WIRES is pleased to announce the 12 recipients of the WIRES Research Grants Program launched this year to address knowledge gaps surrounding Australian native species including biology, ecology and conservation. Over $500,000 in grant funding has been distributed by WIRES to research institutions across the country to support projects focused on risk reduction, rescue and rehabilitation, release and recovery.

Research will cover a variety of native species including bats, frogs, sea birds, koalas and lizards with projects to be run for up to three years.

“WIRES is investing in research as we believe this is an integral part of understanding our native animals, and the current and emerging impacts and how to improve long-term outcomes,” said WIRES CEO, Leanne Taylor. “The range of projects being funded clearly highlights the multitude of challenges and threats facing our wildlife. We acknowledge the many researchers and organisations dedicated to seeking sustainable solutions and we are encouraged by the collaboration between organisations.”

The successful projects being delivered through the grants program are:

• Habitat restoration for threatened bats in critically endangered woodland - University of Sydney
• Building an evidence-base to inform post-fire wildlife provisioning of food and water - Taronga Conservation Society Australia
• DNA demography for evidence-based seabird recovery - University of Tasmania
• Reducing tick paralysis mortalities in the endangered spectacled flying fox - University of Queensland
• Securing the health and viability of koala populations in post-fire landscapes - Flinders University
• Eyes and ears on recovery: developing a smart sensor network for post-megafire biodiversity recovery - University of Sydney
• Koalas - genotyping, trackers, and drones: Using thermal imaging, novel VHF/GPS tracking technology and genotyping to enhance post-release outcomes for rehabilitated koalas and support the recovery of the Port Stephens koala population - University of Newcastle
• Can plant volatiles and bedding material attract Australian birds and mammals to nest boxes and chainsaw hollows? - Charles Sturt University
• Gastrointestinal microbiome changes with the onset and progression of the disease oxalate nephrosis in koalas - University of Adelaide
• Rapid diagnostic testing for severe lizard respiratory virus - University of Melbourne
• Development and validation of a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Diagnostic Assay for Rapid Detection of the ‘Chytrid Fungus’ in Frogs - Currumbin Wildlife Hospital and University of Queensland
• Quantifying harmful lead exposure in Australian raptors - University of Melbourne

WIRES looks forward to these projects advancing our current knowledge and implementing this in the field to protect and preserve native wildlife.

The next round of the Research Grants Program will open in early 2023.