With diverse projects ranging from embryo production for animal conservation to mapping Great Barrier Reef seabirds, four Fellows will fly to the USA or Panama to embark on their respective research projects.
The Queensland Smithsonian Fellowship funds Queensland professionals to work within a Smithsonian Institution, either in the United States of America or Panama, giving them an opportunity to access sought-after expertise, collections, and facilities, and increase their knowledge and skills in their chosen field.
The latest Queensland-Smithsonian Fellows are:
- Dr Lily Bentley, movement ecologist and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Queensland, receiving $23,000 in funding.
- Dr Andres Gambini, senior lecturer in Animal Science, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences at the University of Queensland, receiving $19,800 in funding.
- Dr Ana Cecelia Villacorta Rath, Senior Research Officer at James Cook University, receiving $23,000 in funding.
- Mr Christopher Salter, Head of Cultures & Histories at the Queensland Museum, receiving $19,800 in funding.
Queensland Chief Scientist Professor Kerrie Wilson said the Queensland Smithsonian Fellowship allows Queensland researchers to tap into the significant resources and expertise available at the world’s largest research and museum complex.
“Queensland’s program with the Smithsonian Institution is the only agreement of its kind in Australia, offering a unique opportunity for researchers to collaborate, connect and share mutually beneficial learnings in their chosen fields,” Professor Wilson said.
“I am eager to see the results of these research projects and how the knowledge and skills gained at the Smithsonian Institution can be brought back to the science ecosystem in Queensland.”
Dr Bentley’s research project aims to quantify the migratory connectivity of Queensland seabirds to improve conservation outcomes and ultimately support a healthy Great Barrier Reef.
By quantifying the known migratory connectivity of seabirds, the project will undertake a gap analysis to identify and map important but untracked species/colonies.
Dr Gambini’s research project aims to develop successful methods for producing embryos from dried sperm, with significant implications for the conservation of wild species.
Advancing assistive reproductive technologies for wild animal species is critically important for enhancing the genetic management and health of small populations.
Dr Rath’s research project aims to develop more accurate methods for assessing the health of the Great Barrier Reef. It will involve characterising bacterial communities to measure habitat health.
Outcomes of this project will improve our capacity to understand the impacts of industrial activities in the Great Barrier Reef catchments and on the reef itself through better understanding of processes such as coral bleaching.
Mr Salter’s research project aims to review and redescribe collection objects that reflect LGBTQ histories and lived experiences.
The project aims to analyse Smithsonian collection management practices, data, community engagement models and exhibition interpretation to implement a pilot program at the Queensland Museum, to determine how collections can reveal LGBTQ histories.
Since 2001, the Queensland Government has provided $1,083,801 through the Smithsonian Fellowship Fund to 60 Fellows from universities, science agencies, museums and art galleries across Queensland.
