Uni of Adelaide scoops two national awards

University of Adelaide academics have been awarded two of the three 2020 Australian Council of Graduate Research awards for Excellence in Graduate Research Education.

The team at the Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production, based at the University, has won the ACGR Award for Excellence in Graduate Research Supervision proudly supported by ResearchMaster.

The team, led by Professor Vladimir Jiranek, Professor in Oenology, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, includes Associate Professor David Jeffery; Professor Kerry Wilkinson; Professor Steve Tyerman; Dr Renata Ristic; and Professor Leigh Schmidtke (from partner Charles Sturt University).

“The University prides itself for providing a world-class education, and these two awards demonstrate that we can guide them to make a real impact on the world's most challenging problems.”Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Anton Middelberg

Meanwhile, Associate Professor Natalie Edwards, Director of Graduate Studies in the Faculty of Arts has won the ACGR Award for Excellence in Graduate Research Leadership proudly supported by SkillsForge, an award presented to an individual.

The awards shine a spotlight on exemplary graduate research supervisors and leaders. They celebrate and promote quality in higher degree research supervision, leadership and industry engagement. 

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Anton Middelberg said the awards presented to University of Adelaide academics was testament to the calibre and hard work of those recognised.

“There is no doubt that our staff are passionate about helping postgraduate students excel in their studies,” Professor Middelberg said.

“The University prides itself for providing a world-class education, and these two awards demonstrate that we can guide them to make a real impact on the world's most challenging problems.”

Professor Vladimir Jiranek says the key to success for his team is the strong industry partnerships which help postgraduate students play a vital role in developing the wine sector.

“The Training Centre model is set up so students have direct contact with industry partners, meaning we are training the next generation of industry-aware researchers,” he said.

“Because we can train PhD students at that research / industry interface, they receive much more than an academic education; they also learn applied and practical skills to take into their viticulture and oenology careers.

“One of the most rewarding aspects for the team is that because the students come from all over the world, we get a real diversity of views, experience and technical capabilities in the Centre.

“It is a pleasure to see our students develop quickly as independent researchers who then quickly move into solid and successful research, academic and technical careers.”

Associate Professor Natalie Edwards says postgraduate research is an important part of the work of the University of Adelaide, and she is delighted to be recognised for her leadership in this area.

“We are training people who will be the scholars, researchers and leaders of tomorrow,” she said.

“Postgraduate study in the Arts is vitally important because we are training students to research society, community and cultures in order to further our understanding of the past and the present. 

“Our students do amazing things – researching topics from the politics of Brexit to mediaeval history to modern literature – and it is such a privilege to be a part of their learning and development.

“It is a pleasure to lead the team of Postgraduate Coordinators and supervisors who deliver high-quality supervision, careers training and professional development to students across the Faculty.”

The Australian Council of Graduate Research Inc is a not-for-profit forum of university representatives. Recipients of the awards receive a trophy and a $3000 grant.