Ian Colditz - Mentor for Postdoctoral Fellow

Summary

Livestock RD&E needs a relatively constant supply of suitably experienced researchers for RD&E for the red meat industries. Scientist education has been a long term investment area for LPI and there is continual refinement of the portfolio strategy to match livestock RD&E requirements with the changing environment pertaining to employment opportunities and the Australian higher education system.  

The Mentors for Postdoctoral Fellowships Program has been designed to identify potential future research leaders in fields of study essential for livestock RD&E and place them in circumstances to enhance their specialist education and career development. The initial focus in this program is the identification of suitable senior researchers to act as mentors and supervisors to the postdoctoral fellows. The mentors must have expertise in an appropriate field of study and be able to host the postdoctoral fellow in an environment conducive to promoting development of the
sixty one applications were received and after assessment against the selection criteria there were still many more applicants deemed very suitable as future mentors than the five awards available. All selected recipients are leaders in their discipline, are approaching retirement age and will leave a significant gap in research capability when they reduce their research efforts.

The projects are being structured to ensure that the postdoctoral fellow appointed to work with each mentor has annual training in research leadership. Whilst the successful applicant has been identified as the primary mentor, all postdoctoral fellows will be exposed to a broader range of related disciplines and senior researchers during the term of their three year appointments. The detailed research plan for each postdoctoral fellow will be developed after their appointment and in conjunction with the responsible MLA manager, and will contribute to objectives and deliverables as described in the national RD&E strategies.

Successful mentors:

• Dr Andrew Ash, Director, CSIRO Climate Change Flagship. Dr Ash has an excellent research career in modelling of northern production systems and is the project leader for the current Northern Production Systems Scoping Project. The postdoctoral fellow will receive specialised training in modelling pasture and animal production for cattle in northern Australia.
• Dr Ian Colditiz, CSIRO Livestock Industries. Dr Colditz has been a long term contributor to research related to animal health, welfare and productivity, particularly in the feedlot sector, and ALFA has supported use of funds for this award. The postdoctoral fellow will receive specialised training in the immune responsiveness in beef cattle and productivity in feedlots.
• Dr Glen Saunders, NSW Industry and Investment. Dr Saunders is a leading researcher in the field of vertebrate pest management. Whilst state departments have not been developing young researchers in this discipline, the issue of vertebrate pest management is ranked high as an industry issue. NSW Industry and Investment has agreed to tenure track the postdoctoral fellow subject to performance and achievements. The postdoctoral fellow will receive specialised training in vertebrate pest management with a focus on fox and wild dog control.
• Dr Lorna Melville, NT Department of Resources. Dr Melville is the Principal Veterinary Pathologist with the Berrimah Veterinary Laboratory and is a virologist specialising in arboviruses. Dr Melville and the Berrimah Veterinary Laboratory are central to continued biosecurity of the Australian industry as the front line laboratory tasked with discovering exotic disease threats spreading into Australia from our northern neighbours. The postdoctoral fellow will receive specialised training in the investigation of arboviruses in livestock in northern Australia, particularly pathogenesis and improved diagnostic tests.