The Moran Award for History of Science Research

The 2025 round is now closed.

Background and eligibility

This award is aimed at postgraduate students and other researchers with expertise in the history of Australian science. Its purpose is to support access to archives that record the history of science in Australia, especially by younger researchers, and it can be used towards travel and accommodation costs.

A total of $10,000 (GST exclusive) is available biennially, this was increased from $5,000 after the 2023 awarding round. This will generally be awarded to one person, but may be split between candidates at the selection committee’s discretion.

Guidelines

Applications are to be completed through an online form found through using the Apply button found on the left of this web page when the round is open.

Applications must include the following:

• Brief CV including qualifications, summary of professional/research experience and publications/presentations. A full publications list is not required. Maximum of three pages using size 12 font.
• A brief outline of the proposed project and the archives to be consulted.
• Please include an itemised budget with brief justification for each item. Up to $A10,000 is available to cover travel and living expenses. Daily allowance rates followed for this scheme are listed in table 2 of the Tax Offices Tax determination web page. They can also be found through contacting the awards team at awards@science.org.au
• Two referee reports. These reports are to be uploaded to the online form and should each be no more than one page in length. They should indicate the referees' knowledge of the researcher's ability to carry out the project successfully.

Funded activities are normally expected to have been undertaken within two years from the date of award. Awardees may apply for extensions due to extenuating circumstances or to apply for variations to remove or adapt to barriers encountered to their planned research or travel.

Applications are assessed by a committee of scientists with diverse expertise based on the assessed competitiveness of the proposal. The Academy is not able to enter into discussion or correspondence regarding the reasons why an application is successful or not. 

This award is open to nominations for candidates from all genders.

Applicants can only receive funding from the same research or travelling research award once in a three-award year period.

Applicants may apply for more than one award but can only receive one Academy travelling or research award per calendar year.

Supporting institutes and awardees are required to ensure that any research they undertake that is funded by the Australian Academy of Science adheres to the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of research, severe breach of these codes may result in the withdrawal of current and refusal of future funding support. Research involving Indigenous Australians must comply with the Guidelines for Ethical Research in Australian Indigenous Studies.

Awardees

The 2023 award round was the last annual award round. 

• 2023—M.Bush
• 2022—Dr L Pearce
• 2021—Ms H Byrne
• 2020—Dr Ruth Morgan
• 2019—Ms Lisa Hunt
• 2018—Dr Linden Ashcroft and Ms Kelly McKinley
• 2017—Mr Daniel May
• 2016—Dr Francesco Gerali
• 2015—Dr Andrea Candela
• 2014—Dr Danielle Clode and Ms Deirdre Slattery
• 2011—Dr Lachlan Clohesy and Ms Ailie Smith
• 2009—Dr Jodi Frawley
• 2008—Ms Kate Rogers
• 2006—Associate Professor Kevin Downard and Dr Fredericka van der Lubbe
• 2005—Ms Bernadette Hince
• 2004—Ms Bernadette Hince