Between 2008 and 2020, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) supported 91 students from 7 Pacific island countries to complete 108 courses for postgraduate diplomas, master’s degrees by research or PhDs in a range of agricultural fields.

In 2021, the Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research (ACPIR) at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) partnered with ACIAR to continue this program. In the same year, ACIAR made a further investment to place Climate Resilience at the heart of higher degree research and agricultural education in the Pacific. The additional resources will help the partner universities to develop post-graduate level courses in climate change resilience so that these novel concepts and approaches are mainstreamed into building the capacity of researchers across the region.

The PASS-CR Climate Resilience program fosters these innovations by offering post-graduate students the opportunity to link their thesis research with leading researchers in Australian and Pacific centres of excellence in climate change resilience research.

We hope to mobilise a new generation of Pacific agricultural researchers who are equipped to tackle and address the challenges facing Pacific agriculture now and into the future.

The Pacific Agriculture Scholarships, Support and Climate Resilience (PASS-CR) Program provides scholarships and support to postgraduate students in agriculture, forestry and fisheries at The University of the South Pacific and Fiji National University. Since 2008, these ACIAR-supported research scholarships have achieved significant results, strengthening agricultural innovation systems in the Pacific.

ACIAR’s Pacific post-graduate scholarships are offered in the Pacific to Pacific Islanders. This enables scholars to research agricultural problems within the context that the solutions need to work, to build professional networks which will be relevant post-study and remain close to family and culture.

The PASS-CR Program aims to strengthen the Pacific agricultural innovation system through building on the strengths of Pacific universities and their regional partners. It is part of the Australian Government’s Pacific Step-up.

The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) is the Australian Government's specialist agricultural research-for-development agency. Their research focuses on agribusiness, climate change, crops, fisheries, forestry, horticulture, livestock systems, social systems, soil and land management and water. They deliver specific development outcomes.

The Pacific Agriculture Scholarships, Support and Climate Resilience Program is supported by the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research (ACPIR).

ACPIR is a multidisciplinary research centre that draws together those who aim to make a meaningful impact in the Pacific Islands region.

We also work with the University of South Queensland (UniSQ), as well as our Pacific partner universities The University of the South Pacific (USP) and Fiji National University (FNU).