Contact person

Amy Tims
Monash University
Email: amy.tims@monash.edu

Threatened Fishes Grant

After the successful completion of our inaugural Threatened Fishes grant that involved using drones to map natural barriers as part of work on conservation of Stocky Galaxias, we are pleased to announce the 2023 round of the grant is now open!

This grant has been made available to support conservation action and research on threatened fishes in Australia. It covers species that occur in freshwater, estuarine and marine environments. Special consideration will be made for species that fall through the cracks of not being on statutory national or state/territory legislated lists that can be difficult to fund otherwise (e.g. recently described species, known but undescribed species).

Value of Grant

  • The prize pool each year is up to the value of $5,000 AUD.

  • One or more projects can share in this pool.

Closing date for applications

  • 31st August 2023.

  • The successful applicant/s will be announced at this year’s IPFC/ASFB conference in November.

Conditions

  • Students are encouraged to apply, but the successful applicant need only be a current financial member of ASFB at the time of applying for the grant.

  • Applicants can be listed on up to two separate applications for this grant in a given round.

  • The target species should be already listed on the ASFB Threatened Fishes list, otherwise the grant application must be accompanied by a nomination to the TFC available on the ASFB website here (and liaise with a committee member from your jurisdiction, list available in the ASFB Newsletter).

  • The Project activity must be completed within one year (exceptions will be considered).

  • Funding for applied offshoots of larger projects will be considered, other successful existing grant funding or current applications must be listed in the application for this grant.

  • Periodic updates should be made to the TFC via the convenor/s, and the TFC is available for specific advice to assist the project.

  • A project report (at least one page of text plus supporting images) will be made available for publication in the ASFB annual newsletter.

  • Acquittal of funds listing costs will be required by successful applicants at project completion.

  • The grant winner/s are encouraged to present a progress and or final talk of their project at the annual ASFB conference (or poster/video).

  • Grant recipients are required to acknowledge the ASFB in any media, presentations or publications arising from the project.

  • The TFC may decide not to make a grant in a round/year.

  • The rules for this grant may be amended by the Executive Council, then ratified at the following AGM.

Judging process

  • Applications are judged by members of the TFC Committee with projects scored on merit against the following selection criteria: (1) demonstration of project need (priority for the taxa; urgency and consequence of no action; positive impact and scale of improvement) (50%), (2) project feasibility and likelihood of outcomes (35%), and (3) assessment of the budget (15%).

  • Following scoring, funds will be awarded based on consensus with regards to best allocation of the annual prize pool (one or more projects).

  • The TFC may seek additional information from applicants on the nature of the action or research.

  • The TFC may co-opt external referees to assist in the judging process.

  • TFC jurisdictional representatives (and their students) are eligible to apply, but must then abstain from judging.

  • TFC convenors/co-convenors are not eligible to apply. If there are two co-convenors of the TFC, the students of one of the convenors are eligible to apply and that convenor must abstain from judging, the other convenor must remain impartial.

  • In the case of difference of opinion within the TFC, the convenors/co-convenors have the final independent decision, and are charged with ensuring the judging process is done so objectively.

  • Previous successful applicants are eligible for successive grants at the discretion of the judging panel based on previous demonstrated outcomes and reporting.

Process for application