Nancy D'Cruz took out the Dairy Australia award at the Australian Agricultural Industries Young Innovators and Scientists Awards earlier this week.

She will use the money to investigate how bull semen is affected by freezing.

Ms D'Cruz works at the Monash Institute of Medical Research and will team up with Genetics Australia to conduct the research.

Bull semen is frozen then used when required by dairy farmers who want to introduce specific traits to their herds such as improved milk production.

Ms D'Cruz said the process of freezing semen was not without problems.

"It is well known that it can lead to DNA damage and decreased sperm mobility," she said.

"Also, mice produced from frozen sperm have displayed abnormal growth rates, gene expression and behavioural defects."

She said finding out how the freezing process might damage bull semen would allow the industry to work out better methods.

"If we can increase pregnancy rates, even by as little as 5pc, it would result in at least $80 million profit to Australian dairy farmers," she said.