PHD SCHOLARSHIPS AUSTRALIA 2009 – BIOTECHNOLOGY POSITION – QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY(QUT)
Australian Research Council(ARC) – Postgraduate Awards – PHD Scholarship Position 2009
ARC APAI WITH SYNGENTA BIOTECHNOLOGY
IF49 DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PhD) Degree
In the Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities
Scholarship Value: $26,669 per annum tax free (up to 3 years duration)
Applications are invited from appropriately qualified individuals for an Australian Research Council (ARC) funded Australian Postgraduate Award Industry (APAI) PhD scholarship.
The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is a significant player in the Australian higher education sector, and its rapid growth in research performance has cemented its position as one of the nation’s top universities for quality and excellence in high impact research. With more than 100 international research projects underway in 50 countries, QUT’s research outputs are benchmarked globally. The Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities (CTCB), directed by Distinguished Professor James Dale, is a major QUT research centre focussed on the development of tropical crops for food and industrial purposes. The CTCB is unique with a product research and development pipeline from gene discovery through to field demonstration and pilot plant production. The Centre specialises in tropical crops (sugarcane, bananas, tobacco, papaya, tomato, taro and sorghum) with emphasis on (i) the development of new crop cultivars through genetic modification for disease resistance, biofortification and novel industrial products, and (ii) the postharvest processing of crops for sugar, biofuels, and new biomaterials including proteins.
Some of the Centre’s major international research and consultancy programs include biofortification of bananas for Africa (funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), the development of sugarcane for cellulosic ethanol production (Syngenta Centre for Sugarcane Biofuels Development), and sugarcane postharvest processing (Sugar Research and Innovation). The CTCB is supported by grant funded research, national and international research collaborations, contract research and development and national and international consultancies. The CTCB employs approximately 75 research staff and students and is located at the Gardens Point Campus of QUT in beautiful Brisbane Australia.
The Scholarship:
This PhD position will be part of a new, collaborative research program between the CTCB and Syngenta Biotechnology. Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. They are a leader in crop protection, rank third in the high-value commercial seeds market, and employ around 21,000 people in over 90 countries. This new program expands on the existing collaboration between the CTCB and Syngenta that is aimed at developing sugarcane for improved biofuel production. This PhD project will focus on the development of novel tools for sugarcane biotechnology and will utilise approaches in molecular biology, genomics, and plant transformation. The successful applicant will be an integral part of a dynamic, international team of researchers working on the improvement of sugarcane through biotechnology. The award is based in Brisbane, Queensland at QUT. There is a stipend of $26,669 (tax free and indexed annually) for up to three years, full-time study. Reimbursement of relocation expenses may be payable to the successful applicant.
Application Criteria:
Applicants should have a research interest in molecular biology and plant biotechnology and possess at least Honours 2A or equivalent qualifications. In addition, you should have a strong desire to develop a successful and highly-productive research project.
Applications close: 7 August 2009
For further information and to express your interest in this scholarship, please contact:
Dr Mark Kinkema on (07) 3138 7793. Applicants are requested to email their CV (including names and contact details for 3 referees) to Dr Mark Kinkema mark.kinkema(AT)qut.edu.au at the Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities,
Queensland University of Technology QLD 4001.
Source: http://www.jason.edu.au/pdf/1245255516.pdf
