Closing the COVID Research Gap: Antarctic Science Foundation announces support grants for 18 PhD scholars in Antarctic science.

The Antarctic Science Foundation (ASF) today announces the recipients of its 2022 Traversing the COVID Gap grants.

Please join us in congratulating:

Devan Sailesh Chelliah (UNSW)

Rebecca Duncan (UTS)

Laura Dalman (UTas)

Sam Eggins (ANU)

Cara-Paige Green (UTas)

Carolina Gutiérrez-Chávez (UNSW)

Angus Henderson (UTas)

Andrea Johansen (UOW)

Ian Dale Kelly (UTas)

Calum Knight (UTas)

Stephy Libera (UTas)

Bob Pok Man Leung (Monash)

Penelope Pascoe (UTas)

Brett Stacy (UTas)

Prashasti Singh (UTas)

Tian Tian (UTas)

Sin Yin Wong (UNSW)

Qianjiang Xing (UTas)

COVID-19 has significantly impacted university students, particularly those completing a PhD.

ASF supporters have contributed over $90,000 as grants to support eighteen Antarctic Science PhD students across Australia while completing their studies under financial duress induced by the pandemic.

The Tasmanian Polar Network made a significant contribution to this year’s grant round: a group of over 80 member businesses and institutions from across the Tasmanian Antarctic community.

“Our commitment to supporting this round of Traversing the COVID Gap grants recognises the local, symbiotic role of the Tas Polar Network as an enabler of Antarctic research. TPN is proud to support the next generation of Antarctic researchers in this way,” said Richard Fader, Chair of the Tasmanian Polar Network.

CEO Antarctic Science Foundation, Andrew Kelly, said the grants support researchers who have demonstrated hardship, and academic excellence and whose work builds our understanding of Antarctica.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has crippled the Australian university sector, and PhD students, in particular, found themselves in a difficult financial position through no fault of their own. That’s why the ASF decided to step in and support the scholars authoring the next crucial chapters of our knowledge in Antarctic science.”

“The decision to support these scholars is straightforward: these bright minds will be the ones we turn to in the next 10 and 20 years to solve the challenging problems we face. In addition, the diversity and importance in areas of study are truly impressive.”

Research undertaken during this grant round includes studies of:

• The Ice-Rock Interface of East Antarctica

• Population trends of Crested penguins

• How the complexity of continental breakup controls ocean circulation

• The ocean’s role in driving Antarctic sea ice trends

• Climate change induced shifts in polar microalgae

• Long-range mineral dust in the South Pacific and the Southern Ocean

• Optimising Data Collection for Exploratory Fisheries.

• Microbial growth in global desert ecosystems

• Iron and carbon uptake in Southern Ocean phytoplankton communities.

• Estimates of baleen whale abundance in Southern Ocean

• Cloud processes above Southern Ocean sea ice and coastal Antarctica

• The role of kinematics on the state of Antarctic sea ice.

“Antarctica is humanity’s greatest library, but we’ve only read a few of its books. A vital guide can be found in our Antarctic past when looking toward our future. These early-career researchers are doing a range of critical science projects to understand climate disruption, resource management and environmental surveys to develop the strategies we need to enact over the next few years,” said Andrew.

“Supporters of the Antarctic Science Foundation find purpose in arming scientists with the resources needed to understand how changes in Antarctica affect our planet and all species. They understand that deciphering the secrets of Antarctica starts with the support of the next generation of Australian scientific talent.”

“We thank our supporters and congratulate each of our 2022 “Traversing the COVID Gap” grant recipients. We look forward to championing this brilliant research within the wider Australian and global Antarctic community,” adds Andrew Kelly.

The ASF funds people and projects to do great science. The catalytic outcomes of this work address three key concerns:

- the conservation of vulnerable Antarctic wildlife.

- understanding the health of the Southern Ocean to drive sustainability and food security.

- analysing Antarctica to predict global climate events accurately.

You can support catalytic research in Antarctica by some of the best and brightest minds in science, when you donate today at www.asf.aq