Applying for Funding Applications for RIRDC scholarships and funding for research proposals in 2011-12 will be open from 1 August 2010.

The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation invests in the knowledge needs of our three portfolio areas:

• New rural industries;
• Specific established rural industries;
• Cross-sectoral national rural issues

Our investments are driven by Five-Year R&D plans which address the needs of each industry and ensure our priorities are industry and government-driven. Overall, our aim is for a more profitable, dynamic and sustainable rural sector. If you think you or your organisation can help address the needs of our programs as outlined in the current research priorities, we would welcome your application for funding.

RIRDC welcomes proposals that will meet the specific objectives, or a number of objectives, as outlined in the research priorities and in more detail in program Five-Year Plans. We also welcome and encourage your collaboration with other research providers to build the critical research mass necessary to meet our objectives.

For more information and a copy of the application form, please go to RIRDC's website.

The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) Foundation is searching for passionate and enthusiastic people who are determined to make a difference to rural and regional Australia.

The RAS Foundation has launched a new series of rural scholarships, of up to $5,000 each, to assist people in NSW who are passionate about rural issues to pursue their dreams of higher education, in turn creating a strong and vibrant community for the future.

Also open for applications is the third annual J B Fairfax Award for Rural Journalism. The $10,000 Award encourages students across Australia to pursue a career in rural journalism and tell the stories of Australian agriculture.

It is easy to apply. See the website for details: www.rasf.org.au/whatwedo/scholarship.html

Applications close on 30 September 2010. Funding will be provided for the 2011 academic year.



Please contact the RAS Foundation on 02 9704 1234 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any questions.

Robbie Sefton (Foundation Fellow) has recently been appointed to the National Australia Day Council (NADC) Board of Directors.

Robbie Sefton hails from NSW and is a communication specialist committed to the future prosperity of rural and regional Australia. She combines her roles as a producer running a farm business involved in wool, meat and grains and as a communications director of a national and specialist public relations agency catering to clients who need to communicate with rural, regional and remote Australia. Having worked with media, government, private companies and industry over the past 15 years, Robbie possesses a wide range of strategic communication skills including issues management, media relations, training, corporate image and brand identity, leadership, sponsorship and special interest/advisory group expertise.


Robbie was appointed alongside, Director of Centre for Muslim States and Societies Professor Samina Yasmeen and lawyer Janet Whiting.

32 rural leaders from across Australia have been named as the 2010 participants of the prestigious and internationally respected Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP).

The Program produces a network of leaders with the capacity and commitment to lead change and to shape the future of rural Australia.

The rural leaders selected for the program include individuals from Victoria, ACT, NSW, WA, SA and QLD in various industries and sectors such as primary producers, health, local and national government, private sector, services and industry. Upon graduation, these individuals will become part of the Foundation’s influential network of over 519 graduates.

Dr Lesley Fitzpatrick, chief executive of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation was impressed by the calibre of rural leaders selected for the program.

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Report on trip to India, Feb 14 2010.

Alana Johnson, past president of the Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women (FAAW) and graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP 14) together with Cathy McGowan AO, past president of Australian Women in Agriculture (AWiA) and graduate of the ARLP ( Course 3) travelled to India from Jan 15 - 27, 2010.

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Special Announcement

We congratulate two outstanding contributors from the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and rural Australia on their recent awards on Australia Day 2010:

Larry Brennen (ARLP 2) was granted an OAM

Congratulations to you both!

Here are their official biographies from the Australian Honours Secretariat.

 

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Barb Madden (ARLP 14) was elected by the Fellows as the Foundation’s new Board member in the Fellow Category. Barb brings plenty of enthusiasm to the Board and we look forward to her contributions.

John Wilson was elected in the Governor Category. John who works with the Fisheries Research and Development Corp has been on the Board a Special Skills Director for the last 18 months.

A special thank you goes to Leith Boully (ARLP 5) who served for three years as a Board member during times of transition and development for the organisation. Leith was a dedicated contributor to the Foundation's governance and continues to be a strong advocate and ambassador. Thanks Leith!

Thanks also goes to Sylvia Admans (ARLP 11) who filled one of the Fellow's position this year while Leith was on a leave of absence from the Board.

Course 15 is in the home stretch of their ARLP journey. On Sunday they spent the day at Outward Bound, enjoying some outdoor experiential activities on the Team Ropes Challenge Course and trying their hand at a creative painting exercise called Pointlism. The aim was to give the group an opportunity to consolidate their learning on teamwork in a manner that echoed the start of their program in the Kimberly. They finished the day with a 'family' dinner, with produce sourced from the participants' regions including: wild smoked turkey from South Australia (Laura Fell) , rib eye fillet from Victoria (Steve Reynolds), pork from Victoria (Tim Kingma), fish from WA(Felicity Horn), hydroponic lettuce and broccolini from Victoria (John Said), olives, cheese crackers, and mustard dressing from Orange (Fiona Rossiter), mangoes from Queensland (Steve Keating), and cherries from Victoria.

Each small group was tasked with designing and creating a canvas that represented a section of their program; however, they could only paint using dots, with paint on fingers, toes, elbows, and nose.

 

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