Past ASVO travel bursary recipient, Soon Yan. Image courtesy ASVO

Today, the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO) is launching its new Scholarship Program, with applications now open for three new scholarships: ASVO Next Gen Scholarship, ASVO Growth Scholarship, and ASVO Dr Patrick Iland Scholarship.

In total, the new ASVO Scholarship Program will provide $15,000 towards supporting the careers of its members by providing funding for training courses, educational opportunities and professional development projects.

ASVO president Andy Clarke said the new structure will give applicants more flexibility, “to propose the development opportunity that best suits them, given where they are in their career”.

“We recognise that our members have unique professional development needs at each stage of their career, so the suite of scholarships reflect this accordingly,” said Clarke.

“Individuals can apply for scholarships towards courses, or to attend relevant conferences or workshops.  Successful applicants should demonstrate how they intend to share key learnings obtained through the scholarship funding, to the wider industry.”

There are five $1,000 Next Gen Scholarships accessible to promising individuals in the early stages of their wine-sector career, who may need support to build their industry knowledge and connect with more experienced people.  Examples may be finding a mentor, gaining a work placement, or attending short courses, workshops and seminars. The Next Gen sponsorship is supported by funding from Wine Australia.

There are two $2,500 Growth Scholarships on offer to help those in mid-career to take the next step towards management or professional advancement within the wine sector. This might be activities such as attending a leadership course, study tour, or conference, or even the costs of getting a research article published.

There is one $5,000 Dr Patrick Iland Scholarship available to individuals or small-to-medium businesses undertaking professional development projects which benefit a cohort of members. The activities covered are similar to the above scholarships, but an additional example might be covering the costs of bringing over an expert to present training to a group. The ASVO Dr Patrick Iland Scholarship is supported by Dr Patrick Iland and co-authors.

“ASVO strongly encourages applications from all members,” added Clarke. “While all eligible applications will be considered, priority for funding will be given to eligible applicants who might have less advantages than others.”

Applications for one of the new scholarships can be lodged online, no later than 31 May 2025, at https://www.asvo.com.au/asvo-scholarship-program.

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