TAS Committee
The Tasmanian program was established in 2011, the last State to do so. With support from the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, the program addresses training needs identified as part of the wide spectrum of research and development undertaken by Tasmanian-based scientists. A particular feature of the program has been the emphasis on sustainable forestry and fisheries, with a concentration of effort in ACIAR and other projects in those areas undertaken by UTAS, CSIRO and the Tasmanian Forest Practices Authority.
Tasmanian agriculture is also characterised by diversity, from intensive horticulture and dairying through to mixed cropping and livestock, and that has also been reflected in the programs supported, from pyrethrum and vegetables in PNG through to beef cattle in Vietnam. The Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture has research interests across the value chain from production to market, with particular expertise in intensive production systems based on irrigation. While the Tasmanian environment is temperate, researchers operate in a wide range of tropical lowland and highland environments in the Pacific Islands, PNG, Indonesia, Vietnam and elsewhere. A brochure summarising our activities is available here.
Crawford Fund Student Awards – Tasmania
As part of our efforts to support and encourage the next generation in study, careers and volunteering in international agricultural research, the Crawford Fund proudly supports our Student Awards. These awards have been developed specifically to enable university students to gain valuable experience and expertise by bringing an international component to their studies and research.
In Tasmania, applications are open to undergraduate, honours and postgraduate students interested in gaining international agricultural research experience in developing countries, with a maximum of $5,000 awarded.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2023 STUDENT AWARD RECIPIENTS!
Congratulations to the 17 successful applicants from around Australia who received our 2023 awards to experience international agricultural research and development first hand.
The Tasmania award winners were:
Rebekah Ash, University of Tasmania
Location/Focus: Kenya, Ethiopia
Research: Exploring local construct of ‘resilience’ in the face of chronic uncertainty in the Drylands
Other collaborating institutions: ACIAR Project LS/2022/144 – Resilience from below in East Africa’s drylands; Center for Research and Development in Drylands (CRDD); and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).
Ella McLennan, University of Tasmania
Location/Focus: Malaysia and Solomon Islands
Research: Identifying and supporting best-bet nature-based solutions in aquaculture in Malaysia and the Solomon Islands.
Other collaborating institutions: WorldFish (Malaysia)
Ella Lockley, University of Tasmania
Location/Focus: Samoa
Research: Enhanced fruit systems for Tonga and Samoa: Community based citrus production
Other collaborating institutions: ACIA Project HORT/2019/165 – Enhanced fruit systems for Tonga and Samoa (Phase 2): Community based citrus production
Emma Street, University of Tasmania
Location/Focus: Indonesia
Research: Gaining understanding of risks to biosecurity in Indonesian forestry
Other collaborating institutions: ACIAR Project FST/2018/179 – Managing risk in SE Asian forest biosecurity – supporting evidence-based standards for best practice; Centre for Climate Risk and Opportunity Management (CCROM) based at Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia.
TAS Crawford Fund Scholars: 2023 Annual Conference
Each year, the Crawford Fund Committees offer Conference Scholarships for students and young researchers to attend the annual conference. The Scholarship provides funds to cover expenses such as travel, accommodation and registration.
We’re excited to announce our bumper crop of 36 2023 Annual Conference scholarship winners from universities and organisations across Australia, and for the second time, special guest scholars from Papua New Guinea! This takes our conference scholar alumni to almost 450 young students and researchers and industry representatives with an interest in reshaping agriculture to better address food security, the nutritional needs of a growing population, and the environment.
The 2023 conference scholars from Tasmania are listed below.
- Yashkumar Desai, University of Tasmania
- Maria Ortiz, University of Tasmania – TAS Farm Innovation Hub
- Sarah Roberts, University of Tasmania
- Joanna Talbot, University of Tasmania
- Haydn Tracey-Shaw, University Tasmania
Tasmanian Committee in the News
- Scientific Journal Writing – No Easy Task
- Capacity building for young scientists and training farmers in Vietnam
- Student award as a journalist
- Rounding up our scholar reflections from Tasmania
- Live in NT, TAS or WA? Don’t miss out…we have Crawford Fund Annual Conference events for you!
Events