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Surveillance Residential Program

Improve the national plant health surveillance capability and capacity by sharing ideas, building networks and enhancing collaborations.

About

The PSNAP Surveillance Residential Program (referred to as Surveillance Residentials) has been established to enhance the national capability and capacity to detect plant pests by developing the skills of individuals. Those working in plant health surveillance will gain essential skills and knowledge through experiences they would not otherwise have access to in their own organisation. The program allows participants share their ideas and experience, lead to greater collaborations and build on existing networks.

Projects

Surveillance Residentials allow individuals working in plant health surveillance to spend time in another workplace or location, or by participating in relevant activities that improve the national capability to detect plant pests.

Potential examples may include:

  • Attending a relevant workshop or training event to fill a known gap in national plant health surveillance
  • Learning new techniques and gaining exposure to different surveillance activities by participating in a program, where the techniques or practices are currently implemented
  • Improving field triage skills by working with an expert for the target pest(s)
  • Improving sampling and transport methodology to improve diagnostic outcomes by spending time with an expert for the target pest(s) and/or spending time in a diagnostic laboratory
  • Participating in a surveillance program to allow policy/office-based members to gain field experience and greater understanding of the logistics of surveillance
  • Arranging for an expert to visit your workplace to train staff on a specific skill or information not currently held within the group

Projects should show benefit to the PSNAP and address a known surveillance gap or improve capability to detect National Priority Plant Pests (NPPPs), plant diseases and their pathogens on the Priority list of exotic environmental pests and diseases, High Priority Pests of plant industries or emerging plant pests.

Want to apply?

The program is advertised on the PSNAP website in the middle of each year. Only PSNAP members currently employed in an organisation relevant to biosecurity and plant health surveillance in Australia or New Zealand are eligible for the program.

Further information

Please read through the PSNAP Residential Guidelines and the Host Commitments Guidelines.

Full details about the individual rounds of the program are available in the Events section of the PSNAP website.