Scholarships on offer to industry

- Published: 28 October, 2009

People with a passion for the pig industry have a unique opportunity to study and travel as Bpex and Merial Animal Health are jointly sponsoring a Nuffield Scholarship award this year.

The Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust (NFST) is seeking applications from people aged between 22 and 45, who are convinced there is an exciting future in farming, food and rural industries. The deadline for applications is 15 November 2009 and current pig industry scholar Richard Hooper is encouraging anyone who is passionate about their work to apply for a scholarship now.

“When my scholarship was awarded, I was told I could look forward to a challenging and enjoyable experience that would open up a lifetime of new opportunities – so far so good,” he said. “I started in the US, visiting pig businesses ranging from 40 sows to more than 100,000, along with non-agricultural businesses, universities and levy and government-funded bodies. My next visit is to Canada.”

The NFST awards around 20 scholarships each year, providing travel and subsistence costs for an eight-week period, in return for a written paper and presentation of study findings at its Winter Conference. Bpex chairman Stewart Houston said: “Developing new knowledge, skills and research is vital to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of the pig industry. Sponsoring a Nuffield Scholarship is a fantastic way to support enthusiastic pig people wanting to bring benefits to the industry as a whole.”

An application form for a 2010 Scholarship can be downloaded from the Nuffield website at www.nuffieldscholar.org.