PhD Scholarships (up to 12)

ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production

At least 12 PhD scholarships are available for research projects focussing on plant physiology, chemistry, microbiology, engineering, sensory science and marketing as relevant to the core challenges facing Australia’s $5 billion pa grape and wine industry.

TheAustralian Research Council’s Industrial Transformation Training Centrescheme seeks to foster close partnerships between university-based researchers and other research end-users to provide innovative PhD and postdoctoral training for the end-user focused research industries vital to Australia's future. The ITTC for Innovative Wine Production has secured $3 million in ARC and industry support, to progress a series of projects that span the grape and wine production chain. The overarching aim is to provide new knowledge and methods that can be incorporated into integrated strategies to modulate wine quality and alcohol content so that the grape and wine industry can produce the wines sought by the market despite the challenges of climate extremes, water restrictions, changing consumer preferences, production efficiencies and international competition.

Research topics

The ITTC-IWP will progress the following project topics:

  1. Early harvest regimes – impact on grape and wine composition and quality
  2. Role of potassium in sugar unloading in grapes and berry variability (2 PhDs).
  3. The link between berry cell death and berry weight loss
  4. The biochemical response of grapevines to smoke exposure
  5. Using alternate fermentation microbes to reduce ethanol yield or enhance aroma
  6. Removing excess sugar in grapes via microbial synthesis of inert carbon sink compounds
  7. Efficiency and sensory outcomes of spontaneous fermentations of high sugar content grapes
  8. Selective and deliberate use of winemaking supplements to modulate sensory properties in wine
  9. Getting alcohol content right: the compositional and sensory basis of the alcohol “sweetspot”
  10. Controlling unripe or ‘green’ characters in early harvest grapes using Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) or specific microbial enzymes to eliminate methoxypyrazines
  11. Consumer and market barriers to acceptance of wines of reduced alcohol content

Project descriptions and relevant contact details can be found at:

The training environment

The Centre will provide a unique training opportunity:

  • World class facilities and experts across the participating organisations
  • Multidisciplinary projects
  • A total of 12-month placement with participant organisations
  • An annual Centre research symposium and competitive support for further conference travel
  • A program of career development workshops for all students
  • Generous project support

Eligibility

Applicants must be acceptable as candidates for a PhD degree at the University of Adelaide or (projects 1 and 2) Charles Sturt University. Students must have a high level Honours or Master qualification or equivalent in a relevant field: biotechnology, plant/microbial physiology, genetics, biochemistry, organic/analytical chemistry, chemical engineering, sensory science and (project 11) marketing, international business or wine marketing.

International applicants are encouraged and those of sufficient merit will additionally be eligible for a tuition waiver scholarship.

Stipend

Each scholarship will be for the period of three years and has a stipend of AUD$28,715 per annum.

Enquiries

Further general information can be obtained from the Graduate Centre website: Queries regarding the ITTC should be directed to Prof Vladimir Jiranek, Ph: 8313 6651, Email:

Questions regarding specific projects should be directed to the appropriate research contact, which can be found at:

Applications

The closing date for applications is 31 October 2013. Applications can be made online: Applicants must indicate the project they wish to be considered for.

NB: As mandated by the ARC, the award of any scholarships remains subject to the completion of necessary collaboration agreements between the partner organisations and the University of Adelaide. It is anticipated that scholarships will be available from January 2014.