UPDATE 18 JUNE 2025

Australia’s National Champion Associate Professor Arunima Mali was named one of three international champions of the 2025 Frontiers Planet Prize, a prestigious award recognising research with the most promising potential to keep humanity within planetary boundaries.

National Champion

Associate Professor Arunima Malik of the University of Sydney has been named Australia’s National Champion for the Frontiers Planet Prize for her paper published in Nature, Polarizing and equalizing trends in international trade and Sustainable Development Goals.

She is one of three researchers nominated by the Australian Academy of Science for the prize.

Awarded by the not-for-profit Frontiers Research Foundation, the Frontier Planet Prize is now in its third year. This prestigious prize recognises research with the most promising potential to keep humanity within planetary boundaries. Professor Malik’s work will now advance to the international competition, with global winners to be announced at an awards ceremony in Villars, Switzerland on 17 June.

Chosen by a jury of 100 leading sustainability scientists, both national and international champions join the Frontiers Planet Prize alumni network, gaining opportunities to share their research and network at events in collaboration with the Frontiers Planet Prize partners.

Quantifying sustainability impacts

Associate Professor Malik’s research leverages big-data modelling techniques to quantify sustainability impacts across multiple scales. She conducts supply-chain assessments to measure social, economic and environmental impacts, often using input-output analysis. Her work focuses on understanding how consumption in one country affects the environment and society of its trading partners, with the goal of informing national and trade policies to mitigate negative impacts and address climate-related issues.

“We live in an increasingly interconnected world driven by complex supply chain networks, where consumer demand in one region influences production in another,” Associate Professor Malik said.

“These interconnections present opportunities to improve standards of living, skill development and employment generation, but also generate adverse impacts in the form of resource depletion, pollution, habitat loss and inequality.

“International trade can amplify these effects by placing pressure on vulnerable nations, leading to spillover effects that hinder countries’ ability to progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” she said.

First-ever global assessment

Associate Professor Malik and her co-authors from the University of Sydney, Charles Darwin University, Vienna University of Economics and Business and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Network undertook a first-ever global assessment to analyse trends in consumption-driven polarising and equalising effects of international trade.

“There is a growing disparity between nations that benefit from trade and those that bear significant environmental and social costs, deepening existing inequalities. Our research underscores the critical importance of considering consumption-based cross-border impacts within the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” she said.

The two runner-up Australian nominees, Dr Emma Camp from University of Technology Sydney and Professor Chris Greening of Monash University, are also leaders in sustainability science.

Dr Camp is a coral biologist and marine biogeochemist who studies the role of marginal reef environments in understanding the impact of future climate change on coral reefs.

Professor Greening studies how microbes ‘live on air’ by consuming atmospheric hydrogen. His research focuses on the enzyme Huc, which allows bacteria to use hydrogen as an energy source.

Read about the 2024 National Champion.

Read about the 2023 National Champion.

Learn more about the Frontiers Planet Prize.

Dr Omid Ghasemi from the University of New South Wales is the recipient of the 2025 WH Gladstones Population and Environment Fund. This fund offers support for empirical research into how the size, distribution, material aspirations and other characteristics of Australia’s population are likely to affect our environment – not only our land and landscape, but also social cohesion, health, the economy and defence.

Dr Omid Ghasemi, University of NSW

Exploring the impact of extreme weather events on attitudes, emotions and behavioural responses to climate change

Dr Ghasemi’s research explores the complex relationship between climate events and human behaviour, shedding light on how individuals respond, adapt, and engage with climate-related challenges. By investigating behavioural drivers of climate engagement and policy support, his work will provide critical insights into how Australians perceive and react to environmental risks.

Given the country’s high exposure to climate hazards, understanding these behavioural patterns is essential for shaping effective strategies that enhance resilience, inform policy and support long-term societal adaptation.

He will collect survey data on climate-related beliefs, emotions, policy support and eco-friendly behaviours, and link these responses to publicly available weather data and public polling.

