Professor Lee Hickey from The University of Queensland has received the ACGR Award for Excellence in Promoting Industry Engagement in Graduate Research for his outstanding leadership in bridging academic research with industry-driven agricultural innovation.

Professor Hickey has pioneered collaborative plant breeding initiatives, establishing the $13.5 million ARC Training Centre in Predictive Breeding alongside 36 industry partners to embed candidates directly in commercial programs.

The Centre spans more than 20 agricultural sectors, with projects co-designed and aligned with industry demand. To date, 79% of his candidates have secured industry-funded scholarships and/or undertaken their PhDs in close collaboration with industry partners, and all 24 graduates have successfully transitioned into competitive roles across industry and academia, demonstrating the profound career and translational strengths of his model.

Through national and international collaborations, training workshops, and his leadership in the annual Breeding Horizons conference, Professor Hickey has shown how graduate research can be transformed through genuine, purpose-driven industry partnership. His work exemplifies how universities can deliver immense value to society by embedding research candidates in projects that are scientifically rigorous, commercially relevant and career-enabling.