Senior Research Fellowships

The Land & Water Australia Senior Research Fellowships are an exciting initiative that works at the intersection of two of the Australian Government's key science priorities: innovation and scientific excellence; and improved management of Australia's natural resources

During the peak of a researcher's career their most precious commodity is time. Many of our best scientific brains spend much of their time on activities other than research - administration, managing people, writing research proposals, wrestling with budgets and so on.

In a new approach to funding science, these Fellowships are expressly designed to 'free up' the time of a select few of our leading researchers each year, to give them some time and space from the constraints of everyday work. The intent is to sponsor reflective, synthesis research by people at the top of their fields - in mid-career, rather than in retirement.

The Senior Research Fellowships are designed to build knowledge assets that advance the way Australians think about, interact with and manage our natural resources. Each of the Fellows will produce a major work outlining their thinking, findings and recommendations - in written form, lectures and all forms of media.

Land & Water Australia expects these works will be extremely thought-provoking and challenging, representing leading edge thinking within their respective fields.

Each year the Fellows are selected by the Land & Water Australia Board. The Fellowships are also made possible by the support of the Fellow's employers. Land & Water Australia thanks these organisations for their foresight and willingness to participate in this initiative.

Land & Water Australia intends to promote the Fellowships and the work of the Fellows widely, bringing substantial recognition to individual Fellows and their organisations.

2008 Senior Research Fellows

The recipients of the 2008 Senior Research Fellowships are:

• Professor Derek Eamus
• Dr Peter Davies

2006-07 Senior Research Fellows

Three further Fellowships were presented by the Hon. Julie Bishop, Minister for Education, Science and Training, at Parliament House in Canberra 6th December 2006.

Recipients of the 2006-07 Senior Research Fellows are:

• Dr Pauline Mele
• Dr Greg McKeon
• Dr Richard Stirzaker

2005-06 Senior Research Fellows 

Three Fellowships were awarded by the Minister for Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry the Hon. Peter McGauran at Parliament House on Wednesday, 30 November 2005.

Recipients of the 2005-06 Senior Research Fellows are:

• Mr Gary Stoneham 
• Dr Mark Stafford-Smith
• Dr David Freebairn 

2004-05 Senior Research Fellows 

The Land & Water Australia Senior Fellowship Program was launched by Deputy Prime Minister the Hon. John Anderson on behalf of the Prime Minister the Hon. John Howard at a special function at Parliament House on Wednesday, 1 December 2004.

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry the Hon. Warren Truss presented the inaugural Fellowships for 2004-05 at the launch to:

• Dr Neil Barr 
• Dr Richard Evans 
• Professor Sam Lake