“I’m really honoured to receive this award in recognition of my work. I’m looking forward to diving deeper into this project and learning as much as I can along the way,” Dr Ghasemi said.

“This grant will allow me to explore and understand the drivers of climate-related beliefs, emotions and actions in Australia, and hopefully contribute valuable insights.”

The Academy’s 2026 awards and funding opportunities are now open.

Nine early-and mid-career researchers have received this year’s Thomas Davies Research Grant for Marine, Soil and Plant Biology.

Grant recipients

Dr Amanda Dawson, CSIRO

Decoding the biological passport: tracing microplastic journeys using the ecocorona composition

“I am deeply honoured to receive the Thomas Davies grant. This award will significantly advance the research I have been working on at CSIRO to develop a microplastic biological passport – a tool that could revolutionise our ability to track and understand the environmental journey of microplastics. By studying the unique biological signatures that form on microplastics in various environments, I aim to develop a reliable approach for tracing their sources and movement. This work holds exciting potential for improving environmental monitoring and protection practices. I am grateful for this support and look forward to making impactful contributions to environmental science with this grant.”

Dr Julian Greenwood, Australian National University

Establishing a transient assay to rapidly assess resistance responses in canola

“I’m very excited to be a recipient of the Thomas Davies research grant and I look forward to putting it towards the improvement of canola disease resistance. Canola is the third most important crop in Australia, but its production is under constant threat of disease. The fungal disease, Blackleg, is the most devastating disease of canola in Australia with estimated yield losses of 10 to 15 percent each year. The interaction between Blackleg disease and canola disease resistance is poorly understood and there is no method to quickly assess the function of new and existing canola immune receptors. This grant will support the establishment of a method to rapidly assess resistance responses in single canola cells called protoplasts.”

Dr Satomi Hayashi, Queensland University of Technology

Unveiling a native Australian plant’s defence: identifying the novel resistance gene against Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus

“I am pleased and deeply honoured to receive the 2025 Thomas Davies research grant, with the possibilities it opens up for my career development and potential to make a lasting impact in the scientific community. Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV) poses a significant threat to the global tomato industry, with the potential to devastate entire fields if not properly managed. We have identified wild isolates of the Australian native plant Nicotiana benthamiana that exhibit a strong near-immune response to TYLCV infection. I aim to identify novel TYLCV resistance genes and explore the mechanisms of resistance they provide. I hope that the insights gained from this study will enhance our understanding of disease resistance, contributing to sustainable and lasting resistance in field crops.”

Dr Zeinab Khalil, University of Queensland

Soil microbial innovations for sustainable agrochemicals and plant pathogen control

“I am truly honoured to receive the 2025 Thomas Davies award. This recognition provides a significant boost to my research, which focuses on discovering sustainable antifungal agents from soil microbes through the Soils for Science initiative. By leveraging cutting-edge genomic and metabolomic tools, we aim to contribute to global efforts in safeguarding food security and promoting environmentally friendly agricultural practices.” Find out more about Soils for Science.

Dr Eve Maunders, University of Queensland

Investigating developmental dialogues in a marine sponge holobiont

“I am delighted to receive the 2025 Thomas Davies research grant, which will support my research investigating interactions between animals and their microbiome and how these relationships shape the health and development of host organisms. By exploring vulnerability to symbiotic breakdown on coral reefs, this work will help to inform conservation strategies aimed at preserving or restoring microscopic allies, thereby protecting the biodiversity and vitality of marine ecosystems.”

Dr Joseph Pegler, University of Newcastle

Understanding the mechanism(s) by which plant constituents sequester per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) from contaminated water

“I feel incredibly honoured to be awarded the Thomas Davies grant. This study will investigate plant constituents which sequester PFAS in contaminated water samples. PFAS are a diverse family of fluorinated organic chemicals that have been widely used for over 70 years, and are now considered serious environmental contaminants. This understanding will contribute to the development of novel plant-based PFAS remediation approaches that could be employed in contaminated environments and counter the burden of PFAS exposure for individuals.”

