): Rajasthan University, Jaipur (2010)
  • M.Sc. (Biotechnology): TNAU, Udaipur (2005) – GPA: 9.22/10
  • B.Sc. (Ag.) Hons.: Dr. PDKV, Akola (2003) – GPA: 8.48/10
  • ICAR-NET Certificate: 2009

Training/Workshops:

  1. Safety Aspects of Research Applications of Ionizing Radiations
    • Conducted by: BARC, Mumbai
    • Date: May 22-30, 2006
  2. Bioinformatics: Introduction and Application
    • Conducted by: BIF, University of Rajasthan
    • Date: February 7-9, 2008
  3. Biotechnology and Bioinformatics
    • Conducted by: BIF, University of Rajasthan
    • Date: September 25-26, 2008
  4. Biological Sequence Analysis
    • Conducted by: BIF, University of Rajasthan
    • Date: January 9-10, 2009
  5. Bioinformatics Workshop
    • Conducted by: BIF, University of Rajasthan
    • Date: January 11-12, 2009
  6. Awareness of e-Courses for B.Sc. (Hort.)
    • Organized by: Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry
    • Date: February 13-14, 2014
  7. Advanced Nano-Characterization Techniques
    • Organized by: Noorul Islam Centre for Higher Education
    • Date: January 22 – February 7, 2014
  8. Orientation Course
    • Organized by: MPUAT, Udaipur
    • Date: December 3-23, 2013
  9. Bioinformatics-Based Genomic and Proteomic Data Analysis
    • Sponsored by: ICAR
    • Date: March 4-9, 2016
  10. Technological Advances in Organic Agriculture
    • Sponsored by: ICAR
    • Date: June 1-21, 2016
  11. Japan Asia Youth Exchange Program
    • Location: University of Miyazaki, Japan
    • Date: December 14-23, 2017
  12. Skill Development for Doubling Farmers’ Income
    • Sponsored by: ICAR
    • Date: July 30 – August 19, 2018
  13. Proteomics in Life Science Research
    • Location: MLSU, Udaipur
    • Date: March 6, 2019

Research Experience:

  • AINP-SBB Project: Principal Investigator (2014–present)
  • AINP on Organic Farming: Co-Principal Investigator (2017–present)
  • RKVY Projects:
    • Production and Evaluation of Liquid Microbial Inoculants (PI, 2016)
    • Biofertilizers in Tribal Belt of Southern Rajasthan (Co-PI, 2015)
    • Mushroom and Ornamental Fish Projects (Co-PI)

Research Focus:

Dr. Jain specializes in molecular biology, biotechnology, nanotechnology applications in agriculture, plant growth enhancement, and microbial interactions. His recent works explore bio-economic strategies, nanomaterial synthesis, and sustainable agricultural practices.

Citations:

  • Total Citations: 3,735
    • Since 2020: 2,360
  • h-index: 27
    • Since 2020: 23
  • i10-index: 54
    • Since 2020: 52

Publication Top Notes : 

  • Synthesis of plant-mediated silver nanoparticles using papaya fruit extract and evaluation of their antimicrobial activities
    D Jain, HK Daima, S Kachhwaha, SL Kothari
    Digest Journal of Nanomaterials and Biostructures 4 (3), 557-563, 990 citations (2009)
  • Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Argemone mexicana leaf extract and evaluation of their antimicrobial activities
    A Singh, D Jain, MK Upadhyay, N Khandelwal, HN Verma
    Digest Journal of Nanomaterials and Biostructures 5 (2), 483-489, 625 citations (2010)
  • Root exudates: mechanistic insight of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria for sustainable crop production
    SK Upadhyay, AK Srivastava, VD Rajput, PK Chauhan, AA Bhojiya, …
    Frontiers in Microbiology 13, 916488, 146 citations (2022)
  • Novel microbial route to synthesize silver nanoparticles using spore crystal mixture of Bacillus thuringiensis
    D Jain, S Kachhwaha, R Jain, G Srivastava, SL Kothari
    Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 48 (11), 1152-1156, 119 citations (2010)
  • Microbial fabrication of zinc oxide nanoparticles and evaluation of their antimicrobial and photocatalytic properties
    D Jain, Shivani, AA Bhojiya, H Singh, HK Daima, M Singh, SR Mohanty, …
    Frontiers in Chemistry 8, 778, 114 citations (2020)
  • Mechanistic insights and potential use of siderophores producing microbes in rhizosphere for mitigation of stress in plants grown in degraded land
    P Singh, PK Chauhan, SK Upadhyay, RK Singh, P Dwivedi, J Wang, …
    Frontiers in Microbiology 13, 898979, 102 citations (2022)
  • Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their application in plant virus inhibition
    D Jain, SL Kothari
    Journal of Mycology and Plant Pathology 44 (1), 21-24, 96 citations (2014)
  • Zinc tolerant plant growth promoting bacteria alleviates phytotoxic effects of zinc on maize through zinc immobilization
    D Jain, R Kour, AA Bhojiya, RH Meena, A Singh, SR Mohanty, …
    Scientific Reports 10 (1), 13865, 84 citations (2020)
  • Adventitious shoot regeneration and in vitro biosynthesis of steroidal lactones in Withania coagulans (Stocks) Dunal
    R Jain, A Sinha, D Jain, S Kachhwaha, SL Kothari
    Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 105, 135-140, 52 citations (2011)
  • NaNbO3 Nanorods: Photopiezocatalysts for Elevated Bacterial Disinfection and Wastewater Treatment
    A Sharma, U Bhardwaj, D Jain, HS Kushwaha
    ACS Omega 7 (9), 7595-7605, 50 citations (2022)