Category: News

The latest news and media releases from APRIL

APRIL Innovation Award

A new initiative from APRIL is the APRIL Innovation Award.

The purpose of the Innovation Award is to tap into the resourcefulness, know-how, and ingenuity of the many people that work in the pork industry, to demonstrate innovations, e.g., new products, new methodologies, new services, that the industry can adopt to improve performance and efficiencies, and that might result in commercialisation opportunities.

The Innovation Award winner(s) will be selected by an industry-based panel and will be announced at the APRIL Stakeholders’ Forum in Melbourne on 15 November 2022. The Award winner(s) will be eligible to be invited to attend and eligible to receive a cash prize (as per the Terms & Conditions).

Please find attached details relating to the purposes of the Award and How to Apply (here), as well as the Terms & Conditions (here).

Applications must be received by 5 pm AEDT, 21 October 2022. 

Please direct any queries and send applications to: Dr Charles Rikard-Bell, Manager, Commercialisation and Research Impact (0439 513 723; Email: c.rikardbell@april.org.au

APRIL Early Career Scientist Fellowship

APRIL is seeking an Early Career Scientist who has completed (or nearly completed) their doctorate studies and has less than 5 years of relevant postdoctoral work experience (or pro-rata equivalent).

The successful applicant will be offered a full time, 3-year fixed term contract to work with fellow scientists and staff on a collaborative and interdisciplinary project aimed at eliminating pig tail removal (docking) and raising pigs with intact tails, to improve overall pig welfare and industry sustainability.

For further information and how to apply, visit: https://www.seek.com.au/Early-Career-Scientist-Fellowship-jobs.

APRIL Announcement

APRIL Announces Call for Applications for Industry Priority and Innovation Projects

The Australasian Pork Research Institute Ltd (APRIL) is seeking applications for its Industry Priority Project and Innovation Project grant application schemes, for commencement in 2022.
 
An independent, member-based entity, APRIL seeks to enhance the Australasian pork industry by investing in research and development, education and training, and commercialisation activities focused on priorities and deliverables that ensure the sustainability of Australasian pork production, and to generate optimal returns for its stakeholders.
 
APRIL’s Industry Priority Projects address a number of key areas that will help to shape the future industry landscape. Specifically, APRIL is looking for applications related to the following priorities only:
 

  • Novel approaches to allow increased use of food wastes in pig diets; 
  • Improved water quality for use/re-use on-farm and in processing facilities; 
  • Development of real time monitoring and surveillance technologies under commercial conditions;
  • Establish pork as an integral part of a healthy lifestyle;
  • Reducing variation in lifetime performance;
  • Heavier carcasses.

More information on these priorities can be found in the Guidelines, available from the APRIL website.

Applications can be lodged by researchers currently working in the Australasian pork industry, but are also welcomed from individuals and organisations not necessarily with a direct affiliation with the industry. Potential applicants should be acquainted with APRIL’s membership base and the prospective advantages interactions with members may bring to a proposal. 

As with previous APRIL funding rounds, a minimum level of co-investment of 25% cash (of the total project cost) is required for Industry Priority Projects. However, the priorities lend themselves to potentially significantly higher levels of external investment, and researchers interested in applying should seek these avenues wherever possible.

Selection criteria include the quality of the science being proposed, soundness and logic of rationale and methodologies, the relevance of partnerships and appropriateness of the collaboration and engagement strategies, the track record, multi-disciplinary composition and capability of the research team, performance and outputs from previously held research grants (if appropriate), appropriateness of the budget and overall value for money in regard to the contribution of this research to the strategic directions and purposes of APRIL, and the ease of adoption of the project outcomes and their potential impact on the Australasian pork industry.

APRIL’s Innovation Projects are designed specifically to support ‘out of the box’ ideas for smart, new approaches to tackle the current and emerging challenges of the Australasian pork industry. Innovation Projects must demonstrate originality, uniqueness and creativity, establish new concepts or challenge existing ones, address significant challenges or critical barriers to progress, and be able to improve or apply new theoretical concepts, methodologies or tools that will benefit industry.

The assessment of applications will be based strongly on these criteria, and revenue-generating potential, if appropriate, will also be considered. Collaborative approaches by researchers and industry personnel are strongly encouraged, as are applications from individuals and organisations not necessarily having a direct affiliation with the pork industry but think a difference can be made.

Innovation Projects are negotiable to around 12 to 18 months in duration, have a maximum budget of ~$75,000, and require a minimum external cash co-investment of 25% of the total cash cost of the project. Cash contributions to the cost of the project exceeding this amount will viewed favourably. 

Both the Industry Priority and Innovation Project schemes are provided on a nationally competitive basis and available to applicants from any organisation. All APRIL funding schemes are assessed, evaluated and recommended for funding by the Research and Development Advisory Committee, which has the collective expertise and experience to effectively assess applications against all selection criteria for that scheme. If approved, research scheme funds are paid directly to the successful applicant. Funding Rules for research schemes funded by APRIL stipulate that no overhead (indirect cost recovery) can be charged.

For any further information or any questions on the Industry Priority Project and Innovation Project schemes, please contact either Dr Charles Rikard-Bell (Manager, Commercialisation and Research Impact), or Dr John Pluske (Chief Scientist and CEO).



Important Dates:

Applications open: 30 August 2021
Applications Close: 1 October 2021

It is anticipated that funding for successful projects would occur after December, 2021, subject to APRIL Board approval.