Dr Anne Sawyer, University of Queensland

Development of RNA-based controls for Phytophthora cinnamomi

“I am very excited to receive a 2025 Thomas Davies research grant. It will enable us to progress our research on ribonucleic acid (RNA) as a novel spray-on vaccine to protect plants from Phytophthora, a soilborne pathogen that causes dieback of native vegetation and major yield losses in crops such as avocado, pineapple, macadamia and stone fruit. This grant will help us gain a better understanding of the mechanism of RNA-mediated disease protection, enabling us to design more effective RNA sprays to control this destructive pathogen.”

Dr Qi Yang, CSIRO

Uncovering microbial indicators: a sensitive and reliable approach to soil health measurement

“I am thrilled to receive the 2025 Thomas Davies grant, which will allow me to delve into innovative methods for assessing soil health through microbial indicators. This project targets a critical need in agriculture – developing reliable and practical measures of soil function and resilience in Australia’s unique agricultural environment. I hope these measures will help guide farmers in creating more resilient and productive agricultural systems, and I am honoured to have the support of the Academy in this endeavour.”

Dr Shima Ziajahromi, Griffith University

Fate and behaviour of biosolid-derived microplastics in Australian agricultural soils: lab-scale experiments and field evidence

“I’m honoured to receive this award and grateful for the recognition of my work. Australian wastewater treatment plants produce thousands of tonnes of treated sewage sludge – called biosolids – every year, which are widely used to fertilise agricultural soils. While biosolids are beneficial for soil health, they also introduce emerging contaminants such as microplastics into the soil, which pose risks to soil ecosystems. This support will allow me to further my research on the fate of biosolid-derived microplastics in soils, aiming to provide a clearer understanding of the scale of soil microplastic pollution. I hope this research can contribute to science-based decision-making to minimise and control microplastic pollution.”

About the award

The Thomas Davies Research Grant for Marine, Soil and Plant Biology funds projects by early-and mid-career researchers in the fields of marine, soil and plant biology. Annual grants of up to $20,000 each are funded through a generous philanthropic bequest from the estate of the late Thomas Lewis Davies to the Australian Academy of Science.

Applications for the Academy’s 2026 awards and funding opportunities are now open.

Joint Australian Academy of Science and Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) media release

The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE), in collaboration with the Australian Academy of Science, will deliver $6.3 million in grants to strengthen science and technology collaboration with regional neighbours through the second round of the Australian Government’s $40 million Global Science and Technology Diplomacy Fund.

Announced by the Hon Ed Husic MP, Minister for Industry and Science, the grants of up to $1 million each are available to Australian researchers and businesses to partner with counterparts in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, New Zealand, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Brazil.

This second round of the grants builds on the success of the initial round in 2024, through which 9 innovative and ambitious groups are partnering with science and industry colleagues around the world.

The focus of the scheme remains on national priorities of advanced manufacturing, AI, quantum computing, hydrogen production and RNA vaccines.

With applications open from today, the scheme aims to grow international collaboration in our region, and drive innovation and commercialisation in priority areas.

ATSE CEO Kylie Walker said Australia has the ability to lead our region in delivering practical solutions to our biggest challenges.

“These grants create links between Australia’s STEM leaders and global partners, building new technologies from a foundation of international collaboration. A grant through this scheme will boost the capabilities of researchers, industries and new businesses across many countries, all while strengthening international science and technology cooperation,” Ms Walker said.

Australian Academy of Science Chief Executive, Anna-Maria Arabia said the Global Science and Technology Diplomacy Fund will support international scientific collaboration and diplomacy precisely when it is needed the most.

“The high-quality applications received in the first round illustrate the power of international science collaboration enabling research and innovation that no single country can achieve on its own,” Ms Arabia said. 

The Academies have a strong commitment to international engagement with a long history of global initiatives successfully delivering results for Australian science and technology.

ATSE and the Academy of Science are proud to partner to deliver this initiative, funded by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science and Resources.

