Get Involved
There are many avenues available to build scientific knowledge, to network with interesting people and to gain career experience in science or natural history.
You can join a group. To enhance that experience, you can volunteer for a committee with your chosen group. This can make a big difference to the group’s mission.
Sign up for a newsletter – most groups have a newsletter and some have a free electronic newsletter for anyone who subscribes.
Attend an event – there are several events every week. Check the websites of your favourite groups and check this Queensland Science Network website, which includes a link to the Advance Queensland and Inspiring Queensland events calendars.
Participate in a field trip, backyard survey or community event. Numerous opportunities to participate in citizen science through field trips, backyard surveys and group activities are available through QSN member groups. Check your favourite group and also the webpages of member groups the Australian Citizen Science Association (Queensland) and EarthWatch-ClimateWatch. Projects in your locality or chosen field of science may be listed on the ACSA Project Finder.
Publish something. Scientists and naturalists with scientific information they wish to share have several options… Read more.
Contribute data to the Atlas of Living Australia, a collaborative, digital library of data about Australian biodiversity from multiple sources.
Donate money. All groups affiliated with this site engage in ‘public benefit’ activities, meaning that they are not commercially self-supporting. Numerous opportunities are available to make an enduring difference to our natural world. The tax-deductible Research Fund of The Royal Society of Queensland is an example. Donations may be made for any program of the Queensland Science Network via the Philanthropy page of the Society, or by clicking on the button below (you do not need your own PayPal account to use this button). Send an email via admin AT royalsocietyqld.org if you wish to suggest a purpose for the donation.
Specific initiatives
EnergyLab’s Investment Ready Climate Tech Program A free program for eligible Queensland-based startups that are working on solutions to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, address the impacts of climate change, […] The Royal Society of Queensland is pleased to announce the successful applicants for grants of >$23,000 for research into microscopic or macroscopic fungi. The grants honour Queenslander Walter Fisher whose […] Pharmacist Geraldine Hall, educated at the University of Queensland, took a position as Pharmacist at the public hospital on Norfolk Island in 1999. In 2006 she opened her own pharmacy […] The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science award Australian scientists and innovators with prizes to recognise outstanding achievements in science and research-based innovation. Closing date: Thursday 9 February 2023 5:00pm AEDT […] See the World Bee Day Australian website for a list of activities to showcase the honey bee and its role in contributing to ecosystem services. Related Images: The National Waterbug Blitz is Australia’s first nationwide, citizen science, waterway monitoring event. In spring each year, Australians are encouraged to discover how healthy their local waterways and wetlands are, […] Students, teachers, Indigenous Rangers and community citizen scientists: jump on a boat or get muddy to make a difference & sign up for EarthWatch Mangrove Watch program Student Challenge High […] Scientists are inviting schools in Queensland to sign up to help search for Australia’s missing insects. Dr Andy Howe insect ecologist of the University of the Sunshine Coast is co-ordinating […] Wildlife Queensland is offering a free will-making service for those who would like to sponsor the vital work that the group tackles. By partnering with Australia’s top-rated will-writing platform, Gathered […] Western Sydney University and the University of New England have set up a Citizen Science Project called the Dead Tree Detective. The aim of the project is to collect observations […]
Funding opportunities and awards – May 2024
Walter Fisher grants for mycology announced
Improving public health in remote communities: The Geraldine Hall Memorial Prize
The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science
World Bee Day 20 May annually
National Waterbug Blitz
EarthWatch Mangrove Watch Program
Find missing insects – Calling Queensland schools
Leaving a legacy for wildlife
The Dead Tree Detective
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The Royal Society of Queensland Research Fund
Applications have been opened for a grant of up to $5000 for a research project in the natural sciences. Applications close on 28 February 2025. Further details in this “Call“.
