Whispering Horizon Vast views across the Lockyer Valley. Perched high upon the Marburg hills, the horizon unfolds like a quiet spell. © Emma James / 2025 TNC Oceania Photo Contest
Supporting the next generation of conservation leaders in Australia
The Barbara Thomas Fellowships support early career academics and conservation practitioners whose work advances the science, skills, and leadership needed to deliver lasting conservation outcomes across Australia. Established through a generous endowment by David Thomas in honour of his late wife Barbara, the Fellowships are a long-term investment in people, knowledge, and solutions that help The Nature Conservancy Australia and its partners achieve impact at scale.
Supporting the next generation of conservation leaders in Australia
The Barbara Thomas Fellowships support early career academics and conservation practitioners whose work advances the science, skills, and leadership needed to deliver lasting conservation outcomes across Australia. Established through a generous endowment by David Thomas in honour of his late wife Barbara, the Fellowships are a long-term investment in people, knowledge, and solutions that help The Nature Conservancy Australia and its partners achieve impact at scale.
Why the Barbara Thomas Fellowships matter
Conservation challenges are complex and interconnected, requiring applied science, innovative thinking, and strong partnerships to deliver real impact. The Barbara Thomas Fellowships address priority gaps in knowledge and capability by supporting research and practice that inform real‑world conservation decisions and help build long‑term capacity across Australia’s conservation sector
Fellowship overview
Each year, the Barbara Thomas Fellowships support two early‑career conservation leaders with AUD $25,000 per Fellowship to undertake applied, impact‑focused research or practitioner‑led work. The Fellowship is open to early‑career academics (within 5 years of completing a PhD) and early‑career conservation practitioners, and supports projects aligned with The Nature Conservancy Australia’s strategic priorities. Fellowships are hosted by, or delivered in collaboration with, Australian universities, NGOs, or research organisations to maximise real‑world conservation outcomes.
Priority focus areas
Fellowship projects are designed to directly support The Nature Conservancy’s conservation strategies in Australia. Areas of focus may include:
- Ecological restoration and monitoring
- Indigenous‑led conservation and Caring for Country
- Protected area governance and conservation policy
- Environmental law, finance, and innovative funding models
- Technology and data to accelerate conservation impact
Focus areas may evolve over time to reflect emerging conservation priorities.
Previous fellows
A legacy of conservation impact
- 2026 – Dr Kristin Jinks “Synthesising the ecological and Socio-Economic Outcomes of Shellfish Reef Restoration in Australia (2017–2025)”. Host: Griffith University
- 2024 – Dr Anne Boothroyd “Enhancing decision-making tools to support Tasmanian land conservation”. Host: Tasmanian Land Conservancy.
How the Fellowship works
Barbara Thomas Fellowships are awarded through targeted invitations aligned with The Nature Conservancy Australia’s strategic research priorities and, when open, through an Expression of Interest process. Fellows are supported through dedicated funding, co‑supervision and connections with TNC experts, and opportunities for knowledge exchange with conservation partners to ensure their work delivers practical, real‑world impact.
Stay informed
Applications open periodically, aligned with TNC Australia’s strategic priorities.
Sign up to receive the latest updates of our workHonouring Barbara Thomas
The Barbara Thomas Fellowships are named in honour of Barbara Thomas and made possible through the generosity of her husband, David Thomas, and the Thomas Foundation. Established as an enduring legacy, the Fellowship invests in people and ideas that strengthen conservation science, and deliver lasting benefits for nature and communities.
