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Grants

Grants (4)

Other Funding Opportunities

We are prepared to consider funding projects up to $5000.

Research grants

Research grants are available to researchers (other than honours, masters and PhD students) who are studying any aspect of urban bushland in the Sydney region – to apply, complete this application form.

2023 Vanessa McPherson, Fungal Biodiversity: Diversity, Distribution and DNA

Education grants

Education grants are available to primary and high schools children for projects that promote awareness of the value of urban bushland, educate students or the community on how to minimise their impact on urban bushland, or restore a natural habitat – to apply, complete this application form.

2023 Gibberagong Environmental Education Centre to run a biodiversity student camp at Muogamarra Nature Reserve
2019 Children’s Threatened Species Art Competition
2018 Children’s Threatened Species Art Competition
2017 Children’s Threatened Species Art Competition
2009 To raise awareness of climate change we supported an educational event to support International Day of Climate Action
2008 Turramurra High School for environmental school ground projects
2007 Warrawee Primary School for bushland maintenance
2006 St Ives Park Primary School for development of a bushland area
2003 Warrawee Primary School to implemented a program to increase student appreciation and awareness of native tress
Ku-ring-gai Creative Arts High School to restore native bushland by removing the invading exotic Agapanthus and replanting with local species
2002 Turramurra North Primary School to plant native trees
Pymble Primary School to establish a worm farm
2001 Turramurra Primary School for weed education
Warrawee Primary School for the creation of native gardens

Young Scientist

To encourage and reward research and education on environmental issues, STEP has aligned with Young Scientist and each year we donate a prize of $250 for the best environmental project. The competition is organised by the Science Teachers' Association of New South Wales and is open to students from kindergarten to year 12.

2023 Isabelle Fisher (Roseville College)
Investigating the effects of an established arbuscular mycorrhizal network on seed germination and seedling growth for Acacia linifolia and Acacia ulicifolia
2022 Lily Rofail (PLC Sydney)
Water Hyssop (Bacopa monnieri) and Avocado Skin Powder can Alter the Amount of Heavy Metals in Aquatic Environments
2021 Chloe LeMap (PLC Sydney)
Cool the Sand, Save the Sea Turtles
2020 Maja Dalby-Ball Olson (Barrenjoey High School)
Variation in Flammability in the Flora in the Sydney Sandstone Vegetation Community
2019 Suzanne Jones (Redeemer Baptist School)
The Call of the Wild: A Phrenological Study of Circadas in Lake Parramatta Reserve
2018 Beatrix Farley (Castle Cove Public School)
Are there Microplastics on the Beaches of Australia’s East Coast?
2017 Evette Khaziran (Redeemer Baptist School)
Give me a Home among the Gum Trees
2016 Jade Moxey (Sapphire Coast Anglican College)
Grazing Sheep on Deadly Fireweed: A BaaaaD Situation?
2015 Jade Moxey (Sapphire Coast Anglican College)
The Spread of Seeds through Cattle
2014 Nicole Sung (PLC Sydney)
Recycling of Grey Water
2013 Aiden Giragossian (Barker College)
Biofuel: Ethanol towards a Greener and Secure Energy Future
2012 Daniel Dell’Armi (De La Salle Revesby Heights)
Is the Dye-pigment Solar Cell the Solution to our Scarce Amount of Renewable Energy Sources?
Highly commended Aoife Hogan (Hills Grammar School):
Miscanthus – Fuel of the Future?
2011 Hilary Knowles (Chevalier College)
What is the Best Method of Filtering Pond Water to Make it Drinkable?
2010 Meena Sritharan (Strathfield Girls High School)
How to Clean Up an Oil Spill: Does the Water Temperature of the Ocean Affect the Time to Clean up an Oil Spill?
2009 Rebecca Dawkins (Sydney Girls High School)
Effect of Colour and Roofing Material on House Temperature
2008 Sam Wightman (Mullumbimby High School)
Acidic Rain Water from Acid Sulphate Soils
Highly commended Jessica Dunn (Bowral High School)
Do Willows Affect the Quality of Water in Rivers?
2007 Nina Pinto (Hornsby Girls High School)
The Habitat of the Marine Snail, Nerita atramentosa, and the Tenacity of its Foot in Various Salinities
Highly commended Ellenore Forrester (Redeemer Baptist School, Parramatta)
for her excellent research into an Enviropump
2006 Robbie Bishop-Taylor (Great Lakes College, Forster Campus)
The Identification of Critical Salinity Thresholds for Upper Estuarine Plants
2005 Laura Woollacott
An Investigation into the Pollution Stopper and its Effects on the Water Quality of Moores Creek
2004 Daniel Tracey (Barker College)
Analysing the Effects of Different Types of Grey Water on Plants
Highly commended David Llewellyn (Great Lakes College)
Investigating the Effect of Riparian Weeds on Stream Invertebrates
2003 Andrew Stewart (Karabar Distance Education Centre)
Artificial Wetlands: Can Carex appressa Prevent Eutrophication in Australian Waterways?
2002 Gregory Howe (Fort Street High School)
Feral Fish: Is the Plague Minnow in the Myall River System?
2001 Lui Weber (Wollumbin High School)
conducted a survey on the endangered red-fruited ebony, Diospyros mabacea

