Honours Partnership Program 2026

Honours research, co-designed and delivered with grower groups

In 2026, WAARC and the Grower Group Alliance (GGA) have joined forces to launch an exciting new Honours Partnership Program.

The program connects Western Australian students and grower groups to co-design and deliver research projects that address practical, real-world challenges and opportunities for the State’s agricultural sector.

Since expressions of interest opened in December 2025, the program has attracted strong interest and high-calibre research proposals from across the State, reflecting a clear appetite for applied research that is closely connected to industry priorities.

Congratulations to five honours students from WAARC member universities – Curtin University, Murdoch University and The University of Western Australia (UWA) – who have been awarded scholarships to undertake applied research projects and engage with WA grower groups. A sixth scholarship will be awarded to a Murdoch University student in Semester 2, 2026.

Key features of the Honours Partnership Program:

• Students receive a $10,000 honours scholarship, with a further $10,000 available to support travel and accommodation where required
• Grower group participants receive $10,000 to host a student for part of their honours research, providing industry insight, networks and access to local sites, growers and trial infrastructure to support project delivery
• The program supports new graduates entering honours study and people already working in agriculture who want to strengthen their applied research skills and networks with growers and industry
• Scholarship students are partnered with a grower group to co-design and deliver research focused on industry-identified priorities, with projects commencing in Semester 1 or 2, 2026
• Provides a clear pathway into PhD study for those interested in research careers, alongside strong industry recognition for those entering the workforce
• Contributes to real-world, practical outcomes for WA agriculture.

Why Honours matters?

Honours plays a critical role in Western Australia’s research and industry capability. It provides the foundational research training needed for students who choose to purse a PhD, while also producing graduates who are highly valued by industry for their analytical thinking, project experience and ability to solve real-world challenges.

An Honours qualification continues to deliver value well beyond university, regardless of whether graduates pursue further study or move directly into industry.

Honours scholarship recipients 2026

Caitlyn Stuart (UWA, Semester 1)
Investigating how environmental factors influence cattle reproductive performance and productivity in northern pastoral systems
Grower group: Gascoyne Pilbara Rangelands Initiative

Leran Peng (UWA, Semester 2)
Leveraging Earth Observation and AI technologies to predict tree and block yield in Western Australian avocado orchards
Grower group: Society of Precision Agriculture Australia

Chris Watts (Curtin University, Semester 2)
Yield impact of biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) traits in CIMMYT wheat lines under contrasting nitrogen fertiliser rates in Western Australia
Grower group: Living Farm

Annie Bone (Curtin University, Semester 2)
Investigation of technology for rangelands condition management in the Southern Rangelands
Grower group: Southern Rangelands Pastoral Alliance

Joel Tinetti (Murdoch University, Semester 1)
Investigating the impact of oat flour nutrient composition on the physicochemical properties of oat beverages
Grower group: Facey Group

Related articles

• New partnership links WA honours students with growers | WA Agricultural Research Collaboration
• Issue 7 From the Director – 1 May 2026 | WA Agricultural Research Collaboration