Economic assessment of risks and rewards for on-farm tactical and strategic investments in the Australian grains industry

This PhD candidate will work on the development and application of a bio-economic framework to assess the impact of tactical and strategic investments on the performance of Australian grain growers. Several investments are available for testing, such as an increased demand for on-farm grain storage, weather forecasting with longer lead times, and the role of satellite images for in-season management of crop nitrogen.

The integration of more recent predictive methods with existing prescriptive methods has the potential to better quantify risks (the probabilities of specific types of risks occurring) leading to improved risk assessments for decision-making. An example for testing includes integrating data from satellites into a discrete stochastic programming model or (partially observable) Markov Decision Decision Process of on-farm decisions. Related to this integration is how predictive methods for informing operating decisions can influence the profitability of capital asset investments.

The PhD candidate will be offered a caring and challenging work environment. The candidate will be part of a wider network of PhD students and staff who are part of the Analytics for the Australian Grains Industry (AAGI) co-investment from the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) with strategic partners The University of Queensland (UQ), Curtin University, and the University of Adelaide.

This project is supported by the Research project scholarship.

Learn more about the Research project scholarship.

Your application will be assessed on a competitive basis.

We take into account your:

• previous academic record
• publication record
• honours and awards
• employment history

A working knowledge of risk assessment, mathematical programming models, and an interest in applying predictive analytics,  such as machine learning would be of benefit to someone working on this project.

A background or knowledge of the Australian grains industry, agricultural economics and business is highly desirable.

Before you apply

Before submitting an application you should:

1. check your eligibility for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
2. prepare your documentation
3. contact Dr Adam Komarek (a.komarek@uq.edu.au) to discuss your interest and suitability
4. submit your application by 17 August, 2024 17 August, 2024.

When you apply

You apply for this scholarship when you submit an application for your program. You don’t need to submit a separate scholarship application.

In your application ensure that under the ‘Scholarships and collaborative study’ section you select:

• ‘My higher degree is not collaborative’
• ‘I am applying for, or have been awarded a scholarship or sponsorship'
• ‘Other’, then ‘Research Project Scholarship’ and in the ‘Name of scholarship’ field enter GRAINS-KOMAREK.

Apply now