| North Shore District Group |
Scholarship |
Val Williams Scholarship in Botany
Applications are sought firstly from Honours students and also from Masters or PhD students undertaking research at universities in the Sydney region. The project must contribute to the knowledge of the ecology, conservation or propagation of native plants in the Sydney and surrounding regions. See below for details of the 2025 winner and a link to earlier years. Round Eighteen - 2026Applications for the 2026 Scholarship are now open.The Val Williams Scholarship in Botany has increased to $4,000 for 2026. This scholarship is awarded by the North Shore Group of the Australian Plants Society to Honours, Masters and PhD students of Botany. Applications close on 6 March 2026. See below for other important dates. Scholarship conditions are described in the 2026 scholarship application forms. Application forms for the 2026 scholarship are available as pdf or word files. VW Scholarship Application Information 2026.pdf VW Scholarship Application Form 2026.docx VW Scholarship Application Form 2026.pdf Please note: No part of this scholarship can be used to cover administration costs. Application Time line for Round Eighteen:
More information: email: vws.scholarship@gmail.com, Phone: 0415 043 671 Val Williams Scholarship in Botany - Recipient 2025 Natalie Allen
Growing up I always had a love for science, but it wasn’t until my high school work experience placement with the Australian Botanic Gardens that I discovered my passion for plants and conservation research. It was this moment that inspired me to undertake an undergraduate degree in ecology at the University of New South Wales, where I am now engaged in an Honours research project focused on ecology and conservation in threatened native plants. Humans continue to drive changes in our natural environments. Fragmented urban landscapes, such as the greater Sydney region, place threatened plant populations at a greater risk of becoming isolated and requiring extensive conservation intervention. One of the major factors impeding the conservation of these threatened species is a lack of knowledge of ecology and biological processes at a species level. Bossiaea fragrans subspecies fragrans is a critically endangered, NSW endemic species whose ecology is currently unknown, negatively impacting its conservation management. With the support of the Val Williams Scholarship, I will use Bossiaea fragrans as a case study, investigating factors relevant to its’ persistence and circumstances, including life-history strategies linked to fire, seed dormancy mechanisms, breeding system strategies, and microclimatic niches, with the ultimate goal being to support well-informed conservation management of the species. My research aims to inspire the increased incorporation of these critical ecological and biological factors in plant research, and in turn, ensure that this research is referred to when formulating conservation plans to increase the likelihood of meaningful conservation outcomes for native plants in Australia..
Previous Recipients of the Val Williams Scholarship in Botany2024 Paola Raupp 2023 Sashini Perera 2022 Sarah McInnes 2021 Harriet Simpson-Southward 2020 Shubham Chhajed 2019 Farhad Masoomi-Aladizgeh 2018 Susan Everingham and John Whale 2017 Aaron Phillips 2016 Johanna Wong 2015 Jon Pankhurst 2014 Desi Quintans 2013 Jessica Mowle 2012 Diane Warman and Berin Mackenzie 2011 Nathan Emery and Tanya Bangel 2010 Alison Hewitt 2009 Liza Xian Details of these winners and their projects can be found here. |
The Val Williams Scholarship in Botany is sponsored by the North Shore Group of the Australian Plants Society. The Scholarship honours the memory of our former esteemed member, Val Williams (1937-2004). There is a wonderful account of Val's life and achievements on the Australian Flora Foundation website 
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