Explore real-world topics of diet, capacity building and agriculture in the Pacific Islands with ACPIR mentors and supervisors. Enter our network of engaged academics and professionals working on research to benefit sustainability, health, conservation, equality, primary production and livelihoods in the Pacific Islands.
ACPIR Summer Research Scholarships
ACPIR Summer Research Scholarships (ACPIR SRS) provide an opportunity for undergraduate, including honours, students to be part of a research team and participate in research. They extend ACPIR’s culture of mentoring to undergraduate students, through a tiered mentoring approach from ACPIR academic project leaders and postgraduates (HDR students and post docs).
Benefits
Successful students will have increased exposure to research as a career pathway and an opportunity to learn about the research process. They will be involved in a project, have opportunity to network with other researchers, postgraduate peers and professionals, and start to develop a research profile.
Research skills are transferable, making this experience useful, even for those who may not decide to pursue research as a career option.
ACPIR's topics and researchers for 2022-2023
Congratulations to our 2022-2023 recipients. ACPIR offered 10 research scholarships to be part of the team on one of the following 6 projects:
- Crowther Bedow will contribute to Dietary intake methodology in the Pacific Islands with ACPIR supervisor Dr Sarah Burkhart.
- Belinda Christensen and Dallas Thom will contribute to NOVA: Developing a tool to measure consumption of ultra-processed foods in the Pacific Islands with ACPIR supervisor Dr Sarah Burkhart.
- Fergus Macleod will contribute to Fish assemblages at giant clam farms with ACPIR supervisor Prof. Paul Southgate.
- Inali Lutschini will contribute to Variability in shellcraft products with ACPIR supervisor Prof. Paul Southgate.
- Mairead Rodgers and Noemie Legendre will contribute to Development of consumer-facing resources to support village engagement in the seaweed value chain in Samoa with ACPIR supervisor Dr Libby Swanepoel.
- Kyle MacKenzie, Juliette Sauvage and Taryn Whiley will contribute to Women’s Soccer in Oceania: Community Resource Development Project with ACPIR supervisor Dr Lee McGowan.
What's involved
The program is run over the summer starting in December and recommencing after the Christmas holiday break. There is flexibility in the days/times that the student can work, negotiated at the start of the program.
Undergraduate students in the program are paid a stipend of $3,000 in instalments over the 8-week program. Mentored by an academic supervisor from ACPIR, and also a postgraduate peer throughout the ACPIR-SRS program, participants can develop their research skills, personal skills, and career planning, and are encouraged to work with the project team in contributing to a publication/other output as a named author.
ACPIR postgraduate mentors will receive a stipend of $2,000.
“An amazing, valuable and unique experience for undergraduate students. It provided me skills that I can not only use in my succeeding courses throughout my studies but also those that I will use in my future career. I felt thoroughly supported by my advisors. I'm looking forward to future opportunities.” - 2021-2022 ACPIR SRS recipient.
Hear from Scholarship Recipients
Briana Fahey
Past ACPIR scholarship recipient Briana Fahey credits her experience as igniting her appetite for a career in research. Learn more about her experience with the Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research Summer Research Scholarship.
Monica Smith
The ACPIR SRS 2021 experience sparked a new passion for research in population-based health for UniSC researcher Monica Smith. Monica is now working towards her PhD and continuing the ACPIR project on school food environments.