Holsworth – application guidelines

Applications for this award will be open between 1 to 31 March (Round 1) and 1 to 30 September (Round 2). Applications close at 11:59pm on the specified date.

Tips and advice on how to apply for a Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment can be found in our video tutorials.

Grant amount: up to $8,500

Grant duration: 1 year

Applications must be made via your University Grants office, not by students or supervisors.

The Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment invites applications for post-graduate student research support in three general areas are especially encouraged:

1. Field work on Australian native species (flora, fauna, fungi) to gain understanding of ecological interactions, population dynamics, animal behaviour, and species distribution
2. Conservation biology and biodiversity studies relating to the management of protected areas and rare or threatened species in Australia
3. Wildlife management relating to sport hunting, harvesting, pest control, management of non-game animals, and effect of land management on native species.

Preference will be given to students at an early stage of a Doctoral program.  Students with less than 12 months remaining on their candidature are ineligible to apply as new applicants. Masters and Honours projects are not eligible. Applicants must be current members of the Ecological Society of Australia at the time of submitting their application but do not need a member login to access or submit the application form. Membership status will be verified by the assessment committee following application.

Grants of up to $8,500 will be awarded for the purchase of equipment, supplies, travel to study areas and conferences, to assist students going into the field and publishing their results. As these funds are relatively small research grants, we expect that the total funds provided for the student’s research be allocated for the work of the student and not used for general university administration or indirect cost recovery purposes. We consider that the Government should be providing funds for that purpose. Note that successful recipients may be offered a lower funding allocation than the full funding amount requested.

Eligibility is limited to Universities in Australia. Grants are not available to individuals but are made only to organisations to which gifts are deductible under Section 30-15 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth).

Grants awarded are paid to the University, not to the individual directly.

Important Notes

• Most Universities set a three year limit on PhD student registration but some exceptions apply, especially for part time students. These grants will usually be renewable for a period of two to three years, for funding purposes the maximum grant for a project will be $25,500; pending satisfactory progress reporting.
• In their final year, applicants may apply for up to $3000 to assist with costs associated with communication of their research (including publishing fees or costs related to presenting at a conference or attending a workshop). The funds can be used to achieve more than one publication (for final year applicants) or attend more than one conference/workshop. Applicants will need to provide details of the name and location of the publication or conference, a breakdown of the costs associated, how the publication/conference relates to the applicant’s project and how it will assist with communicating results of the project.
• Funding to attend international conferences is restricted to continuing students in their final funding year as part of fund allocation to communicate their research (see note above). First and Second year applicants can apply for a maximum of $800 to attend domestic conferences only. Successful Holsworth recipients in their first and second years are strongly encouraged to attend ESA conferences and present their research.
• The Endowment offers two (2) funding rounds per annum, however students are only eligible to receive one grant per year. Students who applied for a grant and were unsuccessful can re-apply at the next funding round.
• Funding for course fees, personal laptops or computers will not be approved.
• Continuing applicants with more than $2000 of uncommitted funds from previous Holsworth rounds are not eligible to apply, unless it can be demonstrated that the funds have already been committed (e.g. the student is awaiting an invoice from a recently paid expense).
• All applicants with more than $300 of uncommitted funds from previous Holsworth rounds must provide a clear explanation. If not explained to the judges satisfaction, the amount will be deducted from any funds awarded.
• Applicants should provide a well researched budget and accurate costings that are both believable and specific.
• Due to the high volume of applications to the Holsworth program the assessment process can take some time. Funds are usually made available to successful applicants approximately 3-4 months after applications close. Please bear this in mind when including timelines in application and budget requests.

General Conditions

• Acceptance of funding from the Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment – Equity Trustees Charitable Foundation will imply that research involving animal experimentation will be carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes. It must also pass the recognised Animal Ethics Committee of their institution. Permission from the appropriate land custodians must also be obtained.
• Acceptance of grant funds will also imply that permits will be obtained from the relevant government authorities if the research requires permission to work in National Parks or other protected areas, or to collect plant and animal specimens.
• Students are encouraged to attend and present papers or posters at scientific conferences.
• Acknowledgment of support from the Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment  –  Equity Trustees Charitable Foundation and Ecological Society of Australia is expected in presentations and publications.
• A final report in the form of published papers or a copy of the thesis (hard copy or CD) is required. This forms the final acquittal.