Â鶹ֱ²¥ and CSIRO have teamed up to take digital agriculture to the next level, launching a postgraduate scholarship program that aims to train a new generation of big data scientists to support the agriculture industry.<\/p>\n
The program, worth $250,000, is now calling for applications for full or top-up scholarships to carry out data-driven science projects relevant to agriculture.<\/p>\n
Professor Simon Cook, the inaugural Premier\u2019s Fellow in Agriculture and Food, said the scholarship program would build Curtin\u2019s strong track record in applying data science and technology to help solve real agricultural challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re entering very exciting times for agriculture \u2013 researchers are using drones, remote sensing and other data streams to solve problems that allow growers to produce more crop with fewer resources,\u201d Professor Cook said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis scholarship fund will see students taking up research projects that make a real difference to the agriculture industry, whether that be by using advanced analytics to forecast the world food supply, exploiting big data to manage the variability in crop yields across paddocks, or using remote sensing to monitor crop disease.\u201d<\/p>\n
Professor Mark Gibberd, Director of Curtin\u2019s Centre for Crop and Disease Management, said the program was another example of Curtin and CSIRO working together to achieve common goals for the benefit of the agriculture industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur relationship with CSIRO is going from strength to strength and I look forward to seeing our future research leaders start their journey in this very important field of agriculture research,\u201d Professor Gibberd said.<\/p>\n
CSIRO researcher Dr Roger Lawes said CSIRO\u2019s newly established Data61, Australia\u2019s leading digital research powerhouse, had provided the scholarship funding in order to build agriculture\u2019s capacity in the big data field.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe world is changing so quickly, and it\u2019s important that agriculture keeps up the pace with other industry sectors,\u201d Dr Lawes said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy partnering with Curtin, we can work together to ensure tomorrow\u2019s researchers are ready to turn complex data sets into knowledge that can improve sustainability and productivity for Australian grain growers and help ensure food for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Lawes said there are a number of exciting projects that students can apply for, including:
\n\u2022 Forecasting the world food supply, by fusing models with remote sensing
\n\u2022 Determining the impact crop pathogens have on crop production, using mathematical models of crop yield and information generation from the next generation of sensors
\n\u2022 Untangling the causes of variation in crop yields, which can vary up to 50 per cent or more, by exploiting novel data streams and big data
\n\u2022 Predicting responsiveness of crops to fertiliser, by integrating multiple data sources such as drones, crop models, remote sensing and soil surveys.
\nTo apply for a full scholarship, students must be Australian citizens or permanent residents. International students can apply for top-up scholarships.<\/p>\n
The Premier\u2019s Fellow in Agriculture and Food is an inaugural joint appointment between Curtin and Murdoch universities, made possible by the State Government\u2019s Royalties for Regions program.<\/p>\n