The SIBI project recognised the value in supporting individuals to help solve industry relevant issues across the sheep supply chain through academic research. In addition the intention is to expose and excite students to choose a career in the agrifood supply chain. Demonstrating the value of postgraduate trained personnel to entities within the sheep industry, with a view to their long term employment.
Overall the scholarships program was about building capacity and giving the student an appreciation and awareness of the industry. Any immediate industry-ready outcome from any research study is not essential. Key funding sources may also include Meat & Livestock Australia Donor Company, Australian Wool Education Trust and Australian Government Research Training Program.
The program offered financial support for eligible research projects as follows:
- up to $5000 for Honours plus negotiable levels of operating
- up to $38 000 per annum for:
- two years for Masters plus negotiable levels of operating;
- three years for PhD plus negotiable levels of operating
- students can be invited for vocational or internship opportunities.
The program's contribution towards PhD project scholarships may be part of a funding mix.
Proposed research topics
Areas identified as relevant to the WA sheep industry supply chain may include:
- improving reproduction, lamb survival, growth and performance
- using sensors to detect date of conception and birth, growth and performance of lambs
- use of economic modelling (MIDAS) to explore opportunities to add value along the supply chain, and improve decision making using new business models
- desktop studies on adaptive enterprises and grazing management strategies to the changing rainfall patterns of south western Australia
- steps towards the development of algorithms and analytics to interpret proximity and activity data from livestock sensors
- use of sensors for on-farm sheep health decisions and to detect stock movement
- assessment of the impact on the WA sheep industry of outcomes from the project 'Market and consumer insights to drive food value chain innovation and growth'
- barriers to the adoption of new business models in the sheep industry.
Current SIBI Scholarship recipients
SIBI Scholarship recipients and their projects are summarised in the table below.
A SIBI Scholarships summary booklet has also been produced which includes a one-page description of most of the projects.
| Student name | University | Scholarship | Project |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alison Walsh | University of Western Australia | Honours | Are native shrubs an economic solution to greenhouse gas emissions from Australian agriculture? |
| Andre Boer | University of Western Australia | Internship | Overview of potential electronics-based solutions for the early detection of flystrike in West Australian sheep |
| Chris Telfser | University of Western Australia | Internship | Overview of potential electronics-based solutions for the early detection of flystrike in West Australian sheep |
| Eliott Reed | University of Western Australia | Honours | Environmental factors which increase phytoestrogens in subterranean clover |
| Elise Bowen | Murdoch University | PhD | Improving reproductive efficiency by reducing mortality and reproductive wastage in young ewes |
| Lucas Smith | University of Western Australia | Masters | Fit for purpose biochar to improve rumen fermentation efficiency and reduce methane production |
| Michael Young | University of Western Australia | Internship | Effectiveness of a supply chain on out-of-season lamb production |
| Michael Young | University of Western Australia | Honours | An economic analysis of sheep flock structure for broadacre farm businesses |
| Rebecca May | Murdoch University | Honours | Sire differences in feed efficiency and temperament in Merino wethers |
| Renier Bootha | Curtin University | Honours | Evaluating the effectiveness and accuracy of current innovative sensor technologies to estimate crop biomass in order to improve the management of crop grazing |
| Sanabel Abu Jwade | University of Western Australia | Internship | Sheep multi-lane auto drafting management app |
| Sanabel Abu Jwade | University of Western Australia | Honours | Automatic sheep breed classification using deep learning |
| Thomas Clune | Murdoch University | PhD | Investigating the magnitude, timing and causes of foetal loss in young ewes |
| Timothy Edwards | University of Western Australia | Honours | Optimisation of the integrated sheep auto-drafting system mechanical aspects |
| Travis Allington | Murdoch University | PhD | Managing fecund flocks to improve the survival of triplet dams and their lambs |
| Victoria Rawlings | Murdoch University | Honours | The role of dam water as a source of veterinary and zoonotic infections of importance to the WA sheep meat industry |
| Xin Hong | University of Western Australia | Internship | Assessing nutrient content available in dry pasture field |
| To be determined | Curtin University | PhD | Sustaining the Australian sheep industry through unprecedented change |
Showcase event 2019
On 25 June 2019, SIBI Scholarship recipients were invited to attend a showcase event, where they had the opportunity to speak about their project in front of their peers, supervisors, DPIRD staff and industry representatives.
| Presenter name | Project topic |
|---|---|
| Travis Allington | Managing fecund flocks to improve the survival of triplet dams and their lambs |
| Alison Walsh | Are native shrubs an economic solution to greenhouse gas emissions from Australian agriculture? |
| Michael Young | Effectiveness of a supply chain on out-of-season lamb production An economic analysis of sheep flock structure for broadacre farm businesses |
| Caroline Jacobson (PhD supervisor presented on behalf of student Thomas Clune) | Investigating the magnitude, timing and causes of foetal loss in young ewes |
| Eliott Reed | Environmental factors which increase phytoestrogens in subterranean clover |
| Lucas Smith | Fit for purpose biochar to improve rumen fermentation efficiency and reduce methane production |
| Emma Russell | Sustaining the Australian sheep industry through unprecedented change |
| Sanabel Abu Jwade | Sheep multi-lane auto drafting management app Automatic sheep breed classification using deep learning |
A combined document with all PowerPoint slides from presentations on the day is available here.
Thank you to all speakers and those who attended the event.