The scheme is backed by flavour consultancy Giract and will award six bursaries of euro 3,000 to first-year PhD students as well as one bursary of euro 5,000 to the best final thesis, said Velur Krishnakumar, md of Giract.

Giract hopes that the first-year bursaries will convince more people currently undertaking Masters in science subjects to take up a PhD in flavour while the final thesis bursary will promote more innovative thinking.

The programme opened doors by introducing staff from different firms, said Alica Hambleton, last year's final thesis winner who is doing post-doctoral work at the University of Burgundy before taking a job in the industry.

The judging will take into account not only scientific merit but novelty and usefulness to the industry and judging will be led by Professor Andy Taylor of Nottingham University.

"It's coming from the industry and not academics, so they want ideas that can be applied, not theoretics," Krishnakumar said.

Registration closes on October 31, with first-year bursaries awarded in December and the final thesis on March 22–23.