Bill Dawbin Postdoctoral Fellowship 2012: Overview

In December 2008 the Australian Federal Environment Minister announced five years of funding for an applied scientific research program on whales and related issues that utilises the most powerful non-lethal research techniques.

Most of this funding package was allocated to the Department's Australian Marine Mammal Centre (AMMC) based at the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) for its competitive grants scheme and for postdoctoral cetacean research fellowships.

One three year postdoctoral fellowship which includes $96,800 GST inclusive per annum for salary and up to $50,000 GST inclusive per annum of research funding is available for applied, strategic cetacean research.

Two postdoctoral fellowships have already been awarded - one in 2010 and one in 2011. This is the third fellowship to be offered.

This Bill Dawbin Postdoctoral Fellowship is named in honour of W.H (Bill) Dawbin, D.Sc, (1921-1998), who was an internationally respected marine mammalogist, who conducted ground-breaking research on larger whales - particularly the humpback whales of Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

The purpose of the Fellowship is for a salary and project funding for research focused on understanding and conserving the cetaceans in the Australasian region, including the waters of the Indian, Southern and South Pacific Oceans.

The objectives of the Fellowship scheme are to:

  1. build a stronger scientific base for cetacean policy and conservation in the Australasian region
  2. deepen the pool of academic expertise about cetaceans
  3. contribute to cetacean research efforts for the global public good
  4. contribute to cetacean research, conservation and management issues

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