Program Area
Science
The Foundation is able to support exceptional and visionary individuals, including those in their early career. Projects often link with the Foundation's Environment & Conservation and Education programs. Research that adds to our understanding and knowledge about Australia's biodiversity is also a high priority.
Funding information
THEME
To support exceptional and visionary individuals, particularly those in their early career.
OBJECTIVES
- To support innovative scientific research by early career researchers who are well supported by and through their host institutions
- To encourage the development of infrastructure available to early career researchers who are well supported by and through their host institutions
- To back high quality scientific research directed at ecological sustainability of Australian biodiversity, future water management and the recovery of degraded landscapes.
EXCLUSIONS
The Foundation will not normally support requests for funds for:
- Comprehensive projects suitable for submission to the Australian Research Council (ARC) and /or the National Health and Medical Research Centre (NH&MRC)
- Salaries for researchers or research assistants and for equipment which should be the subject of submissions to the ARC or NH&MRC
- Research stipends and maintenance costs for Undergraduate, Masters or Doctoral students, except in special circumstances at the Board’s discretion
- Purposes which are core to the operations of the organisation and should more appropriately be funded from institutional operating funds
- Research projects for which there would be a reasonable prospect of attracting commercial funding.
GENERAL EXCLUSIONS
Refer to the Eligibility page for the Foundation's General Exclusions.HOW TO APPLY
Complete the Small Grants form for applications requesting up to $20,000. Complete the General Application Form for requests of more than $20,000.
Click here for more detailed information regarding the application process and to download the Application forms.
CLOSING DATE
The next funding round closing date for Science is:
Monday, 28 May 2012
Applications must be received by 5.00 pm on the Closing Date.
Grant Summaries
Museum Victoria
Dr Adnan Moussalli studying cuttlefish specimens from Museum Victoria's collection
$150,000 over three years (2008-2010)
In January 2008 Dr Adnan Moussalli commenced The Ian Potter Fellowship for Biodiversity Research at Museum Victoria. The Fellowship was developed to provide an opportunity for an early career researcher to undertake a research project focusing on biodiversity by investigating a faunal group represented in Museum Victoria’s natural history collections. Museum Victoria’s research curators act as mentors to the Fellow, to provide direct advice, moral support and guidance in order to help develop the Fellow’s skills, initiative and independence – essential qualities for a career in science.
Dr Moussalli’s research focuses on the evolutionary history and relationships between species of the family Sepiidae, commonly known as cuttlefish.
Dr Moussalli’s research complements traditional taxonomic (species classification) work with modern molecular genetic techniques. He aims to sequence a number of genes for as many species as possible. This information will allow the reconstruction of the evolutionary relationships among species to create a ‘phylogenetic tree’, which, similar to a family tree, will identify species that are closely or distantly related and potentially identify new species.
The phylogenetic tree can also be used in conjunction with geographic information on the distribution of each species to identify hot spots of genetic and species diversity, which, in turn, can guide conservation efforts.
Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation, QLD
$60,000 over five years to the Lizard Island Doctoral Fellowship Programme for the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 Fellows.
The Lizard Island Reef Research Centre is a facility of the Australian Museum. It is located on the northern section of the Great Barrier Reef about 270 kms north of Cairns. Since 1984, the Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation has provided funding for at least one doctoral fellowship annually. The fellowships are highly competitive with applications coming from PhD candidates from Australia and overseas. They are for up to three years of field intensive studies based at the Lizard Island Research Station.
Funding from The Ian Potter Foundation provides up to $7,000 per annum for fieldwork, travel, and bench expenses of at least 100 person days at the Lizard island Research Station by the Fellow and his/her assistants. It has enabled the facility to double its research output in recent years. Since the implementation of the program many of the researchers have gone on to make significant contributions in their field of work.
Doctor Andrew Hoey (pictured right) was awarded the Fellowship in 2007 fro a three-year period to investigate the significance of the Bluespine Unicornfish (Naso unicornis) to the survival of the Great Barrier Reef.
Lizard Island Doctoral Fellow 2007,
Andrew Hoey