Presenting our 2026 student awardees!
July 8, 2026
Congratulations to the seventeen talented university students from around Australia who have been awarded our highly sought after 2026 Student Awards!
The Student Awards, offered by our State and Territory Committees, are part of our NextGen program to support and encourage young people in studies, careers and volunteering in international agricultural research and development. The successful applicants have the opportunity to experience international agricultural research and development first-hand.
This year, our students come from the Australian National University, University of Canberra, University of Western Sydney, Charles Sturt University, University of Technology Sydney, University of New South Wales, Charles Darwin University, The University of Queensland, Adelaide University, University of Tasmania, Monash University, University of Melbourne and the University of Western Australia.
They will be carrying out research across a diverse range of topics focused in Tanzania, Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Timor-Leste, Bhutan, Morocco, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Samoa, India and Thailand.
These awards not only allow students to travel overseas and experience different cultures and research environments, they also present opportunities for collaborating and networking. These awards largely exist because of connections between Australian researchers and organisations with their counterparts globally.
Thank you once again to all the university supervisors and project leaders at home and at collaborating institutions overseas, who make it possible for these awards to take place.
We are also so lucky that there is a strong network of organisations with which the students connect for their research. In Australia, as well as the universities mentioned already, we would like to thank these organisations for their support: the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), CSIRO, Macquarie University, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Agriculture Victoria and the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD).
Internationally, this year we are excited that our students will be working with an increasing network of organisations, universities and government departments across partner countries, including: Ardhi University, Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), the Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Can Tho University, Bogor Agricultural University (Indonesia), Kesatuan Nelayan Tradisi Indonesia, Marine Environment and Resources Foundation (Philippines), Western Philippines University, National Fisheries Authority of Papua New Guinea, National Statistical Bureau of the Royal Government of Bhutan, International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), The World Vegetable Center, Kazakhstan Scientific Research Institute for Agriculture and Plant Growing, the University of Gadjah Mada, the Department of Agriculture, Plant Protection Center, Lao PDR, the National University of Samoa, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture and Rajamangala University of Technology Thailand.
We look forward to sharing the experiences of our awardees with you, and we wish them well in their travels and studies.
Congratulations to our 2026 Student Award Recipients!
Australian Capital Territory
Sophia Bongole, Australian National University
Location/Focus: Tanzania
Research: Improving adoption of circular food system among women farmers in Tanzania: An engagement with Circular Food System in Africa project
Other collaborating institutions: ACIAR (Project WAC/2023/111) Ardhi University
Bareerah Fatima, University of Canberra
Location/Focus: Pakistan
Research: Integrating women’s voices for climate resilient and adaptive groundwater governance of irrigated agriculture.
Other collaborating institutions: ACIAR (Project WAC/2022/152), CSIRO and Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR)
New South Wales
Baber Ali, University of Western Sydney
Location/Focus: Pakistan
Research: To evaluate different peptides’ impact on drought tolerance of wheat and identify markers for genetic selection.
Other collaborating institutions: ACIAR (Project CROP/2020/167) and The Islamia University of Bahawalpur.
Natalie Mullins, Charles Sturt University
Location/Focus: Vietnam
Research: To generate data on the use of organic amendments to improve soil health and enhance resilience of rice farming systems in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta.
Other collaborating institutions: ACIAR (Project SLAM 2025-114) and Can Tho University
Stephanie Rowbottom, University of Technology Sydney
Location/Focus: Indonesia/Philippines
Research: To examine how small fisherfolk organisations, communities, local governments and NGOs tailor reef and fisheries governance solutions to local contexts and challenges.
Other collaborating institutions: ACIAR (Project FIS/2023/185), Macquarie University, Bogor Agricultural University (Indonesia), Kesatuan Nelayan Tradisi Indonesia, Marine Environment and Resources Foundation (Philippines), and Western Philippines University
Chengxiang Zhang, University of New South Wales
Location/Focus: Papua New Guinea and Malaysia
Research: Developing Black Soldier Fly–Based Feed to Support Sustainable Aquaculture in Papua New Guinea
Other collaborating institutions: ACIAR (Project FIS/2018/154), The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) and National Fisheries Authority of Papua New Guinea.
Northern Territory
Adam Moloney, Charles Darwin University
Location/Focus: Timor-Leste
Research: Increasing on-farm labour productivity for sustainable production, nutrition and inclusive livelihood gains.
Other collaborating institutions: ACIAR (Project SLAM/2020/141)
Sangay Dendup, Charles Darwin University
Location/Focus: Bhutan
Research: Assessing the Economies-in-Nature-in-Society of the Million Fruit Tree Plantation in Western Bhutan.
Other collaborating institutions: National Statistical Bureau, Royal Government of Bhutan.
Queensland
Callum Jamie, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland
Location/Focus: Morocco
Research: Climatic drivers of durum wheat performance in North Africa and implications for Australian durum production
Other collaborating institutions: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)
Hamza Ramzan, University of Queensland
Location/Focus: Taiwan
Research: Leveraging high‑throughput phenotyping to improve symbiotic nitrogen fixation in mungbean.
Other collaborating institutions: International Mungbean Improvement Network 2 (IMIN2)- ACIAR (Project CROP/2019/144), The World Vegetable Center
South Australia
Chrysanthea Budiman, Adelaide University
Location/Focus: Kazakhstan
Research: Developing lucerne (Medicago sativa) varieties for increased drought tolerance in response to climate change induced water stress for Kazakhstan small scale and subsistence farmers.
Other collaborating institutions: Kazakhstan Scientific Research Institute for Agriculture and Plant Growing
Tasmania
Ellen O’Brien, University of Tasmania
Location/Focus: Indonesia
Research: Exploring how community forest management in Gunungkidul Regency, can be strengthened by diversifying forest-based livelihoods beyond timber production.
Other collaborating institutions: ACIAR (Projects FST/2020/123 and FST/2018/179) and the University of Gadjah Mada.
Muhammad Zeshan Ahmed, University of Tasmania
Location/Focus: Laos
Research: Preliminary investigation of soil persistence of rhizoctonia theobromae associated with Cassava Witches’ Broom Disease
Other collaborating institutions: ACIAR (Project CROP/2022/110) and Department of Agriculture, Plant Protection Center, Lao PDR.
Victoria
Monique Bartlett, Monash University
Location/Focus: Samoa
Research: Identifying the Samoan Soil Knowledge & Education Gap for Sustainable Land Management
Other collaborating institutions: ACIAR (SLAM/2025/140) and the National University of Samoa
Naseema Muhammed, University of Melbourne
Location/Focus: India
Research: Understanding adoption barriers to methane mitigation interventions in Indian dairy systems.
Other collaborating institutions: Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University
Mochammad Nova Raditya, University of Melbourne
Location/Focus: Indonesia
Research: Development and validation of a lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay as a point-of-care test for bovine health in Indonesia and Australia
Other collaborating institutions: Agriculture Victoria and the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture.
Western Australia
Owen Vorster, University of Western Australia
Location/Focus: Thailand
Research: Understanding the bioactivity of Biserrula pelecinus L. under grazing conditions: variability, mechanisms, and the role of rumen enterotypes.
Other collaborating institutions: WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and Rajamangala University of Technology Thailand
