Wine Australia is committed to the development of the next generation of researchers, experts and leaders who will help to drive the Australian grape and wine community's future.

Wine Australia offers a PhD and Masters by Research scholarship program to help attract postgraduate students to the fields of wine, viticulture and wine business research.

Our scholarship recipients are placed across a diverse range of disciplines and across projects that will help support a prosperous grape and wine community.

Click on the arrow below to view the current scholarship recipients and their projects.

Dr Tony Jordan OAM Memorial Award

In 2019 Wine Australia established the Dr Tony Jordan OAM Award, an annual award for the most outstanding Wine Australia PhD scholarship applicant.

Over his distinguished career, Dr Jordan was an influential and determined advocate for the advancement of Australian wine as a winemaker, researcher, mentor, wine show judge and wine sector leader. Dr Jordan was crucial to the establishment of the wine science program at Charles Sturt University in the 1970s, influencing modern Australian wine practices. He was an ardent supporter of academic endeavour and encouraged excellence across the Australian grape and wine community.

Wine Australia awards merit-based PhD scholarships with a stipend top-up to $35,000. The Dr Tony Jordan OAM Award recipient will receive a stipend top-up to $40,000 annually to support their study.

Media Release

Recipients of the Dr Tony Jordan memorial award

2020,  Anne Johnson, Charles Sturt University, Implementation of agroecological practices in viticulture: Identification of factors that motivate or constrain uptake

Media Relase

​2019, Joseph Marks, University of Adelaide, Sustaining viticulture: How under-vine (sp. Vitis vinifera) cover crops affect arbuscular mycorrhizal associations, soil organic carbon composition and soil carbon stocks.

• Media Release
• Video: The Future of Vineyard Management
• "A Changing of the Vines" - ABC News
• "Cover crops – get it right, and reap the benefits" - Wine Australia
• "Under-vine cover crops show their value" - Wine Australia
• "The evidence supports the value of under-vine crops" - Wine Australia

Scholarships

Active scholarships

Viticulture, grapes and the vineyard

Name	Research Organisation	Project title	Project No
Alexander Copper	University of Adelaide	Assessing the suitability of indigenous Cypriot grape varieties for Australia’s challenging and changing climate	WA Ph1703
Andres Zhou Tsang	University of Adelaide	Genetic basis of salt exclusion in grapevine	WA Ph2009
Anne Johnson (2020 Dr Tony Jordan OAM Award recipient)	Charles Sturt University	Implementation of agroecological practices in viticulture: Identification of factors that motivate or constrain uptake	WA Ph2000
Benjamin Pike	University of Adelaide	Understanding the Relative Sustainability of Harvesting Pruned Vineyard Biomass and the Effect on Carbon Sequestration and Disease Management	WA Ph2005
Chethana Gowder Shekharappa	University of Adelaide	The role of Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and Gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) in cell death in grape berry development	WA Ph1910
Claire Armstrong	University of Adelaide	Understanding and managing grape berry heterogeneity in the vineyard to improve Cabernet Sauvignon wine quality	WA Ph1802
Harriet Walker	University of Tasmania	Improving grapevine yield and wine quality through optimised vine nutrition and pruning	AGW Ph1607
Jingyun Ouyang	University of Adelaide	Developing digital tools for canopy management	AGW Ph1601
Joseph Marks (2019 Dr Tony Jordan OAM Award recipient)	University of Adelaide	Sustaining viticulture: How under-vine (sp. Vitis vinifera) cover crops affect arbuscular mycorrhizal associations, soil organic carbon composition and soil carbon stocks	WA Ph1902
Kamalpreet Kaur	La Trobe University	The molecular epidemiology and control of grapevine pinot gris virus in Australian viticulture	WA Ph1907
Merek Kesser	University of Adelaide	A regional study of the effects of vineyard floor management on soil health, biodiversity and terroir expression	WA Ph1908
Patrick O'Brien	University of Adelaide	Developing and assessing different cordon establishment techniques for long term vineyard management	WA Ph1806
Pietro Previtali	University of Adelaide	Breaking the sugar flavour nexus: producing grapes with less sugar and more flavour	WA Ph1805
Pippa French	University of Tasmania	Science to inform decision making between synthetic and alternative nitrogen sources in vineyards	WA Ph1904
Qi Wu	University of Adelaide	The molecular diversity of viruses infecting Australian grapevines	WA Ph1706
Rochelle Schlank	University of Adelaide	Comparison of soil, vine, and environmental metrics to optimise vineyard irrigation  scheduling	WA Ph2007
Ross Sanders	CSIRO	Rootstock effects on grape rachis (bunch-stem) composition and the implications for red wine flavour and aroma	WA Ph1901
Xiaoyi Wang	University of Adelaide	Molecular genetic control of grapevine bud fruitfulness	WA Ph1912
Xinxin Song	University of Tasmania	Towards differential management to supply more fruit at desired price point	WA Ph1707
Yeniu Wang	University of Adelaide	Detection of grapevine virus diseases in Australian vineyards using remote sensing and machine learning techniques	WA Ph2008