The learned academies will draw on their expert Fellowships to rigorously assess applications.

Expressions of interest can be submitted through the glodip.org.au website. The deadline for submission is 4 May 2025. 

An information session on 19 March will provide an opportunity to learn about the program. Please register to find out more.

More information

Read our media release announcing the recipients of the first round. 

Two researchers, Dr Mitchell Gibbs and Associate Professor Shannon Kilmartin-Lynch, have received the 2025 Australian Academy of Science’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scientist Award.

The award recognises research by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PhD students and early- and mid-career scientists in the physical and biological sciences, and supports interdisciplinary and sociocultural research.

This year’s award will support outstanding projects in habitat restoration and sustainable engineering.

Global collaborations between First Nations people for habitat restoration

Dr Mitchell Gibbs, University of Sydney

Despite the growing awareness of the value of incorporating Traditional knowledges and perspectives into habitat restoration and management, uptake and application of these practices has been slow, according to University of Sydney researcher and Dunghutti man through kinship, Dr Mitchell Gibbs.

Dr Gibbs is a geoscientist who draws on Traditional knowledge and practices to support the restoration of marine ecosystems in collaboration with First Nations communities and owner groups.

Sydney’s Botany Bay, known as Gamay to local First Nations people, once supported an abundance of oysters. These oyster reefs played an important role in the area’s marine ecology and as a sustainable food source for Gamay people, but were exploited to near extinction during the early days of European settlement.

Speaking to Indigenous Elders and knowledge holders, Dr Gibbs was able to learn traditional management practices passed down through oral and lived histories while sharing his own ecological research and insights. He worked closely with Indigenous groups and organisations to develop a community-driven approach to shellfish restoration and put it into action with the Gamay Rangers and the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council.

“Bringing Indigenous communities to the forefront of restoration will then make sure that those communities are getting that recognition and acknowledgement for that knowledge and for the amount of knowledge that is held within communities.” Dr Gibbs said.

First Nations’ habitat restoration programs such as these are being done across the globe and Dr Gibbs’ current project aims to bring together international expertise and establish cross-continental collaboration between Indigenous restoration communities.

“The project that we're doing, especially with the Gamay Rangers, is bringing people from the United States and hopefully people from New Zealand as well, to come to Australia and talk about the restoration projects that they've done.

“We’ll start talking about the importance of Indigenous restoration, which will bring just so much more life, I hope, to what restoration should be through an Indigenous sense,” Dr Gibbs said.

Utilising Traditional knowledges to improve sustainability of concrete

Associate Professor Shannon Kilmartin-Lynch, Monash University

Caring for Country was a major motivation for the path Associate Professor Shannon Kilmartin-Lynch took in civil engineering.

“There are many different aspects in civil engineering that you can look at. For me, looking at sustainability, it’s a different way that I can care for Country myself. It’s taking out waste streams, its minimising CO₂ outputs, it’s efforts to clean up different litter waste that’s on Country … every little step makes a difference.”

Associate Professor Kilmartin-Lynch is a Yowong-Illam-Balluk and Natturak Balluk man, belonging to the Taungurung people in Victoria’s North-East Kulin Nations.

His research aims to reduce the ecological footprint of cement and concrete construction by identifying materials that are incorporated or substituted to increase sustainability without compromising strength.

His team was able to process used coffee grounds, an abundant waste material, into a charcoal-like substance called biochar, which, when added to concrete in place of sand, resulted in a material that was 30 per cent stronger. The increased strength also reduces the amount of cement necessary.

Associate Professor Kilmartin-Lynch says it’s great to be able to increase concrete strength while reducing the amount of sand used in the process.

“We’re limiting the CO₂ from sand mining. We're limiting natural resources that need to be mined … If we can stop that from happening even on a smaller scale or even if it’s ten per cent or fifteen per cent, each little step makes a long way in terms of reducing the CO₂ emissions.”

