A new cohort of 5 Nuffield Drought Resilience Scholars will help further research into drought resilience, fostering Australia's commitment to climate-smart agriculture and international collaboration in addressing drought challenges.
Announced this week, the scholarships have been awarded under the Drought Resilience Scholarship Program, a partnership between the Future Drought Fund (FDF) and Nuffield Australia.
The program aims to empower emerging agricultural leaders to explore innovative approaches to building drought resilience, strengthening the future of Australian farming. They will be able to share their insights and findings with their peers, industry leaders and communities.
Since 2024, the FDF has sponsored up to 5 scholars each year to travel across Australia and overseas to study drought resilience and meet leaders and innovators in the field.
The announcement brings the total number of Nuffield Drought Resilience Scholars sponsored by the FDF to 15.
The Nuffield Drought Resilience Scholarships awardees for 2026 are:
- Jessica Bidgood from Qld, who will study how integrated approaches can help improve the production, profitability and ecological health of grazing systems in Australia
- Blythe Calnan from WA, who will research stock handling to build resilience in people, animals, businesses and landscape
- Isobel Heffernan from NT, who will study new ways to empower communities to drive climate resilience in grazing landscapes
- Kristen Hegarty from NSW, who will investigate ways to add value to traditional livestock enterprises with outcomes focused on improved business and climate resilience
- Kate Watts from Qld, who will research how traceability tools, such as ultra-high frequency (UHF) ear tags and automated data systems, can improve real-time decision-making, especially for smaller and remote producers.
Acting First Assistant Secretary for Farm Resilience Courtney Bryant said the scholarships provided recipients with a valuable opportunity to gain an international perspective on drought resilience activities.
"The FDF Drought Resilience Scholarship Program supports sustainable, productive agriculture by investing in research, leadership, and knowledge-sharing across regions and industries," Ms Bryant said.
"These scholars play a vital role in connecting communities, industries, and policymakers with practical insights that help build a more resilient agricultural sector."
