The Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society is running its dissertation sponsorship award for the second year in a row in a bid to engage with undergraduate students and drive research around the native breed.
“We’re excited to be running this opportunity again after a successful launch last year,” says Robert Gilchrist, Chief Executive Officer at The Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society.
The winning candidates will receive £750 towards completing their dissertation alongside mentoring and research support from The Society.
“We hope that by offering this sponsorship opportunity for a second year in a row, we will continue to encourage students to undertake valuable research on behalf of the British beef sector,” adds Mr Gilchrist.
“We’ve worked alongside two fantastic students over the last year who have been carrying out research projects that we hope will steer the development of sustainable and profitable beef productions systems that are fit for the future.”
Vicki Elder, a final year student at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) is nearing the finish line of her dissertation having been awarded sponsorship in 2022.
Miss Elder carried out research into whether a high or low input beef production system is better suited to the future of sustainable farming in Scotland, in line with the move from the Common Agricultural Policy to the new post-Brexit policy framework.
“We worked with our members to provide Vicki with contacts to carry out farm audits on some Aberdeen-Angus herds, comparing intensive to extensive systems,” says Mr Gilchrist.
“The research focused on the three pillars of sustainable beef production; this involves investigating and comparing economic and environmental performance, as well as taking into account the social element of each system.”
Mr Gilchrist says he is looking forward to working with more enthusiastic young people who are invested in the future of the beef industry.
For more information about the dissertation sponsorship award, please visit www.aberdeen-angus.co.uk/general-resources-big/dissertation-sponsorship-award-application-form-2023/ and send your application to dissertation@aberdeen-angus/co.uk by June 30, 2023.