Lizard Island Research Grants

  • Author(s)
    David Abrego
  • Updated
    09/12/25
  • Read time
    18 minutes

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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 33 grants have been awarded to date within several research themes. These have now merged into a single theme - critical research.

Critical research grants

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.

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.
  • 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 but please provide an indicative total value of funds requested. 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 for invited 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.
  • Expressions of Interest can be submitted online by 13 October 2025.
  • Enquiries can be emailed to lizard@australian.museum

Full applications will only be accepted from those who have been invited to submit on the basis of an expression of interest.

2026_Critical_Grant_full_application_form

Honour roll

Lizard Island Grants
Year Name University Grant
2025 Morgan Pratchett, Peter Doll James Cook University Critical
2025 Maria Byrne, Jon Allen, Mary Sewell University of Sydney, College of William and Mary USA, University of Auckland NZ Critical
2025 Vincent Raoult Griffith University Critical
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