His next project aims to integrate Indigenous engineering knowledge and practices into concrete production. It will explore whether native plant resins, traditionally used to attach spearheads and repair canoes, could be incorporated into concrete to increase durability or repair cracking in existing structures.

He hopes that applying the resin along with Indigenous engineering insight to modern engineering problems will help showcase the ingenuity and resourcefulness of Indigenous peoples in a way that encourages incorporating diverse perspectives into modern practices.

2026 awards and funding opportunities now open

Applications for the Academy’s 2026 funding opportunities are now open and close 1 June 2025, while nominations for honorific awards close 1 May. See more about the Academy’s 2026 awards and funding opportunities.

Dr Joel Barnes from the University of Queensland and Dr Jess Urwin from the University of Tasmania are the recipients of the Australian Academy of Science’s 2025 Moran Award for History of Science Research.

Dr Joel Barnes, University of Queensland

Cultural anthropology and human evolution in the Australian classroom: science, pedagogy and politics

Dr Barnes will be supported by funds from the award to research the work of the influential Sydney primary school teacher Margaret Simpson (1937–2014), who was inspired by the American-made upper primary resource Man: A Course of Study (MACOS) to create a similar pedagogical tool for Australian students. MACOS was an inquiry-based resource in which children investigated the nature of human beings in an evolutionary frame, considering their continuities with and distinctiveness from non-human animals.

Simpson created People of the Western Desert, which used ethnographic films of two Pintupi families of central Australia to teach anthropological knowledge of Aboriginal cultures at a time of significant change in Australian Indigenous-settler relations.

The kit was widely taught across New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and used in some schools across other states. While controversies over MACOS’s secular and evolutionary vision of the human, especially in Queensland, have been widely examined, Simpson’s adaptation of MACOS’s pedagogical methods and inquiry questions to the Australian social and political environment has received little attention from historians.

This award will support archival research trips to Sydney and Canberra and help facilitate the donation of relevant privately held archival collections to a suitable public archive.

“I’m honoured to receive the Moran Award for History of Science Research, which will enable me to explore the teaching of cultural anthropology and human evolution in Australian classrooms in the 1970s and 1980s,” Dr Barnes said.

Dr Jess Urwin, University of Tasmania

Radioactive roots and routes: tracing the imperial scientific networks of Australian radioactive minerals, 1940s–1960s

Dr Urwin’s project seeks to account for the role played by key figures in Australian science in Australia’s searches for, exploitation of, and attempts to export radioactive materials in the mid-20th century.

British archives (held in the National Archives in London) show that Professor Mark Oliphant, for example, was integral to the British Government’s investment in Australian radioactive mineral prospecting during and after World War II and was highly influential in encouraging the Australian state and federal governments to establish a home-grown radioactive mineral industry in the 1940s and ’50s.

Yet few scholars – if any – have considered the role of reciprocal imperial scientific networks in encouraging the exploitation and exportation of radioactive minerals across the British Empire. Fewer still have accounted for Australia’s role in this imperial exchange. This project seeks to rectify that, contributing to topical discussions of Australian uranium politics across the 20th century.

“I am delighted to have been selected as one of the recipients of the Moran Award, the generous funds from which will allow me to travel to consult the Academy of Science’s Fenner Archives and other collections related to the history of uranium in Australia,” Dr Urwin said.

“I plan to use this award to access the papers of scientists and others – many of which are held by the Academy – who were instrumental in developing nuclear science in Australia during the mid-20th century. These collections offer a window into the various roles – political, cultural, and scientific – played by Australian scientists in negotiations between Britain and Australia over uranium export and Commonwealth nuclear development more broadly.”

About the award

The Moran Award for History of Science Research 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. The award is biennial, and will next open for applications in February 2026.

The Academy’s 2026 awards and funding opportunities are now open. Find out more.

The Australian Academy of Science has announced Rebecca Greening and Dr Nina Wootton from the University of Adelaide as the recipients of this year’s Max Day Environmental Science Fellowship Award.

