Applications for 2024 Nuffield Scholarships are open

Australian farmers and others working in food and fibre production are urged to consider how they could use overseas study tours to improve their business and industry, through a Nuffield Scholarship.

“Our scholarships enable producers to travel the world and bring back the latest ideas and innovations to develop themselves, their businesses and wider agricultural industry,” said Nuffield Australia CEO and 2013 Nuffield Scholar Jodie Redcliffe.

“Recognising the uncertainty across the globe, we’ve strengthened our focus this year on enhancing the resilience and sustainability of Australian agriculture.”

For the first time, Nuffield Australia will offer at least five specific drought resilience scholarships, supported by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

“Despite many areas experiencing floods recently, as farmers we know Australia is prone to drought. Of all the climate challenges to affect Australia, drought is one of the most feared and costly in terms of production losses. Droughts also bring other emergencies like bushfires and take a toll on the mental health of farmers and their communities.

“Nuffield is proud to partner with the Future Drought Fund to deliver specific drought resilience scholarships and also to weave the topic through our scholarship programs and training. This will give all our scholars the ability, knowledge and experiences to understand the topic and make a difference in their communities.”

Applications for Nuffield Scholarships are open now and close on 9 June.

Each scholarship is valued at $35,000. Nuffield Australia will award up to 20 scholarships this year. Scholarships on offer include the five drought resilience scholarships, as well as others covering horticulture, grains, dairy, wool, fisheries, cotton and more.

Nuffield Scholarships are open to all those involved in food and fibre production typically aged between 28 and 45. The bursary allows scholars to travel for 14 weeks over the next two years to study a topic important to their industry.

With international travel back in full swing, Nuffield Australia has groups of scholars travelling to every corner of the globe this year.

They include southern Queensland grazier Jesse Moody, who is travelling to Argentina this month to see how producers are managing their livestock operations during drought, and to learn how they make their businesses more resilient.

Jesse is driven to find ways to manage livestock in pastoral zones to protect soils and pastures, ultimately to help manage variable climatic conditions.

“In my environment – the rangelands of Queensland – we can’t practically use inputs and other tools to improve soils that are better suited to smaller scale operations in places like New England or Victoria’s Western District,” said Jesse.

Having lived through the devastation of the Millennium drought, Jesse was keen to trial different ways to manage sheep and goats when the next drought hit and lasted most of nine years.

“I tried a few things like moving mobs around and resting country where possible and I thought, ‘we’re onto something here’. My Nuffield Scholarship is allowing me to see firsthand how other people are managing conditions and what they're doing that will make their soils, and businesses, more resilient.”

For the next part of his scholarship program, Jesse will travel from Argentina to Canada. There he will attend a conference with fellow Nuffield Scholars from across the world, and visit a range of agricultural businesses.

Jesse encourages producers to apply for a Nuffield Scholarship. He says it’s a unique opportunity to travel purposefully and meet a diverse range of people with different experiences and views.