ACARP said it was offering the scholarships to encourage suitably qualified people to upgrade their skills to ensure adequate technical expertise in the future.

“With ACARP spending over $10 million per year on 150 research projects, candidates may be able to find work within an existing research project,” a spokesperson for the organisation said.

If this were not possible candidates would need to establish a research project of interest to the industry. ACARP emphasised that the scholarship program was not being established specifically to help initiate new research projects, but to help existing industry members improve their skills and knowledge.

The scholarships are available to post-graduate employees of the Australian coal industry who have been employed for at least three years. The award will be funded tax-free at $50,000 per year for either a two-year Masters or three-year PhD.

Areas being targeted by current ACARP research activity include greenhouse gas mitigation, sustainability, safety and health, environmental rehabilitation, community issues, market support and cost of production/resource definition. Published in Australia's Longwalls, September edition.