SRA’s Research Funding Panel (RFP) provides advice and input to the Board on SRA’s R&D activities, including management of SRA’s core & contestable research investment portfolios. The panel works with SRA Management to make sure all SRA R&D investments are reviewed and monitored in a transparent, independent and robust way. Recently the terms of three RFP members concluded: Dr Jeremy Burdon, former Chair, Mr Paul Benecke, Panel Member and Mrs Brondwen MacLean, Panel Member.
A skills assessment was carried out to identify gaps created by these changes. The SRA Board appointed a Panel Selection Committee made up of two SRA Directors and an external independent person to fill the Panel vacancies.
After a call for expressions of interest and interviews, the Selection Committee recommended three appointments to the Panel from 1 July 2026: Dr Steve Thomas and Ms Judy Plath, together with the reappointment of Ms Brondwen MacLean.
SRA appointed another Panel Member, Dr Lynne Mcintyre, as Chair of the Panel.
SRA thanks Dr Jeremy Burdon and Mr Paul Benecke for their dedicated service on the Panel over a number of years, contributing their time, expertise and sound judgement to support high-quality research investment decisions for the Australian sugar industry. We hope to stay in contact with them and draw on their counsel again in future.
Meet the new RFP Panel Members
Judy Plath is an agricultural scientist based in the Bundaberg region with more than 25 years’ experience in agriculture. Her career spans research, extension and hands-on cane farming, giving her a practical, well-rounded view of research for the Australian sugarcane industry.
Judy first became involved in the sugar industry through her Masters research with the CRC for Sustainable Sugar Production. After several years in horticulture, she returned to sugar as an extension officer with BSES in the Southern region, focusing on water use efficiency and grain-legumes in sugarcane farming systems.
Marrying into a third-generation cane farming family has also given her hands-on exposure to sugarcane and soybean production. Judy is keen to see research and development deliver real-world outcomes for Australia’s sugar industry.
Before starting his own consulting business, Steve spent 20 years working first as a plant molecular biology researcher and then in R&D management, including strategy development, implementation and review.
After a successful early research career in Australia and overseas, Steve joined the NSW Department of Primary Industries to lead its biotechnology, plant and animal genetics programs. This included collaborative R&D programs and policy advice on the commercial release of genetically modified crops in NSW. He also held several executive roles at GRDC, leading work across R&D programs, commercial operations, IP management, systems development, IT, finance, strategy and impact assessment.
Steve is an independent non-executive director for Riverine Plains Incorporated and holds a Master of Public Administration (Executive) from Monash University, and a PhD and Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Hons, 1st class) from the University of Adelaide.
You can read more about the RFP’s activities in the Research Funding Panel Charter here.
(Posted 3 August 2026)