Rebecca Greening, University of Adelaide

Soil function and ecosystem productivity: A comparative analysis between a century of regeneration and livestock-grazed arid South Australia

There is insufficient scientific knowledge about how to sustainably manage Australia’s arid rangelands for livestock grazing, resulting in continued declines in native biodiversity. Despite the well-documented pervasive effects of livestock on plants and animals, the impacts on soil microbial communities and the essential role they play in ecosystem function and services are not well understood in arid ecosystems.

Ms Greening’s project adopts a multidisciplinary approach to examine how livestock affect soil function and ecosystem productivity in arid South Australia. By comparing a century-old livestock-excluded reserve to nearby areas with high- and low-intensity livestock grazing, the project will determine how soil biochemical cycling changes in the presence of livestock. Additionally, greenhouse experiments will determine how livestock indirectly affect primary productivity through soil ecological processes. The project will fill a crucial knowledge gap, facilitating the implementation of sustainable management strategies and restoration techniques to support pastoral activities with positive biodiversity outcomes.

“I was so surprised to be awarded the Max Day Fellowship. This opportunity will not only open new doors for my project and career but also highlight the value of the TGB Osborn Vegetation Reserve, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary since its establishment in 1925,” Ms Greening said.

Dr Nina Wootton, University of Adelaide

Plastic to Plate? An interdisciplinary study of microplastic pollution in traditional food sources and ecosystems in North-East Arnhem Land

Plastic and microplastic pollution are an escalating environmental concern with serious implications for both ecosystems and human health. Dr Nina Wootton’s research aims to investigate the presence and impact of microplastics in traditional food sources such as fish, mussels, mud crabs and turtles in north-east Arnhem Land. By integrating ecological and social sciences, this interdisciplinary study works with the Yolŋu Traditional Owners to fill critical knowledge gaps and provide actionable insights for mitigating pollution and protecting Indigenous food sources and the broader environment.

“I am incredibly grateful and humbled to receive the 2025 Max Day Environmental Science Fellowship Award. Being recognised with such a prestigious award is a career highlight, and I deeply appreciate the generous donors who make this work possible,” Dr Wootton said.

“As an early career researcher, securing funding for meaningful projects can be challenging, so I’m especially thankful for this opportunity. This award not only supports my current project but also opens doors for future initiatives that connect science, policy and industry for more sustainable environmental practices.”

Highly commended

Another three researchers and their projects were highly commended for their 2025 Max Day Environmental Science Fellowship Award applications:

• Miss Natalie Grassi, Murdoch University: 'Does fragmentation impede Malleefowl movement?'
• Dr Laura Burchill, University of Melbourne: 'Bacteria-derived nature-based solutions for algal blooms'
• Miss April Sturm, Murdoch University: 'What are the impacts of urbanisation and climate change on freshwater turtle hatchlings (Chelodina oblonga), and can ex-situ conservation actions improve recruitment?'

About the award

The Max Day Environmental Science Fellowship Award assists PhD students and early career researchers working on the conservation of Australia’s flora and fauna, ecologically sustainable resource use, environmental protection and ecosystem services using an interdisciplinary approach.

The award is named in honour of the late Dr Maxwell Frank Cooper Day AO FAA, who spent a lifetime championing entomology, conservation and forestry, as well as helping other scientists.

Applications for the 2026 award are now open

Australia’s leading scientists are calling on the Australian Government to urgently invest in the nation’s supercomputing capability and boost science and mathematics education as critical priorities of the 2025–26 Budget.

The Australian Academy of Science’s 2025–26 Pre-Budget Submission says Australia is facing increasing challenges that demand strategic investment in science to secure supply chains, strengthen defence and cybersecurity, accelerate energy transition, adopt new technologies and support our health and wellbeing.

There are no plans to replace or update our two national supercomputers that cannot meet the growing demands of science, defence, industry and society. Australia urgently needs to invest $200 million a year over 10 years to bring Australia’s supercomputing up-to-date and keep it there.