Oenology

Name	Research Organisation	Project title	Project No
Alix Harlington	University of Adelaide	Engineering biosensors of smoke taint	WA Ph2002
Christopher Caboche	University of Queensland	Analysis of the wine glycoproteome and proteome to improve quality and track provenance	WA Ph1903
Gail Gnoinski	University of Tasmania	Novel approaches to autolysis manipulation and improving efficiencies in sparkling wine production	WA Ph1705
Hugh Holds	University of Adelaide	From brandewijn (burnt wine) to bush fires: new directions in Australian Brandy production	WA Ph1905
Ranjith Cebreco	University of Adelaide	Engineering biosensors of wine spoilage	WA Ph2001
Ruchira Ranaweera	University of Adelaide	Chemical markers for authentication of Australian wine	WA Ph1909
Spencer Petticrew	Flinders University	Exploration of macromolecular complexes in wine using the Vortex Fluidic Device	WA Ph1801
Tom Lang	University of Adelaide	Yeast strain construstion using CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genome editing	AGW Ph1603
Xingchen Wang	University of Adelaide	Identification of new precursors and factors affecting varietal thiols and their precursors in grapes and wines	WA Ph1803
Yihe Sui	The University of Adelaide	Use of membrane filtration technology to achieve protein stability in white wine	WA Ph1911
Yiming Huo	University of Adelaide	Mitigating taint in wine due to vineyard exposure to bushfire smoke	WA Ph2003

Sensory

Name	Research Organisation	Project title	Project No
Billy Xynas	University of Melbourne	Wine production in a changing Australian climate: water addition to musts and the effects on phenolic, chemical and sensory attributes	WA Ph1913
Lira Souza Gonzaga	University of Adelaide	Characterising the distinctive flavours of Australian Cabernet Sauvignon wines	WA Ph1804
Naomi Verdonk	University of Adelaide	Understanding Australian wine consumers’ preferences for sparkling wine	GWR Ph1309
Natalja Ivanova	University of Adelaide	Understanding the sensory perception of ‘body’ in beer and wine	WA Ph1906
Shaoyang Wang	University of Queensland	A systematic approach to understanding wine texture and mouthfeel	WA Ph1704

Wine business, consumers and marketing

Name	Research Organisation	Project title	Project No
Anahita Motamedisade	Flinders University	Photocatalytic treatment of winery wastewater using Au clusters deposited mesoporous TiO2	WA Ph2004
German Puga	University of Adelaide	Essays in Wine Economics	WA Ph2006
Guy Leedon	Australian National University	Locating terroir: understanding businesses’ identification with their local environment, place and community, and how this influences wine purchasing decisions and corporate sustainability	AGW Ph1604

 

Completed scholarships

This completed scholarship list covers only the most recent five-year period. If you have any questions please email research@wineaustralia.com

