The Prize

The prize associated with the medal may vary at the discretion of the current council, but it includes, at a minimum:

• A specially designed medal engraved with the recipient’s name and the year of the award
• An elegantly presented copy of the citation printed under the AWMS letterhead, signed by the current president
• Full coverage of expenses for the recipient’s attendance at the Annual Conference where the award is presented
• An opportunity for the recipient to deliver a keynote address at the Annual Conference on a subject of their choice

Award Criteria

While eligibility for the award extends to any professional whose career has primarily involved deriving or applying scientific information to managed wildlife in Australia and New Zealand, AWMS aims to recognise individuals who have made outstanding and exemplary contributions. Consistently generating a substantial body of scientific information or playing a pivotal role in shaping scientifically-based wildlife management policies aligns with the criteria for this prestigious award.

Process for Making an Award

Members of AWMS can submit nominations for the Graeme Caughley Medal to the AWMS council through the president (president@awms.org.au) at any time. However, only nominations received before the end of June each year will be considered for the award to be presented at that year’s Annual Conference.

Nominations should provide a detailed account of the nominee’s professional career, emphasising their specific contributions to the field and the impact these have had on wildlife management practices in Australia and New Zealand.

Submissions will be assessed by the AWMS awards selection committee.

If a nomination is successful, the nominator(s) will be asked to prepare a concise one-page citation summarising the nomination. This citation will be awarded alongside the medal by the president of AWMS or their representative at the next Annual Conference.

Award Value

The Hands-on Management Award provides AUD$2,500 of value, consisting of:

1. Three years free membership @ AUD$70 per annum
2. Free registration to the conference (including the conference dinner) and a presentation time slot at the conference (up to AUD$690).
3. Travel costs to a maximum of AUD$600
4. A framed certificate from the AWMS to be awarded at the conference dinner, and
5. A AUD$1,000 cash prize

Selection Criteria

To be eligible for the award, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Must be an AWMS member at the time of application (Join Now)
• Any agency, group or individual carrying out a wildlife management project within the Australasian region, which includes Australia, New Zealand, Papua/New Guinea, and neighbouring Pacific islands.
• Must demonstrate excellence in their respective field of wildlife management
• Must be willing to provide updates for AWMS social media and member communications
• Must be willing to attend and present at the AWMS conference in the year of Award

Selection Process

Applicants are required to complete the Practitioner Award Application form, providing a concise summary (up to 200 words each) addressing the following key points:

1. Problem definition: Clearly define the issue at hand, including details such as occurrence frequency, involved parties, and relevant context.
2. Action plan with measurable goals: Present a well-defined action plan that outlines specific goals and objectives.
3. Implementation of the plan: Describe the steps taken to execute the action plan effectively.
4. Monitoring and evaluation: Explain how the action plan was monitored and evaluated, including the methods used and the extent to which the goals were achieved.
5. Process improvements: Highlight any modifications made to the process based on the findings from monitoring and evaluation.

Applicants should also provide the name and contact details of a referee who can verify their achievements.

Selection Committee

The award winners will be decided by the AWMS awards selection committee.

The decision made by the selection committee is final, and no further correspondence regarding the decision will be entertained.

Award Value

The Des Cooper Conservation Award includes the following benefits, with a maximum value of AUD$3,000:

1. Three years of AWMS membership contribution, up to AUD$70 per annum.
2. Free registration for the AWMS conference, including the conference dinner, in the year the award is received, and a time slot at the conference for presenting their research, up to AUD$690.
3. AWMS conference travel costs reimbursement, up to a maximum of AUD$600.
4. A certificate from AWMS to be awarded at the conference dinner.
5. A cash prize of AUD$1500 for use towards project costs.

Selection Criteria

To be eligible for the award, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Must be an AWMS Member at the time of application (Join Now)
2. Must be a current or former tertiary research student (at Honours, Masters, or PhD level) enrolled in a degree that requires the submission of a research thesis.
3. Must have studied within the field of wildlife management in a university in the Australasian region, which includes Australia, New Zealand, Papua/New Guinea, and neighbouring Pacific islands.
4. The thesis must have been examined, and examiners’ reports received, within the preceding 12 months from the closing date for award applications.
5. Must be willing to provide updates for AWMS social media and member communications.
6. Must be able to deliver a presentation about their thesis research at the AWMS conference in the year the award is given.

Selection Process

Applicants must complete the Des Cooper Conservation Award declaration form and provide the following information:

1. AWMS Des Cooper Conservation Award Supervisor/Head of School report (download).
2. Copies of the examiners’ reports (in the event that reports are not available for an Honours thesis, a brief evaluatory statement by the supervisor will suffice).
3. The Abstract/Summary from the thesis.
4. Information outlining the relevance of the body of work to wildlife management, including:

• Context
• Aims
• Key Results (within the context of methods)
• Conclusions
• Wildlife Management Implications.

