Milk money for Aust dairy industry

Long-term dairy research projects with the potential to contribute to the Victorian economy will have a chance at financial backing worth $1.25 million over five years.

The Geoffrey Gardiner Dairy Foundation yesterday announced the new funding initiative, saying it was keen to support major long-term projects that could make a quantum difference to the international competitiveness of the dairy industry.

Chairman Chris Nixon said the best chance to advance the local dairy industry would involve drawing together the top scientific minds here and overseas to work together on key projects.

Nixon said that while major technological breakthroughs were difficult to achieve, the foundation was confident an appropriate concentration of skills, resources, financial backing and time would help create advances.

"We want ideas and participants not only from the traditional agricultural and product technology fields, but from the full range of science and engineering disciplines," Nixon said.

"Scientists who have never had contact with the dairy industry before may have insights that take us in exciting new directions."

The latest round of funding follows the foundation's announcement a fortnight ago of $1.3 million for 35 small research projects Australia wide.

Dr Graham Mitchell, a director of the foundation, said there were few limitations to the sort of research that would be considered, as long as it made a meaningful contribution to the dairy industry.

Universities, state departments, cooperative research centres, private companies and any other groups with fresh ideas and useful networks were being invited to apply for the funds.

"It would be wonderful to see consortia of research interests assembled to cover the spectrum of opportunities from on-farm production to value adding technologies such as functional food development," Mitchell said.

Interested groups are invited to submit an expression of interest for initial consideration with those who are short-listed then invited to prepare full submissions for evaluation.

The cash, $250,000 annually for each project over five years, would be allocated on a matching basis, with at least half if the total project cost to be provided by the applicant or external sources.

The funding will be linked to measurable milestones throughout a formal contract period. The closing date for preliminary applications is Friday, June 21 with all information and application forms available at the foundation website.