Josefina Atienza
Project Officer

Organisation unit

Office of the Provost and DVC
Profile of Josefina Atienza

About me

Josefina is a seasoned research and project management professional with 20+ years' experience in agricultural research, program development, and higher education administration. She excels at leading high-performing teams, managing multi-million-dollar research projects, and fostering effective partnerships through strategic project management and communication. 
As Project Officer at UniSA and Adelaide University, she provides Executive Officer support to governance committees including the Program Directors Network Forum, and manages projects such as shared mailboxes/distribution lists for Colleges and Schools, and web content initiatives. 
As Linkage Research Coordinator at UniSA Business, she managed nearly 20 research projects with ~$4M combined funding, overseeing coordination, financial administration, and management. 
Previously, as Research Manager, Publications Unit Head, and Assistant Coordinator - Crops Biotechnology for the Department of Science and Technology, Josefina developed and implemented national R&D programs, authored technical publications, and managed research dissemination. Her leadership in program development has secured significant funding addressing food security, poverty alleviation, and improved crop production technologies.

  • 2010 John Dillon Memorial Fellowship/Australia.  Awarded by ACIAR to provide intensive leadership and management training to exceptional individuals working on ACIAR projects.  
  • 2006 Research Exchange Mission on Quality Documentation and Publication/South Korea. I was responsible for editing technical reports and research publications and as writer and editor of conference proceedings.   
  • 2004 World Vegetable Center Research Fellowship/Taiwan. Editorial Training that involved the documentation & publication of technical information on indigenous vegetables.   
  • 1998 Netherlands Fellowship Programme/Wageningen. Promotes capacity building by providing fellowships for training and education for professionals in 51 countries.  
  • 1998 Outstanding Research Team Award, University of the Philippines  
  • 1998 Achievement Award in Technology Development, Federation of Crop Science Societies of the Philippines 
Last updated on 02/02/2026 by Josefina Atienza