Higher Degree by Research Application Portal

A Grains Research Scholarship (GRS) supports PhD candidates in delivering innovative research that addresses constraints or builds opportunities for Australian grain growers to help improve their farm business sustainability and profitability.

The three-year scholarship, worth over $35,000 per year, provides high-achieving students with the financial and industry support to complete their PhD in an area aligned with our RD&E Plan 2023-28.

The GRS program is an important component of GRDC’s investment in developing researcher capacity and ability to ensure we have the best researchers with the skills and expertise working on problems or opportunities relevant to the grains industry.

A GRS is primarily a top-up scholarship for students already receiving a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship or equivalent.

• The applicant must be admitted into full-time PhD study. Please include the PhD start date, applicants who have already commenced their PhD may apply. 
• The applicant must submit at least two referee reports on the GRDC template, including from the proposed principal supervisor. 
• The applicant must identify their PhD topic's Pillar and Focus Area alignment from GRDC’s RD&E Plan 2023-28. 
• The applicant is awarded a Research Training Programs (RTP) scholarship or equivalent. International students must be awarded a university tuition fee waiver and living allowance.
• Applicants need to show proof of scholarship.  If the outcome of their RTP application or equivalent is unknown at the time of application, successful applicants will be asked to confirm they have been awarded an RTP or equivalent prior to contracting.

Please read all information before applying, we strongly recommend you have a good understanding of GRDC’s RD&E priorities and consider future trends affecting the Australian grains industry.

Applications must be submitted via the Grains Investment Portal by 5pm AEDT Monday 16 October 2023.

All applications must address the eligibility and evaluation criteria. Please attach documents e.g. referee reports, BEFORE submitting the application.

Applicants need to read the GRDC Research Scholarship Agreement prior to applying. We require applicants to identify in their application, any clauses they may not comply with.  This should be done in consultation with an applicant's research institution and any concerns highlighted in the contract compliance statement of the application.

Please also identify in the contract compliance statement, any intellectual property (IP) that has been created from the research if you have started your PhD.

While GRDC will not own any IP created during the scholarship agreement, we do request a non-exclusive right to use IP for internal purposes.  Please refer to Clause 6. of the scholarship agreement for details.

Please contact Tenders - tenders@grdc.com.au More information can be found here.