Grants and Awards
In 2022 the South Australian Government established a $2 million Citizen Science Fund which has been used to encourage and support the community to carry out scientific research about our environment.
South Australian Environmental Citizen Science Strategy
The South Australian Environmental Citizen Science Strategy was developed to encourage public participation in environmental science by supporting the development of projects that are engaging for the public and also help to answer priority environmental questions.
The development of this strategy was one of the government’s key commitments in the overarching plan for biodiversity protection from 2022-2025 and is complemented by other activities, including grants programs to support research projects.
Citizen Science Awards
South Australian Citizen Science Awards nominations open on 4 May 2026 and close on Sunday 14 June 2026.
Inspiring South Australia, the Department for Environment and Water and the South Australian Chapter of the Australian Citizen Science Association (ACSA) are delighted to announce the 2026 award for outstanding Citizen Science Projects in South Australia. We invite applications from current citizen science projects in South Australia that promote and increase community participation, and encompass quality science, engagement and education.
About the Awards
Participation in citizen science is growing around the world and is delivering wonderful scientific, educational and social benefits. ACSA defines citizen science as involving “public participation and collaboration in scientific research with the aim to increase scientific knowledge”. The profile and capacity of citizen science in South Australia has never been stronger and we want to celebrate these achievements.
This year we are offering two prizes: a first prize of $5,000 and a finalist prize of $2,500. We would encourage the use of these prizes to further support the project or to generate new projects.
Awards will be announced during National Science Week, August 2026.
To read more please visit the Inspiring SA Website.
Grants
The Department for Environment and Water recognises the value that citizen science adds to our knowledge about the environment.
To encourage the community to engage meaningfully in science and engage with their local environment, two grant programs provided support to citizen science projects.
Environmental Citizen Science Small Grants
The Environmental Citizen Science Small Grants were for citizen science projects that address research questions or gather data about living things and the natural environment: plants, animals, fungi, species, ecosystems, ecological communities. The projects run from between 1 and 3 years and include the key elements of our natural environment, including soil, water and air.
In 2023, individual grants of up to $15,000 were awarded to:
- University of South Australia – studying mosquito populations in South Australia in collaboration with schools
- Flinders University – studying little penguin numbers on Granite Island
- AUSMAP, Total Environment Centre – researching microplastics on Kangaroo Island
- Brownhill Creek Association Inc. – researching yabbies as indicators of the health of a groundwater-dependent ecosystem in Brownhill Creek (Wirraparinga)
- Miss Jessica Bamford – researching Cortinarius mushrooms in the Southern Mount Lofty Ranges
- Mr Brian Gepp – researching the relationship between fire and biodiversity at the Nangwarry Native Forest Reserve
- Mr Emmanuel Lukingan-Katz – restoring Coffin Bay's lost oyster reefs and improving local water quality and marine biodiversity
- The Friends of Belair National Park Inc. – engaging with school aged children to research flora, fauna and fungi found in the Belair National Park
- BirdLife Australia – studying the types of Terns and other seabirds and shorebirds near Encounter Bay
- Kangaroo Island / Victor Harbor Dolphin Watch – studying dolphin movements, patterns, behaviours and preferred habitat to inform conservation.
Environmental Citizen Science Large Grants
The Environmental Citizen Science Large Grants were aimed towards collaborative and longer-term citizen science research projects focused on key environmental questions which could inform conservation activities or policy decisions; and projects that sought to enhance the capability of citizen science participants or project leaders.
In 2024, multi-year grants were awarded to:
| Organisation | Project title | Total grant amount over 3 years (GST excl) |
| Fungimap Inc. | Fungi for function: bushland health indicators | $214,888.00 |
| Austland Management Pty Ltd | Enhancing resilience in a social-ecological system: citizen scientists building an understanding of arid woodland resilience to natural disturbance through a long-term phenology study | $120,955.00 |
| Burrandies Aboriginal Corporation | Nha ba Wuna Puwatingara Meritbii - to see and help freshwater turtle on Limestone Country | $60,000.00 |
| BirdLife Australia | Conservation through Knowledge: empowering citizen scientists in beach-nesting bird recovery | $136,587.00 |
| Trees For Life | If you build it what will come? Measuring Landscape Health | $275,438.00 |
| Flinders University | Marine Hitchhikers of Eyre Peninsula: Citizen Science Program from Port Augusta through to Coffin Bay | $49,990.00 |
| the Nature Conservation Society of South Australia | Capacity building of citizen scientists for woodland bird monitoring | $77,056.00 |
| The Trustee for Nature Glenelg Trust | Limestone Coast community bird monitoring program - building capability for long term biodiversity monitoring to inform adaptive management | $80,000.00 |
| Northern and Yorke Landscape Board | Waterbug Bioblitzes and Waterwatch SA - Building community capacity through collaborative catchment monitoring across three Landscape SA regions | $150,954.00 |
| Australian Citizen Science Association Inc | Capacity Building Program for South Australia’s Citizen Science Project Leaders | $147,456.70 |
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