Viticulture, grapes and the vineyard

Student	Title	Completion date	Research Organisation	File Number
Jennifer Niem	Characterisation of the microbiome associated with grapevines and evaluation of endophytic microorganisms as biological control agents of grapevine trunk disease pathogens	April 2021	Charles Sturt University	AGW Ph1606
Di Liu	Microbial terroir: understanding the importance of the soil-borne microbial community to Australian terroir	March 2021	University of Melbourne	AGW Ph1602
Gyongyver Korosi	Entomopathogenic fungi as potential biocontrol agents of grape phylloxera	2019	Charles Sturt University	GWR Ph1202
Yue Wu	Genetic mechanisms that underpin chloride and sodium exclusion in grapevine germplasm	2019	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	AGW Ph1502
Pierluigi Reveglia	Isolation and characterisation of phytotoxins produced by the Botryosphaeriaceae and their role in grapevine trunk diseases	2019	Charles Sturt University	WA Ph1701
Sarah Moss	Understanding a key regulatory step in the auxin signalling pathway involved in the control of berry ripening	2018	CSIRO Agriculture and Food	GWR Ph1104
Yazhini Velappan	Oxidative Activation of the Cell Cycle and its Role in Axillary Bud Development and Dormancy under Optimal and Stressed Conditions	2018	University of Western Australia	GWR Ph1201
James Hook	Assessment of vineyard performance to predict wine quality	2018	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR M1301
Hieu Trung Bui	Enhanced biological control of light brown apple moth in vineyards	2018	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph1317
Mary Retallack	Evaluating native insectary plant species to boost beneficial arthropod populations in vineyards	2018	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph1209
Olaf Schelezki	Optimisation of an early harvest regime - Impact on grape and wine quality and content	2018	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph1408
Chelsea Jarvis	The impact of modes of climate on vineyard performance in Australia	2018	The University of Melbourne	GWR Ph1401
Lieke Van Der Hulst	The biochemical response of grapevines to smoke exposure	2018	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph1403
Andrew Taylor	Genetic structure, survival mechanisms and spread of grapevine downy mildew populations in Western Australian and Australian vineyards	2018	Murdoch University	GWR Ph1301
Luciano Caravia	Assessing berry senescence processes under warming conditions and how to ameliorate its negative effects	2017	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph1205
Gerhard Rossouw	The influence of grapevine balance and water status during berry maturation on internal carbohydrate dynamics and leaf function	2017	Charles Sturt University	GWR Ph1306
Dylan Grigg	Indicators of vine balance and their application to rapid estimation of yield and key crop parameters	2017	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph1304
Jingyun Ouyang	Early yield prediction: assessment of inflorescence primordia and primary bud necrosis	2017	The University of Adelaide Undergraduate Scholarships Office	AGW H1502
Catherine Kidman	The effect of rootstock and water stress on the reproductive performance of Vitis vinifera L.	2015	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph0904
Stewart Hall	Effects of the Plant Pathogen Pseudomonas syringae and Botrytis cinerea with the Grapevine Defence System	2015	Charles Sturt University	GWR Ph1109
Emily Higginson	Identification of genes involved in the levels of organic acids in Grape berries	2015	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph1103
Pangzhen Zhang	The biological origin of rotundone in Vitis vinifera cv. Shiraz grapevine	2015	The University of Melbourne	GWR Ph1203
Ellen Davis	Optimizing nitrogen use in cool climate vineyards to improve fruitset and maximise wine phenolics	2015	The University of Tasmania	GWR H1401

