Kickstart Your Career in Industry
Apply for a Unique PhD Opportunity
SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE GENETIC & FIELD TECHNOLOGIES FOR FUTURE CROPS
This Training Centre is offering a wide range of PhD student projects to equip the next generation of researchers to apply innovative genetic, machine learning and analytical technologies to crop development – whilst evaluating these innovations against socio-economic, regulatory and market drivers to maximise their adoption and to transform the industry.
Over 20 PhD projects are available for commencement in 2022 and 2023. There are additional opportunities for students with their own scholarship working with one of our team on an aligned program of study.
More than 20 generous full and top-up scholarships for PhD projects are available for both domestic and international students.
Students will have opportunities to engage with industry partners and communities on projects to improve the yield and nutritional value of the crops that underpin the energy and protein content of the human diet.
The Centre will build future R&D capabilities in the Agrifood sector to drive growth, productivity and competitiveness for the benefit of agriculture and global food security.
View the Research Areas
The Centre has four research programs. They are outlined here.
View the unique benefits of our PhDs
Special PhD Features to Kickstart Your Career in Industry:
1. Industry placements – Minimum one-year placement in industry, government, and international partners with access to potential employers and industry-wide networks.
2. An above award student stipend of $34,000AUD per annum for 3.5 years. Over 20 full and top-up scholarships for PhD projects are available for both international and domestic students.
3. Diverse PhD supervisor panels, encompassing leaders from university, industry and government.
4. Training courses with micro-credentials to upskill in responsible innovation, regulatory landscape, public policy, crop stewardship, and intellectual property management.
5. Be part of a group of PhD students with related and complementary projects encompassing plant and social sciences.
6. A choice of study at The Australian National University in Canberra, or University of Adelaide in South Australia, or a combination of both.
Want to Apply? Here’s how…
Step 1:
Explore the available PhD research projects and identify the ones you’d like to learn more about.
Step 2:
Get in touch to discuss potential projects, as well as potential Supervisors.
Step 3:
Once you have had a discussion with us about a potential PhD project and PhD supervisor, and have that information ready to input into your application, you’re ready to begin the application form.
Step 4:
We highly recommend that you apply for the scholarship offered by your preferred university first. These are prestigious scholarships. If you were unsuccessful, the Centre will consider you for a Future Crops scholarship.
NOTE: Our PhDs require enrollment at either The Australian National University or the University of Adelaide. You must apply to both the University of your choice and the Centre.
Find out more about the University enrollment requirements here:
Australian National University requirements
University of Adelaide requirements
Intellectual Property: Please note that while it is Policy of the Australian National University and the University of Adelaide that students own their own Intellectual Property, the University may request an assignment of IP owned by a student, if it is developed as part of undertaking a project for which funding has been provided to the University by a third party. It is under this provision that the University will request students working within the Centre to assign their IP to the University. Where a student assigns IP to the University and the IP is commercialised by the University, the student will be deemed a creator for the purposes of the Intellectual Property Protection and Commercialisation Procedure. Creators are typically entitled to a share of any commercialisation returns the University receives. For further information please refer to the University Policy and Procedure documents.
We encourage you to also apply to the University for a scholarship. Find out more about the University scholarship rounds here:
Australian National University scholarship details and dates Closing time for domestic student: 31 October 2023 – International students will have to wait until April 2024.
University of Adelaide scholarship details and dates for domestic students (open until 31 October 2023) and international students (open now, close 4 February 2024)
Questions?
Simply email us and we’ll get back to you.
APPLICATION TO THE CENTRE CLOSING DATES:
Round 4: Complete
Round 5: There are still a few Centre projects with available scholarships within the Centre. There is no closing date for this round. Please apply at any time following a discussion with the Centre and/or project supervisor.
Please note: You will need to apply to a host University by the dates available on the University websites above. If you have not already applied to the University for admission, your application to the Centre may not be progressed.
Applications are welcome at any time and will typically be considered with the next round. Applications may be considered outside of these rounds, depending on the circumstances.
SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE GENETIC & FIELD TECHNOLOGIES FOR FUTURE CROPS
The ARC Training Centre for Accelerated Future Crops Development is funded by the Australian Research Council under the Industrial Transformation Training Hubs Program to run from 2022 to 2027.
It is a collaboration of universities, government research agencies and the Australian grains sector’s key stakeholders in training, R&D, social engagement, responsible innovation, breeding, marketing and delivery.
It also has international partners in gene-editing, SynBio, crop breeding, and, other partnerships for co-developing deep technologies to transform the agriculture industry and global food security.