Magor Noel 

Biography

"Digna is currently a Scientist 1 (social sciences) at the International Rice Research Institute under the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments (CURE). She is now the new CURE coordinator managing the consortium, particularly in the coordination of consortium-wide activities in implementation and monitoring progress against milestones. She was CURE associate coordinator for 2010 - 2013 until her designation as the coordinator in November. She undertakes capacity building for the NARES in the social sciences concepts and tools, in participatory varietal selection (PVS) and technology evaluation, participatory project documentation, knowledge management, and research-to-impact pathways. She is involved in documentation of models in community-based seed systems and technology diffusion strategies, and supporting the training needs of the NARES partners on various topics in seed systems and its up-scaling and out-scaling strategies. She contributes to the coordination of CURE gender-related activities with partner organizations, as CURE’s focal person, as a member of IRRI gender team, and as representative to the IFAD Philippines Gender Network (IPGN). As a social scientist, she leads the research on the socioeconomic dimension of technological innovation implemented by partner-NARES in unfavorable rice environments in South and Southeast Asia under CURE. These studies generally cover assessing the performance of new varieties at varying field conditions; eliciting feedback from men and women farmers on their varietal preferences; better understanding of a household’s economy in stress-affected areas; and undertaking assessment of factors that determine the adoption and diffusion of CURE technologies in target areas. Her research interests also cover impact-pathway analysis; and evaluation of outcome and benefits of technology adoption. The main objectives of her research works are to identify suitable strategies and recommendations for rapid delivery and sustainability of adoption of technologies; and fostering relevant impact pathway networks with NARES, private sector, civil society groups, ARIs, and others. Digna is also engaged in a project in drought-prone areas of Southeast Asia on the factors determining household choice of adaptive and coping mechanisms (social networks, social capital, and reducing the vulnerability), household characteristics and vulnerability to drought impacts, and with special reference to gender related issues."

Research Interest

Crop and Environmental Sciences