Scholarships

LIC is a premier supplier of improved germplasm, herd testing, and herd information management services to New Zealand dairy farmers, and one of the largest integrated dairy cattle breeding companies in the world.

BACKGROUND

Formed in the early 1900s, LIC has always attracted the best scientific minds in the world, and today the company’s talented research and development team is actively involved in the areas of bioinformatics, machine learning, animal breeding, quantitative genetics and reproductive biology to support the innovative development of products and services, and to define the future with new science like the use of genomics and sequencing in animal improvement.

In recent years attempts to recruit scientists into LIC’s world class research team indicate there is now a shortage of suitably qualified scientists being generated through New Zealand’s University system.

To help with efforts to ensure a pool of suitably qualified scientists is available for the future, LIC offers a unique programme aimed at encouraging students studying mathematics, statistics, machine learning and/or bioinformatics to complete a higher degree with emphasis on areas of interest to LIC.

LIC offers Honours and Masterate scholarships to outstanding mathematics, machine learning, statistics or science students. And, in conjunction with the scholarships, LIC also offers a Doctoral Studentship Programme. The Doctoral Studentship Programme will see candidates employed by LIC for a period of time prior to commencement of post-graduate studies, fully supported by LIC. A relevant, full time position will be made available upon completion of the Doctoral Studentship Programme.

Both the scholarships and studentship are advertised in September each year, with applications due by the 15th November.

OBJECTIVES

The Scholarship & Doctoral Studentship Programmes aim to:

  • Signal the value of high-level intellectual skills in the mathematics, statistics, machine learning, bioinformatics and science disciplines and their importance to LIC and New Zealand's future. 
  • Assist in focusing research into areas, such as statistics, bioinformatics, quantitated genetics and animal breeding to help create the knowledge growth required in LIC's Research and Development team in the future. 
  • Encourage stronger university/LIC links by providing incentives to education providers to actively seek stronger alliances with LIC. 
  • Increase the supply of highly trained graduates in the area of quantitative genetics, machine learning and bioinformatics with the possibility of developing a career with LIC.

Undergraduate and Masterate Scholarships

The Livestock Improvement Patrick Shannon Scholarship Programme bears the name of one of the most remarkable and innovative bovine geneticists and reproductive biologists in the world. Patrick Shannon joined Livestock Improvement in the mid 1950s and over the ensuing 50+ years contributed numerous world-breaking discoveries which contributed to the vitality and profitability of the New Zealand dairy industry. 

FUNDING PROVISIONS AND IDENTIFICATION OF CANDIDATES
1. Scholarships will be distributed on the basis of one-off grants of $5,000 to successful students in their fourth (Honours) year or $10,000 (in progressive payments) for Masterates.
2. A Selection Panel from LIC's Research and Development team will assess applications according to the criteria outlined below.
3. Where feasible, successful candidates will be encouraged to undertake one month's paid work at LIC’s premises near Hamilton, prior to, or at the end of, their Scholarship period.
4. The successful student(s) will be required to present the findings of their dissertation or thesis to LIC, and make a copy of the dissertation or thesis available for the LIC Library.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
1. Academic excellence, with special emphasis on either mathematics, statistics, machine learning or science disciplines. This should be accompanied by a recommendation from the appropriate University Head of Department.
2. A commitment to working in the genetics or machine/analytical learning arena or other areas of interest to LIC.
3. The student will use the scholarship grant towards completing his/her final year of study and gaining a qualification enabling him/her to enrol in a PhD programme.
4. The student is a New Zealand citizen or resident, and legally able to work in New Zealand at the completion of their studies. 

Doctoral Studentships

LIC offers the Livestock Improvement Doctoral Studentship Programme, which focuses on top PhD (and possibly Masters) candidates as potential successors for key science roles within LIC. The Doctoral Studentship Programme will see candidates work on an internship within LIC for up to a year, then commence their post-graduate studies, possibly at an overseas university, fully supported by LIC. A relevant, full time position will be made available upon their return to New Zealand, and in return for this support, the successful candidate will be bonded on a year-for-year basis. Throughout both the internship and for the duration of the post-graduate study, progress of the candidate will be subject at all times to formal and regular reviews.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
1. Academic excellence with special emphasis on mathematics/statistics and science disciplines; should be accompanied by a recommendation from the relevant University Head of Department.
2. A commitment to working on an agreed topic.
3. The student is, or is eligible to become, a New Zealand citizen or resident legally able to work in New Zealand [during both periods of employment and no immigration issues with studying overseas].
4. Top candidates meeting criteria 1 – 3 above will be invited to an interview with the Selection Panel from LIC to confirm the applicant’s suitability for a future role with the organisation.
5. In addition to employment, LIC will provide the candidate with appropriate academic support and mentoring, as well as access to facilities to enable him/her to undertake the nominated programme of study and research.

If you are interested in applying, click here to go to the LIC Careers website

For application queries please contact:

Robyn Howie 
Support Services Officer
Strategy and Growth Group
Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd
Private Bag 3016
Hamilton 3240
Ph: 07-856 0841
Fax: 07-856 0640
E-mail: rhowie@lic.co.nz

Applications close on 15 November each year
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