Future Thinkers' Award Winner Dr. Leslie T. Ubaub’s Research on The Impact of Heat Stress on Pollen and Pollinators leads to new opportunities and connections.
In 2023, Pacific Agriculture Scholarships Support and Climate Resilience Program (PASS-CR) academic supervisors were offered the opportunity to develop interdisciplinary research skills in climate change through the Future Thinkers’ Awards. This initiative is part of the PASS-CR program funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).
Dr Leslie receiving her Future Thinkers’ Award from PASS-CR Team member Dr Seeseei Molimau-Samasoni in Samoa
Dr Leslie Ubaub's Future Thinkers’ project aims to examine the effects of heat stress on pollen quality and pollinators. In a landscape increasingly shaped by the exigencies of climate change, this research is crucial for sustainable crop production.
As part of her Award, Dr Ubaub undertook her first capacity building activity by completing an internship at the Plant Breeding Institute at the University of Sydney with a colleague from the University of the South Pacific (USP), Samoa, Mr Michael Sefilino. While in Australia, they also visited the breeding facilities of the Australian Cotton Research Institute, CSIRO Narrabri.
A key component of the Future Thinkers’ Awards is fostering the development of new skills and knowledge. Dr Ubaub’s early project phase saw her building collaborative ties with Professor Daniel Tan and his team at the University of Sydney and visiting the Plant Breeding Institute where she learned new skills and techniques essential for analysing her research data in the Samoan context.
Reflecting on her research activities so far, Dr Ubaub said, “The process that I underwent to get this award has influenced my thought process. In a way, it opened possibilities beyond my area of specialisation.” The Future Thinkers' Award can initiate many new opportunities that can lead to maximising the impact of the Future Thinkers’ Award. Dr Ubaub reports that she has submitted a proposal for further funding to the Future Earth Organisation and will supervise Mr Michael Sefilino's Master's degree research study exploring the effect of heat stress on pollen quality and yield of tomatoes in Samoa.
In the next stage of her project, Dr Ubaub will apply these new skills and develop a vulnerability assessment to support farmers identify adaptation options to manage heat stress in cropping systems in Samoa.
The Future Thinkers' Awards program looks forward to sharing updates on Dr Ubaub's progress.
For more information about the Future Thinkers' Awards and Dr Ubaub's research project, please visit https://www.passcrprogram.com/passcr-future-thinkers-initiative.