Grant Categories

Nature Foundation offers grants in several categories from Honours and PhD work to early career research and other specific projects.

Categories

Nature Foundation’s grants program provides funding in the following categories:

• Grand Start Grants Program for Honours, Masters and PhD students
• Nature Foundation Scientific Expedition Foundation RL & GK Willing Grant for Honours students
• Roy and Marjory Edwards Scholarship for Masters and PhD students
• Mike Bull Award for Early Career Nature Scientists
• Research Project Grants

Not all categories of grants may be on offer during each grant round.

The selection committee will favour research projects that are based on Nature Foundation Reserves and inform conservation management of the threatened fauna and flora species present on those nature reserves.

Early Career Nature Scientists

Mike Bull Award for Early Career Nature Scientists

This award supports the emerging career of a nature scientist. Applications are encouraged from across Australia (or more broadly) where the recipient’s research focus benefits nature science in Australia. Only Australian research institutions are eligible as hosting organisations.

The award includes a medal for academic excellence and a $3000 grant to support the career of the recipient. The grant is to be used to:

1. Support a research program, including purchase of equipment for field expenses,
2. Attend a conference or important seminar (including registration fees, flights), and/or
3. Visit another lab or potential future collaborator.

The selection committee will favour research projects that are based in field work, or which utilise robust field data, aligning with the successful career of Professor Mike Bull. For more information, and to find out if you are eligible, please refer to the Grants Program Guidelines.

To apply for the Mike Bull Award, please submit the following in PDF:

• A brief covering letter of 1-2 pages outlining:
  • Your achievements to date
  • How the award would further your scientific career
  • How your research objectives align with the Mike Bull legacy
  • Indicatively how you would spend the grant funds
• A CV
• A referee statement of up to 150 words in support of your application. If the referee statement is not ready before the deadline for the Mike Bull Award, please state in your covering letter that it has been requested.

Please submit your application to: [email protected] 

This award was established with the support of Mike's family and colleagues through the Professor Mike Bull Research Fund for Early Career Nature Scientists to continue his important legacy in animal behaviour, ecology and conservation research and mentorship of students.

Honours students

Grand Start Grants

These grants provide up to $2000 for one year to assist an Honours student undertaking research. Projects may be field-based or involve non-field-based research such as geographic information system or remote sensing-related projects or data analysis.

Nature Foundation Scientific Expedition Foundation RL & GK Willing Grant

This annual grant provides up to $2000 for one year to support an Honours student.

The student’s research must focus on:

1. Trends in the abundance and distribution of native populations of South Australian fauna and flora; or
2. Soil, water, geology or climate where it will affect abundance and distribution of native populations of South Australian fauna and flora.

This is a partnership between Nature Foundation and Scientific Expedition Foundation.

PhD/Masters students

Grand Start Grants

PhD/Masters Grand Start Scholarships provide grants of up to $3000 per annum for a maximum of three years to assist a PhD/Masters student undertaking research.

Grant recipients must reapply on an annual basis to receive new grants in subsequent years. Continuation of funding a scholarship is based on the performance report submitted by the grantee for the previous year, comparative merit of other grant applicants, alignment of research with Nature Foundation’s science and conservation goals and the availability of funds.

Roy and Marjory Edwards Scholarship 

This scholarship provides up to $12,000 per annum for up to three years to support a student at an Australian university. We welcome applications from current or intending PhD students to investigate the following areas of research interest on Nature Foundation reserves:

• Threatened species 
  • Population ecology
    • Response to threatening processes (grazing pressure, predation pressure and climate change),
    • Response to management intervention. 
  • Example species include:
    • Yellow Footed Rock-wallaby (Hiltaba Nature Reserve),
    • Short-tailed Grasswren (Hiltaba Nature Reserve),
    • Thick-billed Grasswrens (Witchelina Nature Reserve),
    • Mount Lofty Ranges Southern Emu-wren (Watchalunga Nature Reserve),
    • Regent Parrot (Murbpook Nature Reserve).
• Threat abatement
  • Large herbivore dynamics and overgrazing (Hiltaba or Witchelina Nature Reserve),
  • Phragmites australis management strategies and impacts on biodiversity (Watchalunga Nature Reserve),
  • Impacts of artificial waterpoints on fauna within arid reserves (Witchelina Nature Reserve).
• Species Reintroductions
  • Feasibility study (including comprehensive literature review), habitat suitability and risk assessment study on target species extirpated from Nature Foundation reserves,
  • Best practice recommendations for reintroduction.

This scholarship was initiated in 2002 by a generous donation from Mrs Marjory Edwards to establish a perpetual scholarship in conservation biology.

Next steps

For more information on how to apply for a grant see how to apply for a grant.

To discuss your project idea with Nature Foundation or for any other grant queries, please call 08 8340 2880 or email us.

Support our Grants Program!

You can support our Grand Start Grants program or the Professor Mike Bull Research Fund by donating today. Donations of $2 and over are tax deductible.