Up-to-date high-performance computing and data matter because they provide climate intelligence that helps Australia prepare for and respond to natural disasters, farmers to boost their agricultural yields, defence to undertake military surveillance at our borders, and society to benefit from advances in drug discovery.

Meanwhile, science and maths skills are vital for navigating the 21st century. Participation in science and maths in school years requires teachers who can teach skilfully and with confidence.

‘Teaching Towards 2030’ is the Academy’s education plan that builds on a 30-year track record of delivering evidence-based professional learning to science and maths teachers from Foundation to Year 10. Academy education programs support teachers in their vital role of shaping future generations, giving them tools to manage the modern classroom and diverse student learning needs. Investment can be scaled starting at $13 million over four years.

The Australian Academy of Science 2025–26 Pre-Budget Submission calls for the government to:

• provide $200 million per year for 10-year investment in high-performance computing and data together with the development of a long-term strategy to meet our future needs, rather than taking a just-in-time funding approach to critical infrastructure
• support Teaching Towards 2030, the Academy’s plan to scale its proven education programs – Primary Connections, resolve Maths, and Science Connections – that invest in science and maths teacher capability and confidence
• establish an Australian Institute for Earth System Science to provide climate intelligence – observations, process-based understanding, and advances in predictive models – needed by government and industry to inform their decisions. This is estimated to cost $20 million annually
• sponsor Australia’s membership in the Belmont Forum and participation in the forum’s Ocean Collaborative Research Actions in 2025, to lead and shape global research efforts on challenges presented by climate and environmental change. A $2 million one-off investment is expected to generate $10 million in benefits for Australia.

The Academy is pleased to announce the awardees of its 2025 Margaret Middleton Fund for endangered Australian native vertebrate animals, which supports early-career ecology researchers focused on endangered Australian native animals.

The recipients are Dr Patrick Finnerty from the University of Sydney, Dr Emily Hoffmann from the University of Western Australia, and Emmeline Norris from James Cook University.

Dr Patrick Finnerty: eastern quolls

Dr Patrick Finnerty was “absolutely thrilled” to hear that his project was selected for the 2025 Australian Academy of Science’s Margaret Middleton Fund Award.

“These funds will be invaluable in aiding our research into bolstering endangered eastern quoll reintroduction success beyond-the-fence in mainland Australia. We are at a critical tipping point for many native vertebrate animals within Australia, and having the Academy support this research underscores its commitment to vital conservation work in Australia,” Mr Finnerty said.

His research focuses on reintroducing endangered eastern quolls (Dasyurus viverinnus) into predator-free safe havens and exploring a myriad of beyond-the-fence reintroduction tactics and tools, which is regarded as a critical stepping stone for future rewilding success across mainland Australia. This means they are reintroduced into the broader landscape – beyond the safety of predator-proof fences.

Dr Finnerty’s research underscores the urgent need to identify new strategies to restore endangered eastern quoll populations in Australia. Once widespread, the eastern quoll has become extinct across the mainland. A primary driver of the quolls decline was, and continues to be, predation by ever increasing numbers of introduced red foxes and feral cats. The overall aim of the project is to reintroduce a population of eastern quolls within the predator-free fenced Bannockburn Rewilding Sanctuary at Jervis Bay on the New South Wales south coast, with the goal of aiding future beyond-the-fence recovery efforts. Ultimately, the project will not only advance our understanding of eastern quoll ecology but allow us to explore ways to bolster the success of similar reintroduction programs ‘beyond the fence’ within Australia.

In 2023, Dr Finnerty was the recipient of the Academy’s Max Day Environmental Science Fellowship Award, which supports early-career researchers working on the conservation of Australia’s flora and fauna, the ecologically sustainable use of resources, and the protection of the environment and ecosystem services.

Dr Emily Hoffmann: sunset frogs

Dr Hoffmann received this year’s award for her research ‘Frogs on fire: Rapid assessment of fire impacts on an endangered peatland endemic to inform prescribed burn practices’.

