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WAARC has awarded six PhD top-up scholarships through Round 3 of its Postgraduate Research Scholarship Program, supporting emerging researchers to address key challenges and opportunities across Western Australian agriculture.
Twenty-nine applications were received for Round 3, with six PhD scholarships awarded following a competitive assessment process.
The scholarships were awarded to students from Curtin University, Murdoch University and The University of Western Australia (UWA), with two recipients from each institution.
Their projects span crop disease management, grain and food storage biosecurity, advanced plant breeding, digital agriculture, low-emissions livestock systems and farm productivity.
The six new recipients join WAARC’s growing scholarship cohort, which now includes 42 students across its PhD and Honours programs.
WAARC Director Kelly Pearce said the scholarships were an investment in the next generation of talented researchers who would drive innovation across Western Australia’s agrifood sector.
“The long-term success of WA agriculture depends on attracting, developing and retaining people with the expertise needed to tackle complex industry challenges,” Dr Pearce said.
“Beyond supporting individual researchers and their projects, WAARC’s scholarship program is building a connected cohort with the skills, confidence and industry networks needed to translate research into practical outcomes.”
Congratulations to the six recipients awarded a WAARC Round 3 PhD scholarship in 2026.
The scholarships form part of WAARC’s broader commitment to building agricultural research capacity across Western Australia.
WAARC’s Postgraduate Research Scholarship Program supports the development of the next generation of agricultural researchers and contributes to building Western Australia’s long-term research and innovation capability.
Delivered in partnership with WAARC’s university members Curtin University, Murdoch University and UWA, the program provides top-up scholarships to postgraduate researchers undertaking projects that address priority needs across the WA agricultural sector.
Recipients receive more than $25,700 a year in top-up funding for up to 3.5 years while completing their PhDs.
Beyond financial support, scholars benefit from professional development and industry engagement opportunities through WAARC’s member network, including the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), CSIRO and Grower Group Alliance (GGA).
For the first time, Round 3 applicants were required to align their research with one or more of the priority workforce capacity areas identified through WAARC’s 2025-26 Capacity Needs Analysis:
Across three rounds, the program has strengthened research capability, industry engagement and workforce capacity for Western Australia’s agrifood sector.
The PhD scholarship program forms part of WAARC’s broader commitment to capacity building and extension, alongside initiatives including the WAARC-Grower Group Alliance Honours Partnership Program and sponsorship of a 2026 Churchill Fellowship.
WAARC is backed by $25 million in State Government funding to strengthen Western Australia’s agricultural research capacity and industry sustainability.
For more information, download the WAARC Postgraduate Research Scholarship Program – Round 3 Guidelines for Applicants.
WAARC is not currently planning a Round 4 Postgraduate Research Scholarship intake for 2027.
Any future scholarship opportunities will be announced on this website and we encourage you to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on socials to receive regular updates on the PhD Program.