Applications will be judged based on the significance of the project to wildlife management, and achievements will be assessed relative to the length of candidature for the degree in which the student was enrolled.

Please ensure all required documents are submitted as one document before starting the online application.

Selection Committee

The award winners will be decided by the AWMS awards selection committee.

The decision made by the selection committee is final, and no further correspondence regarding the decision will be entertained.

Conditions of Entry

In addition to the points mentioned in the selection criteria, the following should be noted:

• All requested documentation must be supplied, and AWMS may verify the examination process with the relevant Head of School or Faculty.
• AWMS reserves the right not to award a prize in any year if the entries do not meet the minimum standard of academic excellence and relevance to wildlife management.

     Grant description

Traditional Ecological Knowledge is playing an increasing role in wildlife management in Australasia and globally. The AWMS Indigenous Ecological Knowledge Travel Grant, newly created in 2024, aims to support Indigenous people and organisations from Australia and New Zealand, working in wildlife management and research to attend the annual AWMS Conference and share their work.

The funding will support people involved in projects where Indigenous knowledge and local communities play a central role. We strongly encourage people from Indigenous ranger groups to apply for this award. The work being presented at the conference must demonstrate benefits that are clearly articulated to wildlife and to local human communities.

    Selection Criteria

You don’t need to be a current AWMS member to apply for this Award, but successful applicants are encouraged to become a member of AWMS to receive the full benefits of membership.

     Application requirements

Please provide a summary (maximum 500 words) of the following with your application:

1. Project description.
2. Where your project is taking place.
3. How long it’s been going for.
4. How it incorporates Indigenous knowledge.
5. How this integration has produced measurable benefits to wildlife and to local Indigenous communities.

Award Value

Up to a maximum of AUD$10,000 over two years, with the successful applicant receiving half at the time of receiving the award and the remaining half upon the submission of a suitable 12-month report.

Selection Criteria

The applicant:

1. Must be associated with an institution or organisation involved with wildlife management.
2. Must be a financial member of AWMS at the time the application for the grant is submitted.
3. Must agree to submit an interim report at 12 months and a final report of no less than 1000 words at 24 months summarising their research project outcomes to the AWMS Committee and for publication in the AWMS newsletter.
4. Must give a presentation on their project outcomes at the AWMS annual conference immediately following the completion of their project.

Examples of suitable projects/initiatives:

• Support for workshops (venue costs, travel) that bring stakeholders together to discuss wildlife management issues.
• Publication costs for collaborative initiatives that address community-led wildlife management issues.
• Travel to enable engagement opportunities with or by community participants.
• Education initiatives.
• Research projects addressing community-led wildlife management issues.

The following principles will be used to guide the selection of successful recipients:

• The nature of the Wildlife Management (WM) or Natural Resource.
• Management (NRM) issue and the management required will vary with the assessor and their perspective.
• Most WD/NRM needs to be planned and undertaken at a landscape-scale, almost always involving several land tenures and different land managers.

Due to the above three principles:

• All key stakeholders need to be actively engaged and consulted.
• Rarely can the WM/NRM issue be addressed with a single or a relatively simple action. Invariably, several factors need to be considered and managed in concert.
• WM/NRM needs to focus on the desired outcome, in the case of pests, the reduction in damage, not just killing pests.
• A whole of system approach is required.
• Most WM/NRM occurs in ecosystems in which our knowledge is imperfect; hence an effective monitoring and evaluation strategy is essential for all management interventions.

Selection Process

Applicants must complete the online application form and provide a summary of the following (<200 words each):

1. Problem definition—describing the issue, when and how often it occurs, who is involved etc.
2. Community integration—how is community engagement and consultation integral to the outcomes of the project and how community stakeholders will be actively involved in achieving the outcomes of the project.
3. Evaluation criteria—a plan explaining how outcomes of the project will be evaluated.
4. A budget—detailing what funding is currently available to the project, how will these additional funds be used to enhance community consultation and action).

Applicants will be assessed according to the quality of their applications (written communication, clear goals for the proposed project, and provision of evidence that the project is feasible), and the benefit the program will provide for development of practical solutions for wildlife management through community consultation and action.

Selection Committee

Submissions will be assessed by the AWMS awards selection committee.

The decision made by the selection committee is final, and no further correspondence regarding the decision will be entertained.

Conditions of Entry

AWMS reserves the right not to award a grant (or grants) in any year if the entries are judged not to reach a minimum standard of quality of application.

Award Value

The award is available annually for members needing assistance to travel to the affiliate country for study.  Funds are available for travel, living expenses and accommodation. Up to a maximum of AUD$5,000 plus support of registration fees for attendance of either an AWMS or SAWMA annual conference. 

