Round 2 scholarships 2025

Congratulations to the final selection of 10 high-calibre Round 2 scholarship recipients who will be supervised and supported by WAARC member organisations – Curtin University, Murdoch University and The University of Western Australia (UWA).

Successful students will be awarded an annual top-up scholarship of about $25,000 for up to 3.5 years, to support their living expenses while completing their PhDs.

WAARC’s non-university members CSIRO, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Grower Group Alliance will provide access to leading industry researchers as possible co-supervisors, world-class research facilities, field sites, grower groups and industry networks.

WA Agricultural Research Collaboration Director Kelly Pearce said these talented scholars would become part of a multi-organisational network of WAARC researchers and students, contributing to some of WA agriculture’s most critical and future-focused challenges.

“Our PhD scholarship program equips students with the real-world experience, networks, tools, and confidence to become agile, collaborative problem-solvers,” Dr Pearce said.

The scholars’ research topics are aligned with one or more of WAARC’s six key research programs:

1. Northern Agriculture
2. Grains Transformation
3. Resilient Agricultural Futures
4. Agricultural Technologies
5. Aboriginal Science Engagement
6. Capacity Building and Extension

They range from agtech, climate resilience and biosecurity, to natural capital, crop genetics, livestock production and weed management.

Two additional students will be embedded into WAARC’s new polyphagous shot-hole borer research projects and broader Postgraduate Program, gaining career and skills development, industry networks and first-hand experience.

The State Government is providing $25 million dollars in funding to support WAARC and boost Western Australia’s research capacity and industry sustainability.

Round 2 Scholarship Recipients

Please see below a full list of the top-up scholarship students for Round 2, their university placements and research topics:

Curtin University

• Grace Foley – Effector discovery in Phaeosphaeria avenaria and their roles in septoria avenea blotch of oat
• Mara Fabienne Schaefer – Molecular and phenotypic characterisation of Rhizoctonia in wheat
• Tyrone Huckstepp – Understanding the psychological determinants of sustainable dietary practices in Australia

Murdoch University

• Christopher Reed – Clean grain, clear value: Genomic solutions to the barley black point challenge using pangenomes and precision breeding
• Jack Weatherhead – Genetic and environmental effects on grain weight and alkaloid content in narrow-leafed lupin
• Lilijana Nicholls – Multiplexing: Developing a method of using environmental DNA for total biological screening in agriculture
• Tarkjot Kaur – Artificial intelligence-assisted genomic prediction for future climate change breeding

The University of Western Australia

• Whitney Payne – Hot and hormonal: Investigating the interaction between thermal stress and reproduction in livestock
• Jaime Phillips – Designing natural capital markets on agricultural land: How do the experiences of southern Australian farmers across the continent help to balance emerging challenges and opportunities in Western Australia?
• Luk Lam – Novel weed management through multi-modal data integration of satellite and drone imaging for precision agriculture in Western Australia

Related Articles:

• WAARC welcomes new scholars to grow agrifood innovation | WA Agricultural Research Collaboration
• Issue 1 From the Director – 3 Apr 2025 | WA Agricultural Research Collaboration
• Round two scholarships now open to inspire future ag leaders | WA Agricultural Research Collaboration

Round 2 Guidelines for Applicants:

For more information, the 2025 Round 2 Postgraduate Research Scholarship Program Guidelines for Applicants is available here: Round 2 WAARC PhD Scholarships – Guidelines for Applicants.