The Daniel Gilmore Scholarship was established by Biosis in 2023 in memory of Zoologist Daniel Gilmore. Dan had a passion for the natural world. This passion and knowledge was passed on to countless Biosis staff who worked with him during his 21 years with us. Sadly, Dan passed away in September 2022.
Dan contributed immensely to ecology and conservation throughout his life. His formative years were spent immersed in the natural world, building a wealth of first-hand knowledge from careful personal observation. From a young age, Dan was involved in conservation work on the Helmeted Honeyeater and Leadbeater’s Possum. He worked as a manager of bush regeneration crews, managed threatened species in the zoos industry and eventually studied Conservation Ecology with the assistance of a scholarship from the Smith Family, before joining Biosis in 2001.
During his time at Biosis, Dan played key roles in the management of threatened species and ecological communities. He was always working on raising the profile of threatened species and increasing our awareness of their plights. Dan was an excellent nature photographer and an avid contributor to biodiversity databases, such as the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas. He always espoused the importance of species occurrence data as underpinning the work of ecological consultants. He had an unrivalled knack for spotting significant or unusual species and regularly submitted interesting and important observations that he made in his spare time.
Dan also assisted and mentored many students over the years with their wildlife ecology research projects. The Daniel Gilmore Scholarship is a way of continuing Dan’s legacy.
Scholarship details
The purpose of this scholarship is to assist an Honours student with field work and/or living expenses during their study.
- Student type: Honours
- Area of study: Wildlife Ecology
- Total value: $3,000
- Duration: one year
Eligibility
The Daniel Gilmore Scholarship is open to people who:
- Have been accepted into an Honours program at an accredited Australian university
- Are undertaking an Honours topic in Wildlife Ecology
Applications
Applications for the 2025 scholarship are now open and will close at midnight on the 19 October 2025. The recipient will be announced in November.
Conditions
The Scholarship annual value will be paid in one instalment at the beginning of the scholarship period.
If the recipient defers their study they will no longer be eligible for the scholarship. If the scholarship is terminated it may be awarded to another suitable applicant.
The awardee may be asked to provide a photo of themselves and information regarding their project for Biosis’ website and social media accounts.
Previous recipients
2024: Amanda Poh
Amanda’s research investigated the role of invertebrates in spreading chytridiomycosis, a disease impacting frog populations.
Amanda collected and analysed invertebrates from freshwater habitats in Victoria and New South Wales, using qPCR to detect the presence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (which causes chytridiomycosis). Her findings helped improve our understanding of disease transmission and support biosecurity measures to protect Australia’s amphibian biodiversity.
CLICK HERE to read more about Amanda’s project and findings.
2023: Nick Scott
Nick’s work focused on two data-deficient skinks, Saproscincus eungellensis (Eungella Shadeskink) and Tumbunascincus luteilateralis (Orange-speckled forest-skink), in Eungella National Park, Queensland.
Nick’s project involved targeted field surveys to gather essential ecological knowledge on these species, potentially leading to their listing as threatened under the IUCN Red List and EPBC Act.
CLICK HERE to read more about Nick’s project and findings.
You may wish to prepare your answers ahead of filling out the form below.
- Full name of applicant
- Which Australian University are you attending?
- What program are you enrolled in?
- What is the current title of your honours project?
- Please supply the name and contact details of your honours supervisor
- Please describe your passion and personal connection to wildlife ecology, and why you have chosen to dedicate you research to this topic (250 words)
- Dan Gilmore was able to attend University thanks to scholarships, please outline how this scholarship will help you further your studies (250 words)
- Please provide a synopsis of your honours project. This could include the intention of your research, your progress to date, and how your research might be applied in a real-world situation. (250 words)