Call for Nominations: Max Day Environmental Science Fellowship Award – Australia

It provides funding support toward research expenses, courses and the costs of travel. Funded activities are normally expected to have been undertaken within two years from the date of award. Awardees can apply for project variations if their award proposals are impacted by extenuating circumstance.

Focus Areas

• Applicants must demonstrate an interdisciplinary approach to their research work, address all selection criteria and conduct their research in one or more of the biological sciences relating to one or more of the following disciplines:
  • conservation of Australia’s flora and fauna
  • ecologically sustainable resource use
  • environmental protection
  • ecosystem services (either provisioning services, or habitat and supporting services).

Funding Information

• Max Day Environmental Science Fellowship Award is an annual award of up to $20,000 per awardee.

Eligible Expenses

• Eligible expenses are all expenses that fall under the following areas of funding:
  • course fees
  • cost of travel to undertake research or attend relevant conferences/workshops
  • Funding may be used towards the costs of fieldwork, equipment, consumables and other research costs not covered from other sources.

Ineligible Expenses

• Funding may not be used to cover bench fees, other overhead costs or as a top-up for stipends, personal expenses, salaries or any non-research related costs.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents at the time of application.
• Applicants should either:
  • be accepted to undertake a PhD (or equivalent research doctorate), have completed their confirmation and be enrolled in their program (at the time of the award closing date)
  • have held a PhD (or equivalent) for no more than 5 years at the time of the award closing date.

Application Requirements

• Applications must include the following:
  • A proposal summarising your chosen area of study/research and why the Max Day Fellowship will be of particular benefit to you. Maximum of 1,000 words.
  • Itemised budget detailing eligible expenses with brief justification for each item, the names and details of funding already received (funding body, amount).
  • The applicant must show they have been recognised by one or more research institutions, such as their host institution, by the provision of some level of direct financial contribution towards their project (excluding salaries).
  • Brief CV including qualifications, summary of any professional/research experience and publications/presentations. A full publications list is not required. Maximum of three pages using size 12 font.
  • PhD students require a letter of reference from their supervisor confirming and commenting on their existing research. Maximum of one page using size 12 font.
  • Post-doctoral researchers must attach two referee reports to the application. The reports should be addressed to the Awards Committee and should indicate the referee’s knowledge of the applicant’s proposed Max Day Fellowship activities, and the potential benefits of these activities to the researcher and/or the research field. Maximum of one page using size 12 font per report.

For more information, visit Australian Academy of Science.