Lizard Island Postdoctoral Fellowships

Funding is provided for field expenses at LIRS over one or two years as required. Salary is not provided.

The maximum value of each 2025 fellowship is $20,900 including GST per year for either one or two years. Projects that do not require diving should limit their request to $17,600 including GST per year.

Fellowship funds must be spent on field work at LIRS. Allowable expenses include bench fees, travel, freight, and field/lab consumables.

Fellowship funds may not be used for salary, for living expenses (such as food while at Lizard Island), or for equipment other than research consumables needed for the project. The fellow's university may not deduct a fee for administering the fellowship.

• Field work must take place between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026 for the first year, and in the same period of the subsequent year if a second year is awarded. However, a blackout period applies in November and December unless there are compelling biological reasons for doing the work in those months (e.g. coral spawning, fish recruitment).
  
• Funding in the second year, if awarded, is subject to suitable progress.
  
• Reporting, outreach, acknowledgement and other conditions will be detailed in a contract with each successful applicant.
  
• Despite previous awards in this program to more than one person, these fellowships are now restricted to individual investigators.
  
• Feedback will not be provided to unsuccessful applicants.

At the time of applying, applicants must:

1. Hold a PhD degree that was awarded on or after 1 October 2019. If a researcher does not satisfy this criterion and considers that they have an equivalent research qualification or experience of similar duration, then they must determine eligibility by making a case to the Selection Committee at least two weeks before the closing date for applications.
   
2. Show that they have the time and resources to conduct the field research and to publish the results in a timely manner. This is usually demonstrated by being employed in a research position for the duration of the fellowship period. In recognition of the reality of early postdoctoral employment, other ways of demonstrating a commitment to completing the research process may be acceptable.

Applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be considered further.

The person:

1. Meets the eligibility criteria.
2. Has an excellent academic record.
3. Has high research output in relation to career stage.
4. Has relevant research and fieldwork experience.

The project:

1. Will significantly advance knowledge in one of two research areas: a) the biology, ecology, processes or traditional use of coral reefs, or b) the taxonomy of little-known fauna or flora at Lizard Island.
2. Makes good use of LIRS facilities.
3. Is feasible within the limitations of budget and safety regulations.
4. Makes efficient usage of fellowship funds.
5. Has additional funding available if the fellowship does not cover all planned costs.
6. Enables scientific leverage.
7. For taxonomic projects, the project will utilise existing collections within the Australian Museum or a state Herbarium, and/or will contribute to those collections. Applicants for taxonomic projects must contact the relevant Collection Manager at the Australian Museum or state Herbarium to determine how the proposed research fits within the collection strategy, and refer to that interaction in the application.

Applications must be submitted online.

Online application form for 2025 postdoctoral fellowships

Two documents must be uploaded to the online application form.

1. 2025 Project Form and
2. A curriculum vitae (maximum 3 pages; list peer-reviewed publications separately to others).

Applications will be assessed against the selection criteria.

To assist in preparing your application, please consult other sections of this website to learn about LIRS facilities, and boating and diving regulations. You are welcome to contact LIRS with any queries, and you are urged to do so if you have never been involved with research at LIRS.

Use the indicative costs for bench fees and travel between Cairns and Lizard Island as provided in the project form.

Closing date is 18 October 2024.