Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science-TESS

15/10/2026

Each year, the QLD Committee of the The Crawford Fund for Food Security (CFFS) offers a small number of International Engagement Awards (up to $15,000 ea) to enable Queensland scientists to offer mentoring and training to scientists in developing countries in our region who are working on similar aspects of food and nutrition security.

Further details including background information, selection criteria and application form for our 2027 Awards are available from the Crawford Fund for Food Security Queensland Committee webpage https://www.crawfordfund.org/training/state-programs/qld-committee/ . Details of last year's Awardees are also accessible from this page.

Please circulate this to scientific staff and colleagues in your organisation who may be interested in applying for one of these awards.

Applications for the 2027 Crawford-in-Queensland International Engagement Awards close on 26 February 2027.

The Queensland Program was established in 1996 with generous and continuing support from the Government of Queensland, private industry and our agricultural research partners. The Program addresses industry issues in

06/10/2026

CNRS, in association with ETH Zürich, we have just launched "Voices of the Tropical Forest", an online survey on how people perceive tropical forest soundscapes. The recordings come from more than 600 sites in Costa Rica that are part of a forest restoration program. You listen to short sound clips and click on the ones you prefer. Give it a try, it takes about 5 minutes.

Please repost this to people and organisations who care about tropical forests: members, supporters, volunteers, local partners and communities. They would be very grateful if you could share the survey through your newsletter, social media or mailing lists, or with your partners in the field.

Everybody is welcome to take part:
Survey in English: https://www.biodiful.org/ #/soundscapes_en
Encuesta en español: https://www.biodiful.org/ #/soundscapes_es
Enquête en français : https://www.biodiful.org/ #/soundscapes_fr

Etude de la perception humaine de la biodiversité. Studying human perception of biodiversity.

23/09/2026

Manager, Centre Research Training – Cairns QLD
Join our team at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures (CIEHF)

We are excited to be recruiting for a Manager, Centre Research Training to help shape the next generation of researchers across our Centre.
This unique role will lead the development and delivery of an ambitious Research Training and Ethics Program, supporting graduate researchers, early career researchers and Indigenous scholars through initiatives including:
-On Country research training
-HDR internships
-Mentoring and professional development programs
-Indigenous Early Career Researcher Cohort activities
-Research ethics and capability building

Working closely with researchers, communities and partner organisations, the successful applicant will help create meaningful opportunities for researchers to build skills, strengthen connections and advance their careers in an inclusive and culturally informed environment.
Cairns (with flexible location arrangements considered)
Part-time (4 days per week), fixed-term to 30 June 2030
Applications close 4 October 2026
Apply here:

James Cook University (JCU) is creating a brighter future for life in the Tropics and beyond, through education and research that makes a difference locally and globally. As Manager, Centre Research Training, you will help advance researcher development across the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indige...

23/09/2026

Researcher Position [Indigenous cultural and socio-economic outcomes] - posted 4 days ago
We’re hiring a Researcher in Indigenous Cultural & Socio-Economic Outcomes at the RMIT Centre for Nature Positive Solutions.

This is a chance to work on one of the harder parts of restoration: making sure success is not judged only by hectares restored, water quality or biodiversity, but also by the cultural, social and economic outcomes that matter to Traditional Custodian communities.

The role sits within the Reef Wetlands Initiative, a major collaboration focused on restoring coastal wetlands across Great Barrier Reef catchments. The broader aim is to improve water quality, biodiversity and community outcomes, while developing practical tools, methods and financing pathways that can support restoration at scale.

We’re looking for someone with experience in areas such as Indigenous engagement and co-design, participatory research, environmental social science, and cultural and non-market values. A key part of the work will be developing practical ways to better incorporate Indigenous and cultural values into restoration planning, ecosystem service assessment and environmental market opportunities.

Level A or B | up to 0.9 FTE | 📍 Melbourne or Queensland | until September 2028

🗓️ Applications close 11 October 2026.

Please share with anyone who might be a strong fit 🙏

Apply here:

Overview: Part-time, Fixed Term position until 30 September 2028 Academic Level A or B + 17% Superannuation, Flexible Working Arrangements and Cultural Leave Level A appointment available up to 0.9 FTE | Level B appointment available up to 0.8 FTE Melbourne or Queensland location considered About th...

23/09/2026

Our friends at Rainforest Rescue are looking for a Nursery Manager to join their team and help grow the native rainforest plants that support restoration work across the Wet Tropics.

If you know someone who would be a great fit, please feel free to share this opportunity with them.

For more information, download the below position description or visit the Rainforest Rescue website to apply: https://www.rainforestrescue.org.au/about-us/jobs/.

This vacancy will remain open until filled.

25/08/2026

Thanks to Karlina for an enlightening seminar yesterday afternoon. I always had it in the back of my mind that acoustics were complicated but I simply had no idea what ecoacoustic specialists face when trying to identify species from a soundscape. Do watch this beautifully presented seminar and appreciate the challenges they face.

Speaker: Karlina IndraswariAbstractHow do we begin to understand...

17/08/2026

The World Ecoacoustics Congress 2026 is on in Cairns this week: https://ecoacoustics2026.org/. Wishing good luck to all the TESSians speaking, particularly Kennedi on Tuesday at 11:55 and Karlina at 16:15. 🌟

Here is a link to the program:https://ecoacoustics2026.org/program/WEC_2026_Program.pdf There are a LOT of interesting talks.

17/08/2026

💧Spotlight on the Mossman River Catchment: One of the key messages that came out of this year's Wet Tropics Waterways Health Report Card was the significant improvements recorded in the Mossman catchment.

After Mossman's sugar mill closed, sugarcane production dropped by more than 50% in the 2024 harvest season, resulting in substantial reductions in fertiliser and pesticide use. Highlighting the close connection between land use and waterway health, pesticide risk levels in the Mossman catchment improved from ‘moderate’ to ‘very low’ in report card ratings. And dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) levels improved from ‘moderate’ to ‘good’.

Filterable reactive phosphorus (FRP) levels also improved from ‘moderate’ to ‘good’.

Find out more about the Mossman catchment's results at https://wettropicswaterways.org.au/wet-tropics-report-card/

Terrain NRM hosts Wet Tropics Waterways - a network of more than 50 stakeholders across industry, research, all levels of government, the business sector and community conservation groups. Members work together to improve the health of waterways and the quality of water flowing to the Great Barrier Reef.

Port Douglas - Mossman Notice Board Douglas Shire Council Cairns-Port Douglas Reef Hub Queensland Environment Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

27/07/2026

💡 Do you know a woman who inspires you through their achievements in science, technology, engineering or mathematics? Tag them!

Nominations for the 2026 Queensland Women in STEM Prize are now open.

Presented by Queensland Museum Kurilpa in partnership with the Queensland Government, the prize recognises women who are breaking new ground, driving innovation and creating positive change across Queensland.

Award categories include:

🔹 First Nations STEM Award
🔹 Breaking Barriers Award
🔹 Judges’ Award

With $30,000 in prize funding available, now is the time to shine a spotlight on the women advancing Queensland's STEM future.

Queensland Women

Apply before 18th August, 5pm: https://www.museum.qld.gov.au/about/queensland-women-in-stem-prize/

24/06/2026

It was a pleasure to meet PhD candidate Yiwen Zhang yesterday, and to attend her seminar discussing the application and results of methodologies to evaluate the full Enhanced Rock Weathering supply chain. Thanks Yiwen!

Full title: From Farmland to Carbon Markets: Evaluating Enhanced Ro...