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Industry Placement Scholarship

Dairy Australia is seeking to develop partnerships between the dairy industry and academic institutions to encourage Research and Development activities highly oriented to industry needs.  The aim of Industry Placement Scholarships is to provide the dairy industry with high calibre graduates to work on projects that will improve on-farm aspects of the industry’s global competitiveness. Their training will be designed and supervised by a company within the dairy industry, in collaboration with a university. 

The scholarships are designed to be very flexible, to maximise the chance of recruiting talented graduates who will help the dairy-based company in the short-term and have the potential to benefit the whole industry in the long-term.

Awards are to be applied for by companies. A suitable candidate will then be recruited by the company and Dairy Australia.  It would be desirable that the successful candidate will have graduated and be eligible for enrolment into a higher degree.

Selection Criteria

  • appropriateness of proposed project to a Masters level
  • input from the participating company in terms of supervision of the student and a financial commitment
  • industry significance of the project to be undertaken
  • likelihood of useful outcomes for the dairy industry as a whole
  • likelihood that the project will increase competitiveness of the Australian dairy industry
  • the candidate will undergo training towards a formal academic award, under appropriate supervision

Any company actively involved or seeking to become involved in the Australian dairy industry may apply for an Industry Placement Scholarship. The main criterion for selection is the identification of a suitable project.

It is anticipated that scholarship recipients will spend approximately 60% of their time with the company and 40% under academic supervision, but this may vary considerably between projects. Scholarships will be made for a period of up to two years and recipients will be expected to enrol in a M AgSc., M Sc., M Eng., or equivalent program.

Dairy Australia may provide up to $25,000 per annum for salary. Operating funds of up to $5,000 per annum to assist in the project may also be available. There is no requirement for companies to provide continued employment for award holders, but company contribution to the project will be a key selection criterion for projects.

The focus of this award is upon flexibility. Dairy Australia recognises that the success of an Industry Placement Scholarship will depend on close collaboration between the commercial partner, academic institution and Dairy Australia.  The Farm Productivity and Delivery Program Managers at Dairy Australia are always available to talk through any idea for a suitable project at any time, and companies are encouraged to seek feedback before preparing an application.

Selection Procedure

Applications will be assessed against the stated selection criteria by the Farm Productivity and Delivery Group in Dairy Australia.  A Scholarship Agreement will be written between the Research Organisation, the student and Dairy Australia.  Application forms (in both Word and PDF format) can be found under Relevant Documents on this page.

Applications for the Industry Placement Awards are encouraged any time throughout the year.