Lizard Island Doctoral Fellowships Grant

The Lizard Island Doctoral Fellowships support exceptional PhD students conducting field-intensive research at the Lizard Island Research Station. Since 1984, it has funded 81 students, offering up to AU$15,400 annually for three years. The program emphasizes fieldwork, allowing funds for necessary expenses like travel and consumables, but not salaries. Applications are evaluated by experts and can be submitted for multiple fellowships with one application. Additional funding is available for conference presentations.

Lizard Island Doctoral Fellowships Program
The Lizard Island Doctoral Fellowships program supports field-intensive research at Lizard Island Research Station (LIRS) by outstanding PhD students worldwide. Since its inception in 1984, 81 PhD students have been supported. The program is funded by the Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation (LIRRF) through its members and friends including some specific donations.
Applications are assessed by a panel of Australian Museum scientists that includes members of the LIRRF Science Committee. Applications may be reviewed by external parties.
One application will be considered for all available fellowships - there is no need to submit multiple applications.
Benefits
Funding is provided for field expenses at LIRS over one, two or three years as required. Salary is not provided. Additional funding may be awarded to fellows in the second or third year of their fellowship to present their PhD research at an international conference.
The maximum value of each 2025 fellowship is AU$15,400 including GST per year for up to three years. However, projects that do not require diving should limit their request to $12,100 including GST. The value of the international conference travel award is up to an additional AU$4,000.
Fellowship funds must be spent on field work at LIRS. Allowable expenses include bench fees, travel, freight, and field/lab consumables.

Eligibility

At the time of applying, applicants must:

• Be accepted into a PhD program for a project that requires substantial field-based research at a coral reef location, and
• Show that they can support themselves for the duration of the requested fellowship period by, for example, having a stipend from a scholarship or other source.

Ineligibility

Fellowship funds may not be used for salary, for living expenses (such as food while in the field), for equipment other than research consumables, or for research or travel by the fellow's PhD supervisor (or any other more senior researcher).The fellow's university may not deduct a fee for administering the fellowship.