Astronomical Association of Queensland
The Edward Corbould Research Fund of the AAQ was established in 1987 with a grant of $50,000. The fund is to support research projects by amateur astronomers. The Association welcomes interest from secondary school students and amateur astronomers who would like to contribute to astronomy, but are unsure about how to prepare a research proposal. Be not afraid! We have experienced amateur astronomical researchers who would be only too happy to assist you. Make contact with AAQ and we can discuss what is possible.
Queensland Frog Society’s Public Trust Fund
Students and researchers from secondary and tertiary institutes can apply for grants through this fund. These grants fund research projects that aim to uncover valuable information and help better understand Queensland’s frogs, which would not be possible without financial support from the fund. Details can be found on the Ric Nattrass Research Grant page of the QFS website.
Australian Academy of Science Grant opportunities from the Australian Academy of Science.
Australian Wildlife Society University Grants.
Australian Citizen Science Association
Many citizens cience projects generate information that should be preserved and made widely available, but don’t necessarily meet the restrictive criteria for scholarly scientific publication. Citizen scientists and naturalists can browse the attached guide Publishing Opportunities on how to choose an outlet for their material. For more detail see the page on Sharing Scientific Information
Would you like to publish your citizen science research in an open access journal for maximum public benefit but can’t quite afford the fees? There are no author charges to publish in the Proceedings of The Royal Society of Queensland, an open access journal.
Commonwealth Government
Grant opportunities from the Commonwealth Government.
Landcare
The periodic newsletter of Queensland Water and Land Carers includes announcements of grants in the landcare and environmental restoration fields.
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| EnergyLab’s Investment Ready Climate Tech Program A free program for eligible Queensland-based startups that are working on solutions to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, address the impacts of climate change, and tackle other environmental issues such as waste and biodiversity. Applications close 30 June 2024Farmers2Founders (F2F) Program Accelerator programs for agtech and foodtech start-ups. The pre-accelerator program closes 30 June 2024 The accelerator program closes 2 June 20242024 Queensland-Cooper Hewitt Fellowship The Queensland-Cooper Hewitt Fellowship provides funding each year for a registered Queensland teacher to travel to the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City, to gain further knowledge and skills in the field of industry and technology design. Application close 6 June 2024 2024 Florey Next Generation Award Critical Technologies Challenge Program Queensland-Bavaria Collaborative Research Program Development Grants Queensland Women in STEM Prize Innovate to Grow program Female Founders Co-Investment Fund Indigenous Native Food Program Backing Queensland Business Investment Fund Biomedical Translation Fund Science into Industry Co-Investment Program |
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The Royal Society of Queensland is pleased to announce the successful applicants for grants of >$23,000 for research into microscopic or macroscopic fungi. The grants honour Queenslander Walter Fisher whose career focused on yeasts. Details are on the Society’s Research Fund page. Walter Fisher passed away peacefully on 13 July 2023 at the age of 98, a month after being informed of the successful applications.
The Society thanks the Queensland Mycological Society, also a member of QSN, for its assistance in forming a panel to evaluate the applications. Grants have been awarded for the following projects:
Understanding the molecular landscape and diversity of Queensland’s native Hericium fungi, Dr Kylie Agnew-Francis, The University of Queensland
Even Fungi Get Stressed Sometimes: Glutathione and Stress Tolerance in the Amphibian Chytrid, Dr Rebecca Webb, University of Melbourne
Investigating the Plant Growth Promotion Potential of Native Seed Fungi to Improve Native Australian Grassland Restoration, Ms Allison Mertin, University of Melbourne and Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney
Structural characterisation of valuable new antibiotics from Queensland rainforest endophytic microfungi, Dr. John Dearnaley, University of Southern Queensland
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Pharmacist Geraldine Hall, educated at the University of Queensland, took a position as Pharmacist at the public hospital on Norfolk Island in 1999. In 2006 she opened her own pharmacy business in the Island’s commercial centre and became a trusted member of the community in the light of her extensive medical knowledge and personal discretion.
