Lizard Island Research Grants
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Lizard Island Research Grants support important coral reef research. They are enabled through funding provided by donors to the Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation.
The program has operated since 2012 and 30 grants have been awarded to date within several research themes. These have now merged into a single theme - critical research.
Critical research grants
Expressions of interest for the 2025 Critical Grant are now closed. Visit this page again after July 2025 for information about the following round.
Critical research grants support important and usually time-sensitive coral reef research projects. This theme has developed in response to severe, repeated impacts on coral reefs around the world, including at Lizard Island.
Critical research grants are offered irregularly depending on the funding available. A grant will only be awarded in any particular round if a proposal is considered sufficiently compelling and feasible. The assessment is made by a panel of Australian Museum scientists that includes members of the LIRRF Science Committee.
Applicants whose expressions of interest are selected for further consideration will be invited to submit a detailed research proposal.
The information below relates to the 2025 grant, for which expressions of interest are now closed.
Provide a 2-page document that outlines your broad plan, its context and significance, and why you are well-placed to conduct the work.
- The proposed research must increase knowledge of coral reefs in a way that can inform management in a practical way AND it is valuable to do it now, considering the existential threats facing coral reefs.
- Reef restoration and adaptation are not priority areas because substantial funding is available for such projects elsewhere.
- All or most of the funded field research must be conducted at Lizard Island Research Station.
- Funding is for field work and laboratory expenses only, not salary.
- Funding over several years may be awarded.
- The applicant must have institutional support that is expected to continue for the duration of the grant.
- Collaborations between researchers and between institutions are welcome. The applicant must be the principal investigator and his/her institution must be willing to administer the grant without charging an administration fee. Any additional investigators must bring complementary expertise to the project as documented in their CVs. A maximum of three investigators in total will be named in any public listing of the grant.
- A budget is not required at this stage. However, note that the funds available are in the order of tens of thousands of dollars per year, not hundreds of thousands. A budget will be required in full applications.
- Advise whether any field-work participants will need to travel to Australia from overseas, and if so, why their expertise is necessary for the project.
- Submit expressions of interest to lizard@australian.museum by 4 October 2024.
Full applications will only be accepted from those who have been invited to submit on the basis of an expression of interest.
Crown-of-Thorns Starfish research grants - closed theme
These grants were aimed at finding practical methods to reduce the impact of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS) on their coral prey. They were supported by an Ian Potter Foundation 50th Anniversary Commemorative Grant to the Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation. Twenty grants were awarded between 2015 and 2020. They resulted in valuable contributions to knowledge, including use of vinegar as a control agent, and SALAD surveys combined with eDNA as an effective monitoring tool. At least 27 peer-reviewed publications have appeared so far from this program.
Proposals for additional research in this important area will be considered under the critical research grants theme.
Plastic pollution research grants - closed theme
These grants provided funding for field-intensive research into the extent and effects of plastic pollution on coral reefs, conducted at Lizard Island Research Station and supported by the Rossi Foundation and the Banyer family. Three grants were awarded in this theme, from 2018 to 2020, producing three peer-reviewed scientific publications so far.
Proposals for additional research in this important area will be considered within the Critical Research Grants theme.
Honour roll
| Year | Name | University | Grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Morgan Pratchett | James Cook University | Critical |
| 2022 | Andrew Baird, Tom Bridge, Peter Cowman and Joshua Madin | James Cook University, Museum of Tropical Queensland and University of Hawaii Manoa | Critical |
| 2021 | No grants awarded due to COVID-19 pandemic | ||
| 2020 | Joseph DiBattista | Australian Museum | Critical |
| 2020 | Daniela Ceccarelli | Independent | Critical |
| 2020 | Maria Dornelas and Joshua Madin | University of St Andrews, UK, and University of Hawaii, USA | Critical |
| 2020 | Frederieke Kroon and Mark Meekan | Australian Institute of Marine Science | Plastic pollution |
| 2020 | Morgan Pratchett, Jason Doyle and others | ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University and Australian Institute of Marine Science | Crown-of-Thorns Starfish |
| 2019 | Dione Deaker and Prof Maria Byrne | University of Sydney | Crown-of-Thorns Starfish |
| 2019 | Jason Doyle | Australian Institute of Marine Science | Crown-of-Thorns Starfish |
| 2019 | Dr Vanessa Messmer | ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University | Crown-of-Thorns Starifsh |
| 2019 | Prof Morgan Pratchett and Dr Andrew Hoey | ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University | Crown-of-Thorns Starfish |
| 2019 | Jennifer Wilmes | ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University | Crown-of-Thorns Starfish |
| 2018 | Dr Bridie Allan | Institute of Marine Science, Norway | Plastic pollution |
| 2018 | Marina Santana | James Cook University | Plastic pollution |
| 2018 | Dr Fredereike Kroon | Australian Institute of Marine Science | Crown-of-Thorns Starfish |
| 2018 | Prof Maria Byrne and Assoc Prof Jonathan Allen | University of Sydney and College of William and Mary, USA | Crown-of-Thorns Starfish |
| 2018 | Prof Maria Byrne and Dr Karen Chan | University of Sydney and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology | Crown-of-Thorns Starfish |
| 2017 | Dr Sven Uthicke | Australian Institute of Marine Science | Crown-of-Thorns Starfish |
| 2017 | Prof Morgan Pratchett | ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University | Crown-of-Thorns Starifsh |
| 2017 | Ciemon Caballes | ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University | Crown-of-Thorns Starfish |
| 2016 | Prof Morgan Pratchett | ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University | Crown-of-Thorns Starfish |
| 2016 | Prof Morgan Pratchett and Dr Vanessa Messmer | ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University | Crown-of-Thorns Starfish |
| 2016 | Dr Sven Uthicke | Australian Institute of Marine Science | Crown-of-Thorns Starfish |
| 2015 | Lisa Bostrom-Einarsson | James Cook University | Crown-of-Thorns Starfish |
| 2015 | Prof Morgan Pratchett and Ciemon Caballes | ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University | Crown-of-Thorns Starfish |
| 2015 | Dr Vanessa Messmer and Prof Morgan Pratchett | ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University | Crown-of-Thorns Starfish |
| 2015 | Prof Maria Byrne and others | University of Sydney | Crown-of-Thorns Starfish |
| 2015 | Zara-Louise Cowan | ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University | Crown-of-Thorns Starfish |
| 2013 | Dr Timothy Clark and others | Australian Institute of Marine Science | Sustainable Fishing |
| 2012 | Dr Timothy Clark and others | Australian Institute of Marine Science | Sustainable Fishing |