Selection Criteria

The principles to guide the selection of successful recipients from the fund are:

(1) The travel will assist in sharing knowledge and skills in some aspect of conservation management between the two southern hemisphere regions.

(2) The travel for study should endeavour to provide broad-scale, low-intensity management solutions for the conservation of wildlife.

To be considered for this Award, the applicant must:

1. Be a Masters, PhD student enrolled in a course related to wildlife management at a University or other tertiary institution, or an early career researcher  in the Australasian/ Southern Africa region (Australasia includes Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean).
   
2. Be a financial member of AWMS or SAWMA, for at least a year, at the time the application for the travel grant is submitted.
   
3. Submit a two-page summary of the proposed project outlining how the study will address the selection principles, the benefits the work provides to both the applicant the field of study, and how the project will be delivered.
4. Complete an AWMS Joan Southgate Declaration form (signed and dated by the applicant and the Head of their Faculty/School/Organisation).
5. Provide a statement of approval or support and authorisation for the applicant to undertake the research, signed by an appropriate representative of the host organisation.

At the conclusion of their travel grant, Award recipients must provide the following documentation:

1. A 500-word report of their study program/work experience to the AWMS/SAWMA Committee within one month of the completion of their travel grant.
   
2. A report on their study program/work experience in the AWMS/SAWMA communications immediately following the completion of their travel grant.
3. A presentation at the AWMS or SAWMA annual conference immediately following the completion of their travel grant.

Selection Process

Please ensure you scan your completed declaration form along with your two-page summary, and statement of approval or support, into one document before beginning your online application.

Applicants for the study grant program will be assessed according to the quality of their applications (written communication, clear goals for the proposed study/work experience program, and provision of evidence that the study/work program is feasible), and the benefit the program will provide for their professional development in wildlife management.

Selection Committee

The award winners will be decided by the AWMS awards selection committee.

The selection committee’s decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Conditions of Entry

AWMS reserves the right not to award a grant (or grants) in any year if the entries are judged not to reach a minimum standard of quality of application, and/or benefit for the applicant’s professional development in wildlife management.

The Best Student Presentation award is a highlight of the AWMS conference, recognising and encouraging outstanding achievements by student participants. All students who are members of AWMS and serve as senior authors of their presentations are automatically eligible for consideration.

A distinguished panel of academic members evaluates each student presentation based on a carefully crafted set of criteria, including content, delivery, originality, and relevance to wildlife management.

The winner of the ‘Best Student Presentation’ award receives the esteemed prize of three years’ membership to AWMS, fostering their continued engagement with the Society and its invaluable network of wildlife management professionals.

A panel of academic members judges each of the student posters, and the winner is selected based on a set of criteria.

To be eligible, students must be a member of AWMS and the senior author of their presentation. All students meeting these criteria are automatically entered. If you choose not to participate, please inform one of the committee members.

The winner of the Best Student Poster award receives the esteemed prize of three years’ membership to AWMS, fostering their continued engagement with the Society and its invaluable network of wildlife management professionals.

Student subsidy amounts

Full-time students registered for the full conference:

• AUD$300 for those who have been paid members of AWMS for three years or more,
• AUD$200 for students whose past and future paid membership totals less than 3 years.

The subsidy will be reduced proportionally for students registered for part of the conference. For part time students the subsidy will be at 75% of the above full time rates.

In years where the application for subsidies is high, preference will be given to those people whose experience is most relevant to the symposia planned for the conference. Information on claiming the subsidy will be provided at each conference.
To apply for the subsidy please fill in the form and submit it, with copies of your travel receipts, at lunchtime on Day 1 to the AWMS Committee Member near the registration desk.

Indigenous People

Travel subsidies and registration for indigenous people will be considered (as per students) where Indigenous delegates cannot get full support from their member organisation and where it is considered desirable for them to attend a specific symposium. If appropriate to their circumstances, free registration may be considered. Subsidies will be considered where applicants can:

• Identify themselves as an Indigenous person of Australia or New Zealand (other countries will also be considered)
• Are involved in wildlife management in that country
• Will present a paper (spoken or poster) or have experiences relevant to a conference symposium.

Award Value

The successful applicant will receive complementary registration and accommodation at the conference courtesy of SAWMA, as well as up to AUD$3000 for additional travel expenses from AWMS.

Selection Criteria

1. Must be an AWMS member.
2. Must submit a summary document outlining why attending  SAWMA conference would benefit your career.
3. Must submit a proposed abstract for presentation at that year’s SAWMA conference.
4. Must be prepared to give a full-length presentation at that year’s SAWMA conference.
5. Must be able to organise all your own travel and return receipts, which AWMS or SAWMA will reimburse up to AUD$3000.

Applications will be reviewed by the AWMS Committees.