She retired on the Island in April 2022 and was looking forward to contributing to the nascent preventative well-being initiative of The Royal Society of Queensland. She passed away peacefully on Tuesday 10 January 2023 after giving informed consent to a prize made possible by donations from her friends. A purse of $1000 is available for the most meritorious writing on a subject of great interest to her:
“Improving Public Health in Remote Communities”
Submissions close on 31 May 2023. Submissions that meet the specified standard can be published in a Special Issue of the Proceedings of The Royal Society of Queensland dedicated to the preconditions of well-being, giving the work international exposure. Please consult the Guidelines for further information. For further information about the Research Fund, see the dedicated page on the website of The Royal Society of Queensland.
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Closing date: Thursday 9 February 2023 5:00pm AEDT
There are five Science Prizes ranging between $50,000 and $250,000.
The Prizes are awarded for outstanding achievements in:
- scientific research
- research-based innovation
- excellence in science teaching.
Further information:
https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/prime-ministers-prizes-for-science
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See the World Bee Day Australian website for a list of activities to showcase the honey bee and its role in contributing to ecosystem services.
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The National Waterbug Blitz is Australia’s first nationwide, citizen science, waterway monitoring event. In spring each year, Australians are encouraged to discover how healthy their local waterways and wetlands are, simply by exploring and identifying what waterbugs live in them. Many schools, farmers, local residents, catchment or Landcare and other community groups, are collecting information on local waterway biodiversity through surveys of water life.
Participants usually attend a workshop or training event hosted by a local group and take water samples containing freshwater macroinvertebrates, which can include various stages of life, from dragon flies, damselfies, mayflies, caddisflies, waterbeetles and many more species that inhabit the water in creeks or waterways.
Aquatic invertebrates, though small, play a very important role in determining a waterway’s health These tiny creatures are very sensitive to changes in the waterway. Therefore, the condition of the wetland, creek or river can be easily determined by the presence or absence of these creatures. Thus in very disturbed water only very hardy species (those not sensitive to pollutants or sediment run off for example) will be present. Snails, bloodworms or backswimmers would be most commonly found.
The Waterbug App is free to download. However, it’s not just as simple as taking a photo. Participants need to have the correct resources, to collect the water samples, such as a fine mesh net, buckets and sampling materials to pick the live samples and classify them before the photo can be taken and uploaded.
It’s intense work, requiring at least two people to help as well as a safety factor whenever one is working in water. Involving adults and children to get outdoors to try hands-on activities to learn about freshwater ecosystems has to be a bonus in any science activity!
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Students, teachers, Indigenous Rangers and community citizen scientists: jump on a boat or get muddy to make a difference & sign up for EarthWatch Mangrove Watch program
Student Challenge
High school students in Yr 10-12 in Queensland Government schools can apply for a one-week environmental scholarship, working as research assistant alongside scientists. Applications for the first round close on 17 April 2022 and the second round on 5 June! Register via: https://www.earthwatch.org.au/student-challenge
MangroveWatch at CAFNEC
Help fill the data monitoring gap and join the MangroveWatch program at the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre. We are seeking committed leaders to participate in the development of these local action plans to transform data into on-ground action. Have your voice heard and collaborate with other members of the community to create locally relevant solutions. Be a Mangrove Champion!
Read more: www.cafnec.org.au/mangrovewatch. Contact Alex at projects@cafnec.org.au to get involved.
Establish a local MangroveWatch chapter in your region
Are you interested in conserving and protecting your local mangrove habitats? Get in touch with Jock Mackenzie (Wetlands Program Manager at Earthwatch Australia) via: jmackenzie@earthwatch.org.au.
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Scientists are inviting schools in Queensland to sign up to help search for Australia’s missing insects. Dr Andy Howe insect ecologist of the University of the Sunshine Coast is co-ordinating the Queensland arm of the “Insect Investigators” program led by the South Australian Museum. The program is seeking 50 schools across Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia to join an official program to help scientists find and catalogue insects.
The Brisbane Times has the story. Interested schools asked to register their interest at the project website.