Wildlife conservation will take centre stage at two specialist conferences next year, funded by the Australian Academy of Science.
Conserving genetic diversity of wildlife in living cells with the Boden Research Conference
The 2026 Boden Research Conference will focus on growing and cryopreserving living cell cultures from threatened wildlife.
Cryopreserved cells can act as a safety net for species at risk, safely storing genetic material long-term for future use in breeding, cloning or genetic rescue.
The Museums Victoria Research Institute has successfully cryopreserved cell cultures from more than 130 native Australian animals.
"We want to bring museum scientists and wildlife researchers together to learn how to use these techniques," said Dr Joanna Sumner of the Museums Victoria Research Institute, recipient of the conference funding.
"This is an opportunity to develop cellular resources that can support wildlife conservation into the future."
Museums Victoria will host the conference, where international experts will share expertise with Australian scientists, aiming to increase capacity for cell culture work across the country.
Protecting biodiversity in Australian cities with the Fenner Conference on the Environment
The Fenner Conference on the Environment will bring together academics, practitioners, and policymakers to tackle the pressing environmental challenge of protecting biodiversity in our rapidly growing cities.
"This funding gives us an opportunity to engage directly with a large range of communities and stakeholders in urban biodiversity, which is anyone living or working in a city," said Dr Lizzy Lowe of Edith Cowan University, recipient of the conference funding.
Specialists from urban planning, design, ecology, law, and land management from Western Australia and the eastern states, will convene to share expertise and forge collective strategies for biodiversity conservation in Australian urban environments.
"There are unlimited ways we could be working together to protect natural spaces and improve the long-term sustainability of urban areas across Australia," Dr Lowe said.
Academy to begin funding the Workshop Series from 2027
The Academy proudly supports scientific research by funding specialist conferences, including the Boden Research Conference and Fenner Conference on the Environment, which will take place in 2026.
Generous bequests from the late Dr Alex Boden AO FAA, the late Professor Frank Fenner AC MBE FAA FRS and the late Mrs Bobbie Fenner have made these conferences possible.
From 2027, the inaugural Workshop Series will support researchers in Australia to run small specialist workshops with funding up to $40,000.
The Workshop Series has been established with the combined support of the Boden, Fenner, and Elizabeth and Frederick White Conference Funds.
The first stage of applications (expressions of interest) will open in mid-February 2026.