“I am incredibly grateful to receive the 2025 Margaret Middleton Fund Award. These funds will support a rapid assessment of the recent fire that affected over 30% of the limited distribution of sunset frogs. As an endangered relictual species confined to a small area of peatlands in southwest Australia, understanding the relationship between these frogs, their unique habitats and increasing fire is essential for their conservation,” Dr Hoffmann said.

Fire is a key process shaping Australia’s ecosystems, yet the response of most biota to fire, particularly frogs, remains poorly understood. The endangered sunset frog (Spicospina flammocaerulea) is restricted to a small area of peatlands in southwest Western Australia – one of the most rapidly drying regions of Australia with an increasing risk of fire.

In April 2024, a fire burned over one-third of the species’ entire distribution. Dr Hoffmann’s project aims to assess the impact of recent fires on both sunset frog populations and their threatened peatland habitats, and to explore possible interactions with drought and disease.

Emmeline Norris: spectacled flying-foxes

Emmeline Norris is undertaking research that is utilising drone-based thermal imagery to accurately estimate abundance of the endangered spectacled flying-fox (Pteropus conspicillatus), and to model population trajectories.

“I am deeply honoured to receive the Margaret Middleton Fund from the Australian Academy of Science. This award will advance my research to establish a standardised, drone-based thermal imaging protocol for censusing the endangered spectacled flying-fox in north Queensland’s tropical forests,” Ms Norris said.

“By producing more robust population estimates, this project aims to strengthen conservation strategies for the endangered spectacled flying-fox, contributing to the resilience of tropical forest ecosystems and supporting national priorities for biodiversity conservation.”

The endangered spectacled flying-fox – an important species for pollination and seed dispersal in tropical north Queensland – is estimated to have experienced population declines of over 75% in the past two decades. Traditional methods for monitoring endangered spectacled flying-fox populations, like manual ground counts, have struggled with accuracy due to the dense and inaccessible nature of their habitats.

Ms Norris’s project aims to improve how researchers monitor and estimate abundance of spectacled flying-fox populations by developing a new method using drones equipped with thermal cameras. This technology may allow for more precise counts without disturbing the animals, and can reach areas that are otherwise difficult to access.

In enhancing our understanding of endangered spectacled flying-fox population trends, this research will help inform effective conservation strategies to ensure species persistence and the health of the ecosystems they support. The study also involves collaboration with local Indigenous ranger groups, ensuring the methods developed are culturally sensitive and inclusive.

About the Margaret Middleton Fund

The Margaret Middleton Fund for endangered Australian native vertebrate animals was established in 2000 with Dr Margaret Middleton, who donated generously to this fund for many years. Dr Middleton was a long-time supporter of the Academy and early-career scientists, with the fund supporting more than 90 projects to date.

Applications for the Academy's 2026 awards and funding opportunities are now open.

A discussion paper released today as part of the Government’s Strategic Examination of R&D is a much-needed wake-up call for the nation according to Australia’s leading scientists.

The Academy has been calling for a comprehensive cross-portfolio and cross-sectoral review of the R&D system since 2018 and is pleased that it is underway. The Academy will make a formal submission to the review.

The review findings must be a critical guide to any party that forms government after the 2025 federal election.

The paper highlights the central role that R&D plays in driving productivity and prosperity and the urgent need for Australia to be prepared to reform an inefficient, lacking-in-scale system that lacks any semblance of strategic organisation.

The evidence in the discussion paper is alarming, especially given our nation’s need to confront many pressing challenges, Australian Academy of Science President Professor Chennupati Jagadish said.

“The paper clearly illustrates that investing in science is beneficial and crucial to our national interest.

“In today’s complex and ever-changing geostrategic environment, exacerbated by supply chain issues and emerging technologies, a robust scientific approach is essential for navigating national challenges. Incremental adjustments have been and will be insufficient as leading R&D countries have shown.

“Instead, we must develop an R&D system that maximises our research talent and current investments while adequately incentivising the entire R&D pipeline,” Professor Jagadish said.