We are pleased to announce that three CAED members, Ms Mahnaz Afsar (left) Ms Montana Walsh Baddeley (middle), and Mr Darcy Lefroy (right), were all successful in obtaining awards through the WA Agricultural Research Collaboration (WAARC) Postgraduate Research Scholarship Program.
They were among the 23 state-wide recipients, nine of whom were from UWA. The WAARC Postgraduate Research Scholarship Program was launched on 26th July 2024 at UWA and attended by Agriculture and Food Minister, Jackie Jarvis, WAARC Director, Dr Kelly Pearce, and many industry leaders and stakeholders. There was a buzz in the air around the potential of the research projects to deliver transformative results for the agricultural industry,
Each winner was asked what the award means to them.
"The WAARC Scholarship program provides a fantastic network of leading industry professionals and PhD students, opening so many doors to collaboration and technology that will make my PhD even better. It will also take the pressure off financially, enabling me to focus my energy on my research and building connections"
Montana Walsh Baddeley
"I'm excited to join the WAARC Scholarship Program, which will enable me to collaborate directly with industry leaders and stakeholders. This partnership is crucial for aligning my research with the practical needs of the agricultural sector, ensuring that it drives meaningful and lasting impact"
Mahnaz Afsar
"The WAARC scholarship will allow me to establish connections with producers in the region I would not otherwise have been able to make. This will significantly enhance the impact of my PhD by incorporating their knowledge and experience into this research"
Darcy Lefroy
The areas of research application for these three CAED students are quite different, yet each research proposal has a behavioural science element in common, adding to CAED’s portfolio of research in this space.
Research Projects
Montana Walsh Baddeley
Montana is planning to start her PhD around June 2025 with a view to investigating the genetic factors influencing meat quality and performance of rangelands beef cattle throughout the WA supply chain.
Her project will take a transdisciplinary approach to genetics research, looking at ways to phenotype cattle grazing behaviours, the genetics underlying cow body composition, as well as investigating producer behaviour in relation to genetic improvement. The aim is to improve understanding of why some cattle consistently perform better in adverse rangelands conditions than others in the same herd. The results can inform breeding programs, leading to more resilient animals that consistently meet domestic market requirements. She aims to also consider producer behaviour to enable a more targeted approach to knowledge sharing and improving adoption of genetic improvement techniques.
Mahnaz Afsar
Mahnaz is six months into her PhD and is focussed on developing demand-driven extension strategies to improve adoption of precision agriculture technologies in south-west Western Australia. Her research seeks to bridge the gap between advanced agricultural technologies and practical on-farm application by integrating behavioural insights from various stakeholders, including farmers, extension agents, and technology providers.
By tailoring extension strategies to align with the motivations, perceptions, and decision-making processes of these key players, Mahnaz aims to foster a more receptive environment for the adoption of precision agriculture. This approach not only addresses the technical and logistical challenges faced by farmers but also enhances the overall effectiveness of outreach efforts, ultimately leading to improved farm productivity, sustainability, and long-term success in the Western Australian agricultural landscape.
Mahnaz is also a recipient of a scholarship awarded through the ARC Training Centre in for Behavioural Insights for Technology Adoption (BITA), of which CAED is a collaborating partner.
Darcy Lefroy
Darcy is six months into his PhD exploring the human factors affecting the adoption and diffusion of emerging biotechnologies.
Emerging biotechnologies are on the road to commercialisation; innovations like livestock mRNA vaccines, and carbon-capturing bacteria could offer huge benefits to society, once they hit the mainstream. But whether or not they achieve these benefits will depend on how many people use them. Emerging biotechnologies face obstacles to widespread uptake due to public, regulatory, and industry perceptions. These human factors include perceived risks and benefits, levels of awareness, as well as the styles of reasoning people engage in.
Darcy’s research is working to understand the factors outside the laboratory that influence the adoption and diffusion of livestock mRNA vaccines, plastic-degrading enzymes and carbon-capturing bacteria. The findings of this research will inform the design and development of biotechnologies in agriculture, health and for environmental sustainability. They will also identify pathways for public adoption to maximise the uptake and utility of these technologies in society.
Darcy is also a recipient of a CSIRO Scholarship award.
For more information:
UWA Media Release: UWA PhD candidates scoop agriculture scholarships
Scholarship recipients:
Montana Walsh Baddeley: montana.walshbaddeley@uwa.edu.au
Mahnaz Afsar: mahnaz.afsar@research.uwa.edu.au
Darcy Lefroy: darcy.lefroy@research.uwa.edu.au
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