Pork CRC pork professionals

Australia’s Pork CRC is offering honours and postgraduate awards, which pay up to AUD38,500 (€31,110) per year.

More than AUD7 million of research and development funding has been allocated by the Pork CRC in 2012/13 to support and develop Australia’s pork industry, which employs 20,000 people and contributes AUD2.8 billion to Australia’s gross domestic product.

According to Pork CRC CEO, Dr Roger Campbell, those existing Pork CRC projects most likely to support honours and postgraduate students have been identified, including the need for a postgraduate student in Sub Program 1B.

“The successful applicant will study piglet nutrition and management under new housing and weaning systems we’re developing and also enjoy travel and training opportunities with our international collaborators and participants,” he said.

Postgraduate applications are also being sought in Sub Program 4B – optimising the processing of grains to enhance feed efficiency and reduce carbon outputs.

Postgraduate awards, valued at AUD38,500 per year, comprise AUD28,500 stipend and AUD10,000 student development, with $5000 of the development funds held by the Pork CRC for student programs, including travel, training courses.

Pork CRC is also seeking honours students for Program 1 (Confinement-free sow and piglet management), Program 2 (Herd Health Management), Program 3 (Healthy Pork Consumption) and Program 4 (Carbon conscious nutrient inputs and outputs).

Undergraduate (honours) awards carry a stipend of AUD10,000, with half paid to the student and half covering operational costs.

Honours awards had generally resulted in excellent scientific and commercial outcomes and the Pork CRC’s active mentoring program incorporated attendance at industry and scientific meetings and training in the science and practice of pork production.

Meanwhile, Australian pork production businesses wanting direct access to the best and brightest young minds are encouraged to consider taking on a Pork CRC supported honours student or postgraduate for three years under the Pork CRC Industry Placement Program, which offers the sponsoring business AUD35,000 per year for the first two years.

These Industry Placement awards offer students employment with a commercial organisation for at least three years, while they remain actively involved in R&D.

For further details and application forms for Pork CRC honours and postgraduate awards (which close October 15, 2012) and details of the Industry Placement awards, visit the Pork CRC.