Lizard Island Doctoral Fellowships offer funding for field work by PhD students who plan to conduct field-intensive coral reef research at Lizard Island.
The Lizard Island Doctoral Fellowship and The Ian Potter Fellowship at Lizard Island provide financial support for field-intensive coral reef research at the Lizard Island Research Station by outstanding PhD students. Funding is for field expenses over one to three years; salary is not provided. Applications are assessed by a panel of Australian Museum scientists with input from external reviewers. The Lizard Island Doctoral Fellowship has been funded by the Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation since 1984.
The Ian Potter Doctoral Fellowship at Lizard Island has been funded by The Ian Potter Foundation since 2006. A single application will be considered for both fellowships.
Benefits:
For students enrolled at an Australian university, the maximum value of each 2013 Fellowship is AU$24,000 plus GST (AU$8,000 per annum for up to three years). For students enrolled at overseas universities, the amount includes GST. Overseas students may be awarded an additional $1,000 per year to contribute towards their higher travel costs.
Allowable expenses:
Fellowship funds must be spent on bench fees at LIRS and other expenses involved in fieldwork at Lizard Island including travel, freight, and equipment. Fellowship funds may not be used for living expenses (including food while at Lizard Island) or for salary. The fellowship may not be used to support research or travel by the fellow’s PhD supervisor or any other senior researcher except as outlined below.
Conditions of Award
The fellow must conduct field-intensive research at the Lizard Island Research Station (LIRS) for an average of at least 100 person days per year of funding. Most projects require at least one assistant so this usually means that the fellow and an assistant must both work at LIRS for an average of at least 50 days per year. Bench fees at the current applicable rate must be paid to LIRS for these visits. The first field trip using fellowship funding should not be planned to start before April 2013.
If the fellow’s supervisor or any other senior researcher wishes to accompany the fellow on field trips to Lizard Island, fellowship funds may not be used to cover any of that person’s travel costs. They may be used to pay bench fees for the supervisor or other senior researcher at the student assistant’s rate for up to 5 days over the life of the fellow’s project, providing that the senior person is actually assisting the fellow on those days rather than conducting his/her own research. Bench fees for any additional days spent at LIRS by the senior researcher must be paid at the current rate applicable to researchers and that amount may not be paid from fellowship funds.
Each year during a field trip, the fellow is required to make an oral presentation at LIRS about his/her research.
A progress report must be submitted each year, including details of expenditure and revised budget estimates for the coming year(s). Subsequent funding depends upon suitable progress.
Any funds unspent at the end of each fellowship year must be returned to LIRS unless the LIRS directors approve carry-over arrangements. A bound copy of the Fellow’s thesis must be lodged in the Station’s library.
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