Oenology

Student	Title	Finish	Research Organisation	File Number
Louise Bartle	Identification and understanding of Saccharomyces and Oenococcus interactions in co-inoculated cultures for development of robust inoculation pairs in wine fermentation.	2020	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	AGW Ph1510
Lisa Hartmann	Bioprospecting the regional genetic diversity of Australian wine microbiota	2019	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	AGW Ph1501
Patrick Setford	Process control of objective wine quality parameters during fermentation using novel simulation models	2019	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	AGW Ph1505
Bruna Lima	Objective Measures of Sparkling Wine Quality	2019	The University of Melbourne	AGW Ph1508
Rachel Self	Developing Botrytis cinerea as a potent non‐GM enzyme producer for the removal of haze‐forming proteins under normal winemaking conditions	2019	Macquarie University	AGW Ph1511
Liang Chen	Origin of varietal thiols: environmental and winemaking effects	2019	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	AGW Ph1512
Julie Tang	Autonomous In-Vivo Determination of Maturity Parameters	2019	University of New South Wales	AGW Ph1513
Xinyi Zhang	Impacts of viticultural conditions and juice composition on the oxidative and reductive development of wine.	2019	Charles Sturt University	AGW Ph1509
Pastor Jullian Fabres	Decoding the unique terroir of Australian wines using a multi-omics approach	2019	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	AGW Ph1503
Ross Farrell	Optimising oak expression in wine through real-time flavour profiling of maturation products	2018	The University of Tasmania	GWR Ph1311
Ryan Zeppel	Genomic insights into the nutrient utilisation and wine spoilage potential of Dekkera bruxellensis.	2018	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph1315
Ana Hranilovic	Non-Saccharomyces yeasts in ethanol reduction and flavour enhancement - supplementary funding application	2018	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph1407
Josephine Peter	Identification of yeast genes enabling efficient Oenological fermentation under nitrogen-limited conditions	2017	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph1313
	Investigating Metal complexes in wine and their effect on sulfur species production.	2017	University of New England	GWR Ph1402
	Inoculated mixed culture fermentations for enhanced wine quality and reliable fermentation	2017	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph1305
	The biochemical pathways behind in H2S generation by yeast	2017	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph1314
Rocco Longo	Production of Lower Alcohol Wines	2017	Charles Sturt University	GWR Ph1406
	Isolation and characterisation of improved lactic acid bacteria strains for optimised malolactic fermentation performance	2017	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph1308
Joanna Gambetta	Development of quality assessment tools for Chardonnay in relation to grape and wine composition	2016	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph1210
Ross Sanders	Investigation of regional influences on varietal thiols concentrations in relation to the sensory properties of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines	2016	The University of Adelaide Undergraduate Scholarships Office	AGW H1503
Anthony Hoare	The effect of soil minerals on flavour and aroma compounds in Shiraz as an expression of terroir	2016	The University of Adelaide Undergraduate Scholarships Office	AGW H1504
Angela Sparrow	Comparative analysis of wine tannins in Pinot noir grapes	2015	The University of Tasmania	GWR Ph1107
Sarah Hammond	How does tannin and anthocyanin in the grapes relate to wine quality?	2015	The University of Tasmania	GWR H1304
Stuart Bloomfield	Does the foliar application of silica affect vegetative growth, berry and wine quality, composition and sensory attributes when applied to Cabernet Sauvignon and Semillon vines	2015	The University of Adelaide Undergraduate Scholarships Office	GWR H1403

Sensory

Student	Title	Finish	Research Organisation	File Number
Wenyu Kang	Alternative technology to modify and measure wine astringency, taste and quality	2020	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	AGW Ph1605
Sijing Li	Selective and deliberate use of winemaking supplements to modulate sensory properties of wine	2018	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph1312
Christopher Blackford	Contribution of grape berry lipids to wine aroma	2016	CSIRO Agriculture and Food	GWR Ph1006
Jiaming Wang	Comprehensive study of Australian Rosé wines: characterisation of chemical and sensory profiles	2016	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph1307

Wine business, consumers and marketing

Student	Title	Finish	Research Organisation	File Number
Marcell Kustos	A cross cultural study of the impact of Australian wines of provenance and food pairings on the consumer gastronomic experience	2020	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	AGW Ph1507
Martin Hirche	Measuring physical availability (distribution network) of alcoholic beverages categories in light of localisation trends in globalised markets.	2018	University of South Australia	GWR Ph1404
Cristobal Onetto	Improved treatment of winery wastewater through a detailed microbial population analysis	2018	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph1316
Yaelle Saltman	Potential for natural flavour additives to improve the sensory properties and consumer acceptance of wine	2016	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph1102
Anna Crump	Investigating consumers’ knowledge of and attitude towards different oak maturation regimes	2015	The University of Adelaide Graduate Centre	GWR Ph1101
Katherine Christ	Environmental Management Accounting as a Medium for Improved Water Management in the Australian Wine Industry: An Empirical Analysis	2015	University of South Australia	GWR Ph1204
Ava Huang	Price elasticity and choice of wine across price tiers	2015	University of South Australia	GWR M1202
Emma Marris	Deliberate use of oak-derived winemaking supplements to modulate the sensory properties of Shiraz wine	2015	The University of Adelaide Undergraduate Scholarships Office	GWR H1402