11/06/2026
Introducing Nature Foundation’s 2026 Research Grant recipients 👏
High quality science underpins our efforts to manage our unique biodiversity for future generations sustainably, and an essential aspect of this is offering research grants for university students and early career researchers, supported by our generous donors.
Since 2000, Nature Foundation has awarded $2,045,786 in research grants to post-graduate students, academics, and the community to kickstart careers in research, supporting 471 researchers.
Five student research grants were awarded in the 2026 round, along with the Mike Bull Award for Early Career Nature Scientists.
We are delighted to share this year’s research grant recipients and their projects with you. Read more about each recipient here: https://www.naturefoundation.org.au/news-events/latest-news/2026-research-grant-recipients
Jack O’Leary, Monash University - Grant Start Grants – Honours
Banded vegetation patterns in arid South Australia
Peyton Hampel, Adelaide University - Nature Foundation Scientific Expedition Foundation RL & GK Willing Grant
Functional Response of Dryland Vegetation to Herbivore Exclusion
Jake Thornhill, Adelaide University - Grand Starts Grants – PhD/Masters
Characterising subterranean biodiversity and assessing groundwater ecosystem response to anthropogenic pressures with environmental DNA
Charlotte Hogan, UNSW - Lynette Aplin 'Knowledge in Science' Research Grant
Understanding the role of soil microbes in maintaining arid-zone brown food webs and biodiversity
Caitlin La Rose, University of Sydney - Roy and Marjory Edwards Scholarship
Investigating the Impacts of PFAS on the Health of Australian Pinniped Pups in South Australia
Dr Pablo Recio Santiago, Mike Bull Award for Early Career Nature Scientists
Understanding the endrocrine mechanisms driving pair bonding in animals, specifically the sleepy lizard