The Ritman Scholarship

Dr Kim Ritman was a foundation member of PBRI and Australia’s Chief Plant Protection Officer. He had a distinguished career in Plant Health, championing early career researchers to build scientific capability in plant biosecurity. 

To honour Kim’s efforts, the PBRI members are supporting the Ritman Scholarship to recognise students with a commitment to plant health.

Expressions of Interest for the 2026 Ritman Scholarship is now open!

download scholarship application now!

The 2022 Ritman Scholars Rebecca Degnan, Bianca Rodrigues Jardim, Fable Eenjes and Salome Wilson (LtoR)

The 2024 Ritman Scholars Michael Edwards, Zali Mahony, Jo Luck (PBRI), Rabia Ali and Alyssa Martino (LtoR)

The scholarship will support students to attend the PBRI Symposium on 12 & 13 May 2026. The recipients will present a short presentation on their field of research and its importance to plant health.

Current Ritman scholars have summarised their experience below




Being a Ritman Scholar during my PhD was an extremely rewarding experience. The program provided opportunities to engage with Australia’s plant health and biosecurity community and to present my research beyond an academic setting. Through the scholarship, I was supported to attend and present at the B3, Better Border Biosecurity Conference in New Zealand, where I was able to connect with plant health and biosecurity researchers, industry representatives, and leaders across borders, and gain insight into applied biosecurity priorities. Co-convening the Plant Health Student Network as part of the Ritman Scholarship helped build my confidence and strengthen my leadership skills during my PhD.

Rabia Ali, Macquarie University


Being a Ritman Scholar during my PhD has been a valuable experience. I enjoyed engaging with Australia’s plant health and biosecurity leaders and decision-makers in government and industry, especially at the 2024 PBRI Symposium where I presented my research. As one of the coordinators of the Plant Health Student Network, I had the opportunity to lead online meetings with students and early-career researchers globally, strengthening my leadership, communication, and operational skills. Learning alongside the other three Ritman Scholars in such a supportive and passionate team was a great experience.

Zali Mahony, The University of Queensland



Being a Ritman Scholar was an incredibly rewarding and valuable opportunity, particularly during the final stages of my PhD. Co-convening the Plant Health Student Network meetings was a particular highlight, providing the opportunity to meet and learn from plant health scientists across Australia and New Zealand, while also building friendships with other scholars. Most importantly, the scholarship enabled me to attend the Plant Biosecurity Research Symposium. As my PhD project involved limited industry engagement, this experience allowed me to broaden my plant health network across both industry and academia, an opportunity I would not have had without the Ritman Scholarship.

Alyssa Martino, The University of Sydney


The opportunity to help run the Plant Health Student Network was both enjoyable and professionally rewarding. Through this experience I developed valuable leadership skills and insight into the broader plant health community, beyond my academic training. I also enjoyed taking a deep-dive into learning about the research of others, which helped me to contemplate my own work.

Michael L Edwards, La Trobe University

Dr Kim Ritman

Ritman Scholarship Applicants must:

  • Be a full-time post-graduate student working on a plant biosecurity related topic.
  • Provide an abstract of their post-graduate research (up to 300 words).
  • Provide a brief biography (up to 250 words) detailing their interest in plant biosecurity and why they would like to attend the conference.
  • Confirm approval to attend the Symposium from a university or research supervisor.

download scholarship application now!

Symposium Secretariat

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