Research Grant for the Conservation of Bushland

Applications for the 2025 research grant of $2500 are welcomed from honours, masters and PhD students. To apply, complete this application form electronically, save it and email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 31 March 2025. We will announce the winner by 30 April 2025.

2024 Solomon Maerowitz-McMahan (Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, PhD) Exploring Mycorrhizal Resilience: Insights from Post-hazard Reduction Burns in Ku-ring-gai Chase Forests

2023 Margarita Gil-Fernández (Macquarie University, PhD) Mycorrhizal Fungal Diversity Associated with Small Mammals in Response to Anthropogenic Disturbance

2022 Chantelle Doyle (UNSW, PhD) Ecology of the Critically Endangered Hibbertia spanantha

2021 Erin Rogers (Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Master of Research) Phosphorus Liberation on Low Fertility Soils with Fire: How does it Affect the Re-growth Capacity of Native Plants?

2020 Ruby Paroissien (UNSW, honours) Impact of Changes in Fire Seasonality on the Reproductive Success of the Post-fire Flowering Species, Doryanthes excelsa

Postscript

Ruby's research was published in Environmental and Experimental Botany, vol 192, Dec 2021, 104634. You can also download a PDF of the paper, Effects of fire season on the reproductive success of the post-fire flowerer Doryanthes excelsa.

2019 Gabriella Hoban (UNSW, honours) Soil Characteristics as Indicators of Restoration Trajectories in Urban Woodlands

2018 Katie Rolls (Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, PhD) Adaptive Capacity of Widespread and Threatened Acacia Species to Climate Change

Grants

We fund research and environmental education using funds from sales of our publications and donations and bequests made to our Environmental Protection Fund. Contact us to discuss how we could help you.

Research Grant for the Conservation of Bushland

Applications for this annual grant of $2500 are welcomed from honours, masters and PhD students. The project must contribute to the knowledge that will assist the conservation of bushland in the Sydney region, e.g. flora and fauna studies, biodiversity, and management issues such as chemical pollution, weed invasion, erosion control and controlled burns. Click here for more information.

Young Scientist

STEP has aligned with Young Scientist and each year we award a prize of $250 for the best environmental project. The competition is organised by the Science Teachers' Association of New South Wales and is open to students from kindergarten to year 12. Click here for more information.

Other Funding Opportunities

We are prepared to consider funding projects up to $5000:

  • to researchers (other than honours, masters and PhD students) who are studying any aspect of urban bushland in the Sydney region
  • to schools for projects that promote awareness of the value of urban bushland, educate students or the community on how to minimise their impact on urban bushland, or restore a natural habitat

Click here for more information.